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obedience and wrath. Incredibly, through 2:26), and the unspeakable honour of sit-
faith in Christ we are placed as sons, ap- ting with Christ on His throne (Rev 3:21).
proaching God in dependence (“Abba”) As sons of God, we will be unveiled in
and with dignity (“Father”). Praise the that glorious day to the wondering eyes of
Lord, we are sons and no longer slaves! all creation. Hebrews 2 solemnly reminds
In Romans 8, we discover again the us that the cost of bringing many sons to
truth of sonship, this time against the glory was the incalculable sufferings and
background of justification. In Christ, we death of our Lord Jesus.
are legally free from the penalty of sin and The Discipline of Sons
lawfully fit for the eternal presence of God.
Having set forth the basis and blessings Left to themselves, children by nature
of our justification in chapters 4-5, Paul and inexperience go the wrong way, and
arrives at chapters 6-7 stating that, al- within a family there must be proper dis-
though judicially God sees the old man as cipline for them to grow into responsible
crucified, we still live in this mortal fleshly adults, and thereby become an asset to the
body. Who will master my members? The family name and home. In Hebrews 12,
flesh or the Spirit? The Holy Spirit has God deals with us as sons, necessitating
been mentioned just once in the epistle discipline in order that we yield the fruit
so far (5:5), but chapter 8 is bursting with of righteousness (v11). There is to be the
references, teaching that allowing our- reception of discipline (v5); His love is the
selves to be led by the Spirit is a sign that reason it is given (v6); reverence should
we appreciate and appropriate the truth be the result (vv9-10). While the chasten-
of sonship. The universe groans under ing hand of God seems grievous (v11),
the burden of sin; and we too may groan thank God for discipline; it’s the reality
(not moan) as we wait for our new body. that we are sons and not spurious! As we
God has chosen us as sons to be “holy comprehend these things, we understand
and without blame before him in love” that “our light affliction, which is but for
(Eph 1:4-5). The pathway of the Christian a moment, worketh for us a far more ex-
involves suffering, but the ministry of the ceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2Co
Spirit lifts our eyes to grasp that as sons 4:17), and that “the sufferings of this pres-
we are joint heirs with Christ in the inheri- ent time are not worthy to be compared
tance. What is that inheritance? Simply, it with the glory which shall be revealed in
is all that belongs to Christ. Galatians 3:16 us” (Rom 8:18).
teaches that when God made promises to And is it so! we shall be like Thy Son,
Abraham’s “Seed” concerning the nation
of Israel, land of Canaan, the nations and Is this the grace which He for us has won?
the world, they were, in fact, made to Father of glory! thought beyond all thought
Christ! As joint heirs and adult sons, the In glory to His own blest likeness brought.
Church has the extraordinary privilege to Yet it must be, Thy love had not its rest
administer the kingdom with Christ and Were Thy redeemed not with Thee fully blest;
share completely all He possesses – 12
Apostles sitting on 12 thrones judging 12 That love that gives not as the world, but
tribes of Israel (Mat 19:28), saints in au- shares
thority and administration over the entire All it possesses with its loved co-heirs. 2
world and angelic beings (1Co 6:1-2; Rev ² John Nelson Darby (1800–1882)

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