The Spirit of Sonship
The Spirit of Sonship
In the beginning, before creation, there existed the greatest love relationship of all eternity. Perfect love, harmony, joy, peace, and happiness between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And there was a plan in place, a perfect plan, for God to create mankind to share in this love. We learn in Revelation 13, that in this plan the creator, to show His unfathomable love, would go to earth as a man and give His life for the sins of the world. John 1:10 says, “He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. He wanted us, you and me, to share this perfect relationship as CHILDREN OF GOD. Not as slaves, not as friends, but children.
Jesus gave us this picture in my favorite parable in Luke 15. (Have I ever done a bible study that didn’t include the prodigal son?) The son who had gone his own way, left his father and family, and lived life on his own terms, finally came to his senses and came home. He told his father, “I don’t deserve to be your son but I want to come home.” Let me paraphrase the father’s response, “I gave my life before the foundation of the world for this moment. Receive my everlasting love. Receive eternal life. Receive the robe and ring of royalty. You are my CHILD forever.”
The bible calls this affirmation the spirit of sonship in Romans 8:15 and Galations 4:5. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry “Abba Father”. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out “Abba Father.” I know lots of believers, sweet devout loving Christians who I believe have never personally heard these words from their heavenly father. Remember in Mark 1:9 when Jesus was baptized by John right before being led into the wilderness to face the devil. God wanted Jesus to hear these words deep down once again. So the bible says the heavens opened up and the Spirit descended on Him and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased.” If you have any question about whether Jesus loves you that much remember his words at the last supper, “JUST AS the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” These words God spoke to His precious son imparted so much. Love, sonship, significance, acceptance, pleasure, trust. If you have never heard your savior speak these words personally to your heart, open your ears. He wants you to hear them.
When I was about 8, my uncle and aunt in Wyoming both died leaving their 5 year old daughter, Vicki. My mom and dad brought her to live with us, adopted her, changed her last name, and she became my little sister. In a family of all boys, she was very special and was showered with love and attention. As you can imagine, my mama adored her. Dresses, bows, ribbons, dolls. But even though she was now Vicki Bobo, legally adopted, part of the family, she still called mama and daddy, uncle Bob and aunt E’Lane. I specifically remember the day we were sitting in the den and Vicki called my mother “mama” for the first time. Everything stopped. We all looked at each other. Vicki was sitting on the floor looking up over the top of her little glasses to see mama’s reaction as if to ask, “Is it OK for me to call you that?” The smile on my mother’s face and the tears in her eyes were overwhelming. Multiply that by a million to get a glimpse of the joy our heavenly father feels when we hear Him say, “you are my son, I love you, in you I am well pleased,” and we cry out to him, “Abba Father”.
After being affirmed by His Father, Jesus was led into the wilderness to battle with the devil. He warned us too that we must fight that fight everyday until he returns. Jesus said the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly. The devil wants to steal the word of God from our minds and hearts, steal our joy and peace and hope and love. Destroy our relationships, our marriages, our families. Kill our effectiveness, our testimony, our witness. But Jesus did not leave us unprepared for the battle. 2 Corinthians10:4 says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds. Strongholds of fear, of unbelief, of unforgiveness, of anger, of addiction, of rejection. When we know deep down the love of the Father, His affirmation of sonship produces in us supernatural faith and hope and trust.
In 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul sat in a cold dungeon in prison in Rome, knowing his death was close. Certainly not a perfect man but one who had come face to face with a risen savior on a road to Damascus. He had heard His voice clearly, and knew the Father’s love as he proclaimed, “I know in whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to keep that which I have entrusted to Him until that day.” “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Knowing, I mean really knowing, that the creator of the universe adores us as His child changes everything. We can endure any hardship, we can walk through any valley, we can face any diagnosis, we can love and even enjoy some really difficult people. Let Him wrap those big arms around you and hear Him say, “You are my beloved child in whom I am well please. Come and enjoy my kingdom forever.”