The New Covenant

Sonship

We said earlier that the purpose of God may be expressed as bringing many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). In the Old Covenant, however, we find almost no mention of sonship, and what is mentioned is a very distant relationship. Israel is spoken of as God's son (Exodus 4:22), but the thought of a nation being a son is very far from the intimate sonship we find in the New Covenant. This close relationship was not possible before Calvary, but now that the matter of sin has been dealt with, the purpose that God had in His heart all along can be fulfilled.

What Christ did opened the way for us to be true sons. Most of us were outside of Israel, so we were not even in the Old Covenant. We had no hope, and no basis even to approach God. In speaking to the Galatians, Paul likens what Christ did to adoption (Galatians 3). Adoption is a legal process by which an outsider is included in the family. Until the legal process is completed, there is no basis for a relationship. Christ completed the legal transaction necessary for us to be sons, but to make the sonship real, He sends the "Spirit of adoption" into our lives whereby we can say "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15) (The word "Abba" is a close term of endearment, like "Daddy.") In other words, the Holy Spirit comes and makes the relationship by bringing us into life (God's life) so that we can have fellowship with the Father and with the Son. No man can call God "Father" or Jesus Christ "Lord" except by the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3). Sonship is by birth. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3, He said that the beginning is to be born again, and that it is a spiritual birth. Apart from this birth, we cannot even see the kingdom of God, let alone enter into that kingdom and have fellowship with God. To be a son of God, we must be born of His life. This is what brings us into union with God. Those saints in the Old Covenant could not enter into sonship because the provision was not yet there. Now that the provision has been made, God is dealing with sons (Hebrews 12).

Jesus is spoken of as "the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). Although Christ was in the form of God (Philippians 2:6), He laid aside His glory and became fully identified with man. In so doing, He was perfected as Savior and qualified before God to save mankind and to "bring many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10). Worship and praise to the One who is worthy shall fill our hearts and mouths for all eternity! It is doubtful that we shall ever plumb the depths of God's love and comprehend the riches of His mercy for including us in such a way, but the scriptures are plain as to these things, and the Spirit within says, "Amen." We need to continue to ponder these things before God, that He may reveal more of this great salvation to us. For now, let us see very clearly that sonship is a unique privilege of the New Covenant.

The privileges unique to sons are endless. A son has the full benefit of the father's house. The father provides all of his needs. He is given full access to the father--directly. He does not need an invitation, but can come into "Daddy's" presence anytime with his needs. The fellowship between the son and the father is established just because he is the son--nothing more is required. Everything the father has is the son's, according to the son's maturity and ability to handle it. He has full access to all the father has and knows. As the maturity allows, he is able to draw upon the father's resources.

Sonship speaks not only of privileges, but of responsibilities. A son is permanently identified with his father, representing the father at all times whether he wants to or not. Every lack in a son brings discredit on the father, and every success reflects favorably upon the father .As long as the son is in the father's house, he must answer to the father for his conduct. He must submit to his father's training, not being allowed to establish his own will, but being responsible to carry out the will of the father.

As the son abides in the father's house, he increasingly bears the image of the father. "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2). There is only one way this can possibly be true in reality, and that is that we have His life. A person cannot copy or mimic the life of God. The only thing we can do is let the life manifest through us. We bear the image of our father. If Adam is our father, we will bear his image. If God is our father, we will bear His image.

God does not work in the realm of our "trying to be like Jesus." God brings the reality of His life within by new birth. The Holy Spirit comes to abide within us to make us sons in reality. "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15). The central thought in sonship is closeness of relationship by the Spirit that we may bear His name. What a glory, and yet what a responsibility! No wonder those in the Old Covenant could not bear this responsibility. It simply is not possible without His life. Has the glory of the New Covenant yet broken upon our hearts? May God open our eyes that we may see.

Next: Salvation