Will you please turn to Galatians 4? We will read from verses 1 through 7.
Now I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world:
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
that He might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Will you please turn also to Romans 8? We will read from verses 14 through 17.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him.
Let us have a word of prayer.
Our Lord, as we gather here this morning, we come to You full of gratitude. Thou hast loved us so much that Thou hast given Thyself completely, fully, for us.
How we praise and thank Thee that Thy thoughts concerning us are so noble, so glorious. We praise and thank Thee that Thou hast not only thought of us, but Thou hast prepared everything for us. From the beginning to the very end, Lord, it is all of grace.
We thank Thee that Thou hast given us another opportunity to come together. We look to Thee that Thou wilt open Thy Word to us. We thank Thee because Thou knowest each and every one of us.
Wilt Thou not give each of us a word—a living word, a word that will really bring us life and spirit, a word that will really bring us to Thyself and bring Thee to us?
Oh, dear Lord, we just wait upon Thee, waiting upon Thy Spirit to do His work, that Thou mayest be glorified. We commit this time fully into Thy hands, trusting Thee to do the work that Thou hast ordained even before the foundation of the world.
We ask in Thy precious name. Amen.
Thank God for gathering us together again this morning. I always feel that whenever we are able to come together in the name of our Lord Jesus, it is a special grace of God.
We are living in a very special time. The return of our Lord Jesus is imminent. He is able to come at any moment. How blessed it will be if He comes now.
We do thank Him because He is giving us every opportunity to be ready and prepared for Him. I believe that this is one of those blessed times. May we all open our hearts to Him, allow Him to speak to our hearts, that we may be what He wants us to be and may be ready to meet Him face to face.
At this time, when we are all together, we feel led by the Lord to fellowship on this matter of sons and sonship. We believe that this is a very important matter in the Word of God.
It is important because it is closely related to the eternal purpose of God. Our God is an eternal God. Everything about Him is eternal. There is nothing that is merely transient, passing, or temporary.
Our God is a God of purpose. He never does anything by chance. The Bible tells us that even before the foundation of the world, He had already purposed a purpose, and that purpose is according to His good pleasure.
What is the eternal purpose of God concerning man? We need to know that purpose, because all the works of God are centered upon that purpose. This is what God is working in each and every one of us.
He is working in us for that purpose: that we may be sons and that we may arrive at sonship.
Yesterday morning, we spoke about Romans 8. There we find that God, before the foundation of the world, purposed something concerning us in Christ Jesus.
Whom He foreknew, He predestinated for one thing. You know, brothers and sisters, God has foreknown you even before you were born—even before the world was created.
There in the heart of God, God set a purpose concerning you. He has foreknown you before you knew Him. And whom He has foreknown, He has predestinated to one thing.
God has predestinated you for one thing. He has not predestinated you merely to go to heaven. There is something far, far more excellent than that, because His purpose has to agree with His glory.
What has God predestinated for you, brothers and sisters? It is not something small or minor. It is something glorious, because He has predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His beloved Son.
His beloved Son is His exact image. His beloved Son is the outshining of His glory. His beloved Son is the expression of His substance. His beloved Son is the heir of all things. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in His Son.
He is one with the Father. If you see Him, you see God the Father. If you know Him, then you know God fully. Yet, in the purpose of God, we are to be conformed to that image.
God’s purpose for us is not merely to save us from hell to heaven. That is good enough for us. I remember someone saying, “If only my two feet will be within the door of heaven, I am satisfied.”
But what satisfies God? He will not be satisfied until we are conformed to the image of His beloved Son. We are to be like His Son.
That is not something external, because image means inward character. We are to take upon ourselves the character of Christ—not merely to believe in Christ, but to take up the character of Christ, to be like Christ.
It is Christ who lives in me. That is the eternal purpose of God for you and for me. Anything less than that is less than the purpose of God.
Before we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Thank God, by His redemption our sins are forgiven. But do we still come short of the glory of God?
Anything that comes short of the glory of God is, strictly speaking, sin. Do you know this is so serious? It is glorious, but it is serious.
God wants us to be conformed to the image of His beloved Son. That is glory. If we are not conformed, we come short of the glory of God. But thank God, He has made every provision for us that we may be conformed to the image of His beloved Son.
This is what we considered yesterday morning. Now this morning, we would like to go a step further. We would like to consider this matter of moving from children to sons.
If you turn to John 1:12, there you find it said:
But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name:
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Not everybody in the world is a child of God. Everyone in this world is created by God. God is our Maker; He is our Creator. But not everyone is a child of God.
