THE SON AND SONSHIP
[p. 38] THE SON AND SONSHIP
I do not intend, beloved friends, to add a word to what has been said but rather to suggest a thought which had a place in my soul. The spirit of sonship has been introduced. While I can scarcely venture to add a scripture to what has already been given I should like to speak of the truth in connection with the Son as spoken through the one whom Jesus loved. I have been distinctly impressed with the opportuneness of the word exemplified from John’s position. Some of us have been dwelling on Paul’s position.
What a vessel he was, how divinely fitted to set forth the full scope of the divine mind! As an architect he completed the structure in which every thought of God should find a place, a man divinely qualified not only to give expression to the divine mind but as architect and builder to carry it all out here. That was Paul. And then there is one in contrast to Paul whom we have seen coming in at the end to bring forth the glorious Person of the Son, Him whose dignity and beauty lend lustre to the whole system. Such is the Son, and how admirably suited and fitted that beloved disciple was to bring forth the truth of the Person whom he loved. I suppose that was his own estimate of what came to light in the Son. But there is the church. The apostle Paul by the power of God and wisdom of God had reared up that here in which all that which came to light in the Son should find a home.
I should just like to add a word as to sonship. The thought of the Son necessitates the idea of sonship and I wish to refer to it for a few minutes. Some of us were looking this morning at the setting forth of that part of the testimony which has reference to [p. 39] heaven on earth. Ephesians introduces to us that part of the testimony which has reference to heaven. You can readily believe that is a big thought, that and the responsibility together have a very wide scope, but you have the testimony, beloved friends, and we want that. A remark I would like to make is that the truth contained in both epistles (Romans and Ephesians) was set forth in the Lord; that is, the thought of man here upon earth in relation to God was set forth in Christ. That is the epistle to the Romans. In the Man He introduced what man should be. That which God has lost in the Garden of Eden is in a way received back in christianity. Man is again in relationship with God so that God has His true place in that Man. Well now we have something added to that in Christ, a Son with a Father. Now it is that that I wish to dwell upon for a moment. I feel it is important to call your attention to the fact that the spirit of sonship was introduced before the fact of sonship was set forth in the Lord here below. Scripture speaks in various ways about sonship. There is no subject more interesting. The initial thought connected with it is that of sympathy with God. When the foundations of the earth were laid “all the sons of God shouted for joy”. There was intelligent sympathy with the sons and all were interested. That does not convey to us the dignity connected with sonship nor the peculiar affection God has for the Son. When you come to the application of the term ‘son’ to men it applies primarily to Isaac: “Take now thy son, thine only son”. It came in afterwards in respect of Israel. I am speaking of Isaac as typical. We are entitled to take account of and speak of things typically. “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest”. That is Christ: sons of God do not convey the idea of Christ. Whatever applied to Christ must have a unique bearing. Abraham had other sons. “Take now thy son, thine only son,
whom thou lovest”. You have the idea there of the place the Lord had with the Father. We must understand the difference between the thoughts of God and man, and of Father and Son. The question of righteousness and life has reference to God and man. It is a question of the reinstatement of men here in regard to God. The Lord said in resurrection “I ascend to my Father and your Father”. That conveys the most intimate relations of divine Persons, “I ascend to my Father and your Father”. Think of it! He says also “I ascend ... to my God and your God”; that has reference to man, it has reference to a place before God for man. The idea of relationship to the Father is to be in the family circle. The Lord has been on the earth in the consciousness of that relationship; He could look up to heaven and say, “Father”. That was the relationship in which He stood to God; He was in the intimacy of relationship with the Father. The Father belongs to the most intimate precinct of that abode. The Spirit of that Man has been given to us. Romans lays the basis for Ephesians. It shows us man with power to discharge every relationship in the Spirit. These persons are in relation to God as God. Chapter 8 is to show what the Spirit is to us to enable us to fulfil every moral requirement. The Spirit is given to every justified person so that we might maintain righteousness here.
Justification enables us to look up in His face. God has a people for Himself; they are for God. That same Spirit enabled the people to live, enabled them to live where everything is death. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. What kind of people are they? They are sons of God, that is dignity.
God has a company in whom every moral requirement is fulfilled as they move about in the dignity of sonship. What He has given to us is a spirit of adoption. What does that Spirit do? That Spirit cries “Father” twice. He not only enables us to discharge every obligation and walk in dignity as God’s sons, but He enables us to respond to God, to answer to the name of the Father. What a thing to have your soul in the full light of the revelation of the Father: “Abba, Father”. What a portion God has in those who are set up in the relation of sons before Him! “God has sent out the Spirit of his Son ... crying, Abba, Father”. But there is more than that. The Father loves the Son and has given all things to be in His hand. The Father is going to bring a company into that place the Son has here. The end of all ministry is to form the saints after Christ. God has brought everything in in Christ. God sets to work to effect that in those whom He has set in relation to the Person. Moreover “whom he has predestinated, these also he has called”. He predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son. God looked down here on earth and saw that everything was well pleasing. Think what that was to God, One who not only maintained what was due to God, but One in the relation of Son. ‘I will bring in a race of men just like that suited for heaven’. Hence God is leading many sons to glory, so here He intends to conform us to His image that He might be the Firstborn among many. That great end of God is a family relationship, and that brings out what the nature of God is. He is to have a family and that a holy one. That Son is to be the Firstborn among many. God grant this might be the result of the ministry! God has brought in His Son and He intends to fill the scene with beings formed after the image of that glorious Person who has been here on the earth.