SONSHIP—THE CALLING OF GOD

Sonship is a state of supreme blessedness in relationship with divine Persons, the Father and the Son. Saints in the present day are sons of God in association with the Son of God, sons with Him before the Father. This is the special calling of God for saints to-day. The calling on high of God in Christ Jesus.

The estate of sonship supposes God known in the name of Father, and Christ known as Son of God, as man in glory. The name of Father is a name of love, a name which involves relationship. It is the name in which He stands in relationship with Jesus Christ—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It supposes the Spirit received, and that we have been quickened in the life of the Son of God, so that we are able to enjoy the love of God and to respond to it. One of the leading thoughts connected with sonship is response. Love ever seeks response. How perfectly this was found in Christ. It is found in us in a measure as Christ lives in us. “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”. The Spirit is the power of that life in us, Rom 8: 2-15; Gal 4: 6.

It is a state of liberty. Sons are at home in the father’s house. Liberty is not fully known apart from sonship. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”, John 8: 36; Gal: 4. 7.

The thought of maturity is connected with sonship. Speaking of saints in the past dispensation, the apostle says, “we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles of the world”, Gal 4: 3. In that day they could not get beyond an infantine condition, for then God was only partially revealed. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son ... that we might receive sonship”, vv 4, 5. Hence the apostle exhorts the Hebrew saints to go on to perfection, that is, to what belongs to full growth. The law made nothing perfect. Yet how many saints are today still in this infantine condition to the grief of God who has called us to sonship.

We see, too, the thought of intelligence is connected with sonship. Having spoken of our being predestinated to sonship, and having been taken into favour in the Beloved, the apostle speaks of how God has abounded in grace toward us in all wisdom and intelligence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, Eph 1: 8-10.

The thought of inheritance goes with the relationship. Christ as Son is the heir of God, heir of all things, the sons are joint-heirs with Him. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance”. He has not yet taken up the inheritance, and therefore we have to wait for it, meantime we have the earnest of the Spirit, and await the hope of righteousness by faith, Gal 4: 7; Eph 1: 11-18.

In full result sonship involves glory, namely, that we should be conformed to the image of God’s Son. Hence in this sense we await sonship, and the manifestation of the sons of God. Glory is the hope of our calling. Meanwhile we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, Rom 8: 19-24; Eph 2: 18.

It is only as this relationship is known and enjoyed in the Spirit that we can worship the Father acceptably, in spirit and in truth. Nothing less than the worship of sons can satisfy the Father. ‘“He seeketh such to worship him”. Such will be our happy service in eternity. But having received the Holy Spirit we are qualified to render such service now. The holy priests are sons, John 4: 23-25; Phil 3: 3; 1 Pet 2: 5.

Finally, our levitical service should be carried out, not in a legal spirit, but in the affection and intelligence of sons, after the pattern of Christ as seen in the gospel of Mark, chap 1: 1. So that the service of God is that of liberty. We serve as sons with a father.

The object of these fragmentary notes is to call attention to this great subject, and to encourage saints prayerfully to consider the scriptures referred to, seeking the teaching of the Spirit of God, who alone can lead us into the truth. It should be the earnest desire of all the sons to answer to the good pleasure of the Father in increasing measure until the hope of His calling is fully realised at the coming of the Lord.

From Goodly Words vol 7 (1929)