Why is Jesus called God’s Son?

The Watchtower organization teaches:

God does not have a literal wife with whom he fathered children. He is the Creator of all life. Humans were created with the capacity to imitate God’s qualities. That is why the first human that God created, Adam, is called a “son of God.” Similarly, Jesus is called “the Son of God” because he was created with qualities like those of his Father. As God’s firstborn Son, Jesus was a spirit creature in heaven before he was born as a human on earth.

First, it is the teaching of the Watchtower organization (the self proclaimed “Jehovah’s Witnesses) that humans were created with the capacity to imitate God’s qualities to prove that a “son of God” means one who can imitate the qualities of God. Second, the Bible never defines “son of God” as one who can imitate God’s qualities.

God is infinite and man is finite. Man cannot imitate this quality of God. God is eternal and man is mortal. Man cannot imitate this quality of God. God has no sin man is conceived and born in sin. Man cannot imitate this quality of God. God is omnipresent, that is, present everywhere. Man cannot imitate this quality of God. Note: the god of the Watchtower organization is not omnipresent; instead, he sits on a throne in a far off galaxy removed from earth. God knows all things and man does not nor can he know all things. Mann cannot imitate this quality of God. Note: the god of the Watchtower organization does not know all things. God is all powerful and man is not. Man cannot be all powerful. Man cannot imitate this quality of God. Note: the god of the Watchtower organization is not all powerful.

When the Watchtower Organization quotes from Luke 3:38 to prove their point is pointless. Yes, Adam is called “the son of God,” but not because he can imitate qualities of God; rather, because he has faith. Thus, one who has faith in God is called a “son.” Those who believe in Christ are called sons of Abraham who is called the father of all who believe as the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 4. Paul writes that Abraham “received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well” (Romans 4:11, ESV). And again Paul writes, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16, ESV).

Likewise, Paul writes, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through fait.” (Galatians 3:26, ESV). And again he says,“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:6–7, ESV). The reason why Adam is called a son of God is because he believed the promises of God. To be clear, Adam being called “son of God” has nothing to do with the reason why Jesus is called the Son of God. The Scriptures makes it clear that Jesus is called the Son of God because He is begotten of God the Father. In other words, He is begotten and not made. He is of the same divine nature as the Father. He is God of God. Jesus is the only One who is called the “Only begotten Son of God.” Adam was not begotten of God the Father, that is, of the same divine substance. Adam is a created being.

Here we must make the clear distinction taught to us in the sacred scriptures between being created and being begotten. A man begets children and they are of the same substance of man. They are human. A man can create a piece of furniture, but it is not the same substance of the man. It is a different substance. Whatever man creates is not of his same human nature. When God creates, the creation is not begotten it is made. Creation is not of the same substance of God. Creation is creation.
Now it is true that as a human being a man needs a woman to beget a son. But just because a man needs a woman to beget does not mean that God needs a wife. God is God. In the same way, God creates from nothing. He makes the very creation that He creates from. Man cannot create out of nothing. Man can only create from the creation that God has created.

Christ is called the μονογενής (monogenēs) only-begotten of God because he is of the same divine substance of God. The Apostle John teaches us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Here we learn that the Word of God is eternal. Only God is eternal. The Word of God is True God. John goes on to teach us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only-begotten (μονογενής) from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Apostle John makes it clear that the Eternal Word is begotten not made. He is the only One who is begotten of the Father.

Contrary to the Bible, the Watchtower organization deceptively teaches that the Eternal Word of God is a created spirit being. This is a teaching that is not found in the Bible. The Watchtower has to peddle its deception by intentionally mistranslating the Greek scriptures to read,

“So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of divine favor and truth.”

Please note that they had to refer to the Eternal Word as “an only-begotten son” in order to conform the Bible to agree with their teachings. They make it out as if Jesus is “an only-begotten son” as if there could be more than one “only-begotten.” The Greek word μονογενής (monogenēs) means that there is only one begotten One of the Father. Jesus alone is the only-begotten God. There is no other “only-begotten” One.

The Apostle John states, “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). This is way Christ is called the Son of God, because He is begotten of the same divine essence. John also writes, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV) And again, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9, ESV) John is making it clear that Christ is the Son of God because He is of the same substance of God. He is begotten not made. He is True God of True God. Christ is the only Son who is begotten of the Father, that is, being of the same divine essence. Adam is not called the only-begotten son of God. Adam is a created being. By faith, Adam is called a “son of God” just like all other believers.