Sonship (ePub)

As the sons of God possess the Kingdom, the procession is not one of wild cheering and boisterous exuberance. To the contrary, it is on hobbled legs that the saints go marching in, just as Jacob leaned on his staff and worshipped at the end of his life. If such an entrance into the Kingdom sounds pessimistic, consider that the image of Jacob leaning on his staff and worshipping was presented by the writer of Hebrews in his great chapter on overcoming faith. This image was the crown of Jacob's life. "By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff." Jacob never recovered from the Angel of the Lord touching his thigh. He hobbled the rest of his life. This is indicative of how God touches each one of His sons in such a way that they become wholly dependent on Him. All the soulish energies of Adam are removed from our lives as Christ's own sonship is formed in us.

Those whom God brings near to Himself as sons are first love slaves.

Ex. 21:

1 ¶ "Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them:

2 "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.

3 "If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 "If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

5 "But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'

6 "then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

Walking as a love slave unto the Lord is a deliberate choice we make. "But if the servant plainly says..." All of God's sons will have pierced ears. When questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus stated plainly that the first and foremost commandment is "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." This commandment was fulfilled in Jesus, and it shall be fulfilled in all His sons.

To walk as sons is to walk in a divine lineage. It is Christ's own nature that is formed in them. Paul stated that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. All of God's sons learn to put on the new man, created in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. This definition of sonship may not sound appealing to the religious side of our adamic nature. It is not meant to. But as Adam dies, all the joy of the Kingdom of God becomes ours. Great is the heritage of God's sons!