A child of God has to be born from above. When the whole world rejected God’s offer of His beloved Son, whoever receives His Son, our Lord Jesus, is given the right to become a child of God.
It is a privilege, but it is also a right. He that is born of the Spirit is spirit. We are not only created by Him; we have to be born of Him.
How can we be born again? By receiving the Son of God, our Lord Jesus. As many as received Him, God gave them the right to be children of God—those who believe on His name.
These are people who are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but are born of God. Dear brothers and sisters, we do thank God that we are born of God.
We have the right to approach God and call Him, “Abba, Father.” It is wonderful. We belong to the family of God.
But you know, in the New Testament there are two different words that describe children. One word is teknon. This word expresses parental affection. It has nothing to do with growth.
In other words, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus is a child of God, and the affection of God the Father is upon him. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus is a child of God. Everyone is loved by God the Father.
But there is another word, paidion. That word has a relationship with growth. It is in contrast with young men and fathers.
If you turn to 1 John 2, we read in verse 12:
I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
Now, this word “children” is teknon. This word includes all those who believe in the Lord Jesus. Because we are children, we know that our sins have been forgiven in the name of our Lord Jesus. We are now in the family of God.
But in the family of God, you find that there are little children, young men, and fathers. In verse 13, John says:
I write unto you, fathers, because ye know Him that is from the beginning.
I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one.
I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.
The word “little children” is paidion. It is in contrast with young men and fathers. A little child knows nothing, but one thing he knows: his father.
The Bible says that after we become children of God, we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Before we believed in the Lord Jesus, we may have been brought up in a Christian family. We may have had contact with Christianity. We may even have learned to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”
But as one brother said, before you are saved, you can call God “Father,” but it sounds like “father-in-law,” because there is no life relationship there.
Once you are saved, when you pray, “Abba,” there is a life relationship there. Little children know the Father.
But, brothers and sisters, does God only want little children? That is not God’s purpose. His purpose is not that we may remain as children.
Everybody loves children. Every child is lovely, not only in the sight of the parents, but even in the sight of the world. But do you know that a child is the most selfish person in the world?
The child is completely self-centered. A child is too innocent to pretend. What comes out of a child is typical. Everybody is for him. He is the center of the world.
If at midnight he is hungry, he cries. He does not mind whether you want to sleep or not. You have to attend to him right away.
Brothers and sisters, when we are little children in the family of God, that is what we are. Every newly born believer is welcomed. As the Bible says, when one sinner is converted, even the angels in heaven shout for joy.
We welcome people who believe in the Lord Jesus and come into the church, the family of God. But very soon you discover that, because he is a little child in Christ Jesus, even though he is saved, the Bible says he is fleshly; he is carnal.
He demands everything, and he has no responsibility whatsoever. That is a little child. Thank God that there is a time period in which one can be a child. But if a child does not grow up, and remains a child after thirty years, it is a sorrow.
Brothers and sisters, the same thing is true in the family of God. It is not the will of God that we who believe in the Lord Jesus remain as little children.
Unfortunately, we find that in the family of God many of God’s people learn to continue as little children because they feel that being little children is very blessed: no responsibility, no worry, only demand.
How our heavenly Father will be grieved, because this is contrary to the purpose of God for each one of us. It is God’s will that we grow from childhood to manhood and womanhood, and into sonship.
Sonship is the purpose for which we are redeemed. This is glory. Therefore, in Romans 8 we find that whom He justified, He also glorified. To be glorified is to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Our Lord Jesus is glory, and He is to lead many sons into glory.
Will you please turn to Hebrews 2:10?
For it became Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
We often use the expression “growing pains.” You know, when you grow, there is pain involved. If you want to grow into maturity, there are certain sufferings that you have to go through.
Here you find that our Lord Jesus is the Leader of our salvation through suffering. The word “leader” is used four times in the New Testament.
In Acts 3:15, Peter testified:
And killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
The word translated “Prince” or “Originator” and the word “Leader” in Greek are the same. What does it mean? It simply means that He is the One who begins and sets the matter in motion. Or, to put it another way, He is the One who opens the way and leads us.
The second time this word is used is in Acts 5:31:
Him did God exalt with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
The third time is in Hebrews 2:10: “The Leader of their salvation through sufferings.” The fourth time is also found in Hebrews 12:2:
Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
How are we going to grow from children to manhood and womanhood, into sons? It is our Lord Jesus who opens this way. Therefore, we have to look into the life of our Lord Jesus.
We know that He is the eternal Son of God. As the eternal Son of God, He is in glory with the Father. But in order to lead us into glory, the Son of God left the glory that He had with His Father.
