Plain Words For The Young Who Belong To Christ

by N.D.W. MILLER | Category: Pages For Young Believers | Jul 1932

Concerning things that differ-

V.-SONSHIP.

"As many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God even to them that believe on His Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1. 12, 13).

"Which were born." Born into God's Family. Children by birth. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such we are... Beloved, now are we children of God" (1 John 3. 1, 2).

"The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs" (Romans 8. 16).

Here is relationship-sweet and precious ; blessed and eternal. A relationship brought about through simple "faith in Christ Jesus."

More than this we need hardly say, seeing we have referred to it so often in preceding articles. Just let us emphasise the fact again that the moment the sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and is sealed with the Holy Spirit, he is as absolutely meet for Heaven as if he had lived a lifetime of devoted service. The life down here that we are responsible and privileged to live for God after the New Birth takes place, provides the opportunity for pleasing the Lord, and of gaining a reward. But many of us, alas, after years of conversion, may be as barren of rewards as the repentant thief was of opportunity to receive them.

Although it is perfectly true that we are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3. 26 R.V.), yet the Scriptures make it plain that in some respects the element of condition enters very definitely into the truth of sonship. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8. 14). And yet it is true-"Ye are sons " (Galatians 4. 6). There is no dubiety about it. But sonship implies conduct and likeness produced by conduct. And our conduct, to be well-pleasing to God, must be the outcome of spiritual growth in accordance with His Word. To say we are led by the Holy Spirit, and to be found walking, or living, contrary to the Word of God, is to say what is untrue.

The Hebrew Christians had forgotten a very important exhortation-" the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons... God dealeth with you as with sons... But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Hebrews 12.).

The chastening here is not the use of the whip: it is more like God's use of the pruning knife, His gracious design being to make us "partakers of His holiness." God's great object is separation to Himself-separation from everything that is displeasing to Him, and therefore it is that He deals with His children as sons.

And to those who are exercised in God's school, this chastening will ultimately yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The word "exercised" means, trained as in a gymnasium. These thoughts are beautifully expressed in Psalm 94. 12, "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, 0 LORD, and teachest out of Thy law." Both are needed. Chastening alone would weigh, and keep us, down. Teaching, apart from chastening, might lift us too high. But combined we have God's perfect way of training us.

As in all things, Christ is our perfect Example. Even He- "though He was a SON" (in a very different sense) "yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5.8).

In Galatians, the truth of sonship has a distinct place, and it is there we read, "My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you."

It is one thing to be in Christ: and quite another thing to have Christ formed in you. The one is the work of a moment. The other may be the work of a lifetime.

In the same chapter we read that "God sent forth His Son that we might receive the adoption of sons (literally "sonship," which is the meaning of the word adoption as found in the New Testament). And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Galatians 4.).

Sonship, is a wonderful truth; it is not like adoption, which is merely to take the child of another and treat it as one's own; sonship in the family of God is an actual son-relationship through divine birth; those who are "Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus," belong to Him by birth. They were foreordained to this high dignity, as we read in Ephesians 1. 5, and the divine purpose is effected "through Jesus Christ." Hence the sending forth of His Son as we have already noted in Galatians 4. "Ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption (sonship) whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God...And not only so, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption (sonship, as fully manifested) to wit, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8, 15 16, 23).

Then, and not till then (at the Lords Coming), shall we, God's children, even His sons, receive our new bodies and sonplace, and be all that God in His wondrous purpose has determined we shall be. This is still future, but God's desire for us now-day by day-is that by our conduct we shall manifest that we are sons of God. And, may I say, not only sons, but daughters too.

"My son, give ME thine heart,

And let thine eyes delight in MY ways,"

is a typical word from the Book of Proverbs (23. 26).

"Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the King desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him"

is a unique word from the Book of Psalms (45. 10, 11).

Because of the sublime promise in 2 Corinthians, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people"-God says-"Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6.).

This, you will see at once, is a conditional promise, and for any one to say that all God's children, irrespective of heart response to His Word, are sons and daughters to the Lord Almighty, is to say what is not true.

But you may say-"I thought this Scripture was only for persons who are members of the 'sects,' whereas I was never connected with any 'denomination' in all my life!"

It is for such, but not only for such. It touches companionship, for instance, as well as niany other relationships of life. But oh! think of the signal honour coimferred upon those who are thus separated to God. I "will be to you (for) a Father, and ye shall be to Me (for) sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

In concluding, think of a parent and his little child-a child just learning to walk. Father and child-that is the relationship. But you do not expect much, in the way of conduct, from a "babe." It is the parent's duty to teach and train such. But if you have a youth, or a maiden, growing up into manhood, and womanhood, would you not expect something more from such in the way of conduct? Of course you would! And so is it in God's family. God expects spiritual growth in His children-development, and corresponding conduct. He has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, to teach us, and to train us for Himself. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." And this surely implies willingness to be taught, and to obey;

"Hear, My sons, the instruction of a father,

And attend to know understanding:

For I give you good doctrine;

Forsake ye not my teaching" (Proverbs 4. 1, 2, R.M.). "BE to Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Number VI, on "in Christ," and, "in the Lord," to follow, if the Lord will.

N.D.W. MILLER | Jul 1932
Pages For Young Believers