Becoming Sons

Πατερα καλείν ἐφίησι τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἐν υἱῶν τάξει γεγενημένους. Παρ' αὐτοῦ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐσχήκαμεν· καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ σοφὸς Ἰωάννης περὶ αὐτοῦ· Ὅσει δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Μεμορφώμεθα γὰρ εἰς υἱότητα, διὰ γεννήσεως τῆς πνευματικῆς, τελουμένης ἐν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτῆς μᾶλλον, ἀλλὰ διὰ λόγον ζῶντος Θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος, καθὰ γέγραπται· Βουληθεὶς γὰρ ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κτισμάτων. Ἔφη γὰρ οὕτω τις τῶν ἁγίων ᾱποστόλων. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ που Χριστὸς, τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ὁδὸν ἐναργῆ καθίστη, λέγων· Ἔὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Λούκαν Εὐάγγελιον, Κεφ. ΙΑ'

He permits us to name God Father, as being established in sonship. From Him also this gift we receive, and the wise John bears witness, saying, ' Whoever received Him He gave power to become sons of God.' 1 For we are transformed into sons through spiritual generation, which does not happen to us by corruptible seed, but from the ever living word of God, as it is written, 'For He wished to fashion us by the word of truth, that we begin to become his creations' 2 For so it was said of the Holy Apostles. And the way of this Christ Himself made evident, saying, 'Unless a man is born from water and spirit, he is not able to enter the kingdom of heaven.' 3 Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 11 1. Jn 1.12 2  Jam 1.18 3 Jn 3.5