The Word became flesh and tabernacled among men, full of grace and truth. Yet John says, “We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father.”
When our Lord Jesus was on earth, He was the Son of Man. He came to demonstrate to us the man whom God had in view. He not only came to declare the Father, that we may know God the Father; He also came to demonstrate the man who fulfills God’s purpose.
If you read Philippians 2, you find how He emptied Himself. He was equal with God, and that was not something to be grasped. One day an archangel sought to rob God’s equality, and by doing that he made himself Satan, the adversary.
But as far as Christ is concerned, though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. He emptied Himself of all the glory, honor, power, and majesty connected with Godhead.
He could not empty Himself of His Godhead or His deity, because that is what He is. But everything connected with His Godhead, He emptied Himself of.
Instead of sitting on the throne on high and receiving all the worship of the angels, He emptied Himself and took upon Himself another form. Instead of the form of God, He took upon Himself the form of a bondservant.
A bondservant is a slave of love, a slave for life. He became a bondservant to God and took upon Himself the form of a man.
As a man, He became obedient. He denied Himself, and He was obedient to God even unto death—yes, the death of the cross.
He went through all the suffering, but He opened a new and living way for us. To put it simply, He came and died on the cross. By that, He opened the way of the cross to each and every one of us.
Only in that way may you come into glory. Brothers and sisters, He has not only opened the way for us, but He is leading us into it. He is supplying His life and His power to us, that we may be able to walk in it.
The cross is the only way that leads to glory. He is our Leader, our Originator, our Beginning, and He is the Perfecter of our faith.
Brothers and sisters, the only way for us to grow from children to manhood and womanhood is through the cross. Except for the cross, there is no other way of spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth is not a matter of mental knowledge. Spiritual growth is the growth of life into the character of Christ. How can Christ’s character characterize us? It is by way of the cross.
That is the reason why our Lord Jesus said, “Come and follow Me. Deny yourself, take up the cross, and follow Me. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple.”
Let us go into the process. God’s purpose for us is glory. God’s purpose for us is sons and sonship. In order to arrive there, there is a certain way through which we must go. That is growing pain; that is the way of the cross.
If people bypass the cross, they lose. They fail to grow from children to maturity. What should we do? How can we go in this way? How can we give ourselves to Him and let Him lead us in this way?
Brothers and sisters, number one: Romans 12:1-2.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
After we have received all the mercies of God, how should we respond? When we are constrained by the love of Christ, what is the one thing that we will do? We present our bodies a living sacrifice.
You know, brothers and sisters, so far as Christian experience goes, consecration is the first Christian experience, and it is the last Christian experience. Consecration is not only a door; it is a way. But you have to enter through the door before you can walk on the way.
What is consecration? Present your body a living sacrifice. The body here represents your whole being. Why does He use the word body? Because, so far as our work and life on earth are concerned, we live through this body.
The body includes your whole being. The first thing we who are constrained by the love of Christ do is offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.
That does not mean that you offer yourself to God to be a preacher or a missionary. No, you present your body a living sacrifice. Oftentimes, we think of consecration as offering ourselves to work for God. No, you consecrate yourself so that God can work in you.
God created us with a free will. That is a precious gift of God, because God is the supreme free will. He created us in His image, and that image includes free will.
Once He gave that free will, He will never violate it. Even if He has so much to give to you, so much to work into your life, unless you give Him permission, He cannot do it. He wants to, but He will not, because He respects our free will.
Why must we present our bodies as a living sacrifice? A sacrifice is something that you give up. In the old days, you brought a sheep or a lamb, killed it, and burned it as a sacrifice to God.
That animal was yours before, but now you give it to God. It is out of your hands, so He can enjoy it. But today, it is not something outside of our lives. The love of Christ is so great that we have to give ourselves to Him.
What is a living sacrifice? Living for Him. The love of Christ constrains us so that we cannot live for ourselves anymore. We are willing to give up our right to live, that He may live in us.
We are willing to give our right to Christ, letting Him do whatever He wants with us. Why must we do that? Because in doing that, the Holy Spirit is given the right to transform our minds.
Oftentimes, when we do one thing, suddenly we change our mind and decide to do something else. Do you think we are able to change our minds?
Strictly speaking, nobody can change his or her mind. No matter how you change, it is still in the old area. It is still Adamic; it is still self. You cannot get out of this mind.
How can you have the mind of Christ? Your mind has to be renewed. Who can renew it? The Holy Spirit alone. You can never do it yourself.
No matter how you change, you are still in the same area. It is still earthly, worldly, and fleshly. Only the Holy Spirit can renew your mind, making it heavenly, spiritual, and holy.
If you present your body as a living sacrifice, you begin to see things differently. Just like Paul, who counted all things as refuse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
Who does not love the world? Do not tell me that you do not love the world. Young people may say, “I am still young. I have not tasted the world yet, so it is natural for me to love the world.” An older person may say, “I have tasted it, so I do not love the world.” But the old man loves the world even more.
How can anyone say, “I love the will of God”? Once I asked young people, “What is the will of God?” Usually they answered, “Anything that is contrary to me—that is the will of God.” Of course not.
Brothers and sisters, how can you love the will of God? We love God for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Only when your mind is renewed can you know the will of God.
Your mind governs your life. Thank God, this is something the Holy Spirit will do. Do not try it yourself. But if you really live a consecrated life, the Holy Spirit will do it for you.
That is the first step. After the first step, there is the next step. The Holy Spirit, who dwells in you, will complete His work.
Every believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him or her. When we are saved, we not only receive a new spirit, but the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of God—comes and dwells in our new spirit. He is in us for a reason.
In Galatians 4, when you are a child, you may be the heir of the family. But when you are a child, you are no different from a bondservant. You are under guardians and stewards until you grow up to the point where the father says, “Now you are my son.”
Who is our guardian? Who is our steward? That is to say, the Holy Spirit. God has provided everything for us. He knows that we need a guardian who will take care of our life. He knows that we need a steward who will teach us and guide us.
The Holy Spirit in us is the guardian and the steward. How does He do it?
Brothers and sisters, spiritual growth is the work of the Holy Spirit. He works in us in two different ways, and these two ways work together.
Number one, He dwells in us to teach us. We call this the enlightenment or revelation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us reveals Christ. He teaches us in all things—not only in big things, but even in small things.
When you were not saved, you may have spoken carelessly. Usually you exaggerated, or even told lies. If people believed your lies, you felt elated.
But after you are saved, one day when you are exaggerating or telling even a white lie, somehow deep within you there is a voice saying, “Stop. It is not like Christ.” Do you have such an experience?
The Christian way is an inward way, not an outward way. Today, Christianity is often outward. Therefore, the Bible tells us that you do not need anyone to tell you what to do, because the Holy Spirit within you will teach you in all things.
You need people to tell you because you do not listen to the Holy Spirit. But that is not the Christian way. The Christian way is that the Holy Spirit within you teaches you in all things.
He will show you what is not of Christ and what is of Christ. By that light, you are able to grow in life. It is very, very important, brothers and sisters, that we listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. That is the way to grow.
Oftentimes, you find that it does not agree with you. We try to evade it, but it does not work. Not until you are obedient is there peace. This is the way that the Holy Spirit leads you in the way of Christ.
At the same time, the Holy Spirit will discipline you. We call it the discipline of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean? It means that He will arrange your circumstances.
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God arranges everything in your life. He loves you so much that even the hairs of your head are numbered.
When you comb your hair this morning, number two thousand and three may fall down. Can anyone care for us more than that? How can He allow anything to happen to you without His permission, without His approval?
To us believers, every circumstance is arranged by the Holy Spirit: the people you are with, the things you meet, everything in your life. There is meaning behind it. The Holy Spirit is disciplining you; He is child-training you.
In Hebrews 12, the chastening of the Holy Spirit is actually the child-training of the Holy Spirit. Today in this world, people do not like to hear the word “discipline.” But the only way to grow is through the discipline of the Holy Spirit.
Whether it is adversity or prosperity, whether you are full or in need, whether everything seems to be a blessing or everything seems to be difficult, the Holy Spirit is using every occasion to bring you out of yourself and into Christ.
These two ways of the Holy Spirit are the way of Christ, and that is the way we grow from children to sons. Do not despise the chastening of the Holy Spirit, and do not faint under it.
In that discipline, He will work holiness into our lives. This is the way that God will bring us into sonship.
Be yoked with Christ. Whenever we feel that it is difficult, look away from everything and look only to Jesus. He will lead you and perfect you into sonship.
We still have something important to say concerning sons and sonship. There is an inheritance connected with sonship, and God willing, we hope to share it tomorrow.
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou dost love us so much—not merely to save us, but to bring us into sonship.
Create within us a hunger and thirst. Give us a discontentment to remain as children. Give us a strong desire to grow into sonship.
May this not be for ourselves, but for Thy purpose: that Christ may lead many sons into glory. Oh, Lord, we consecrate ourselves to Thee.
In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.