The Call to Sonship
There are many in the church who aspire to mature sonship, but there are many less who have learnt the secrets of walking in it. All who enter the Kingdom are called as sons of God, but few are willing to meet the cost of becoming MANIFESTED sons. For those who object: "but sonship belongs to ALL believers at the new birth", I would agree and disagree. It is one thing to enjoy the TITLE of son and heir and the privileges that come with that position. It is quite another thing to submit oneself to the school of obedience and unjust suffering that produces within us the character of the Firstborn Son, to whose image all other sons are to be conformed. (Rom. 8:29) A wise father recognizes all his sons as his sons, but also marks and celebrates the day of maturity when a son can be trusted with the responsibilities of a functioning heir. It is at that time that the Father's endowment of authority in that son becomes apparent to the world.
So we are talking here not simply about the inheritance of sonship through faith, but more specifically about the unmistakable MANIFESTATION of that sonship, here on this earth and in this mortal life, that must be witnessed by creation. Those who, in the coming days, will be revealed to all creation as "manifested sons" of God will be those who have yielded to the Spirit's training in ALL aspects of sonship, which includes the Father's discipline (Heb. 12:6-8), and the embracing of the Cross.
There is no mysterious exclusion zone surrounding this event the scriptures refer to as "the manifestation of the sons of God" (KJV). We should not be deceived into believing this company of sons who will be revealed are an elite group of super-saints, endowed with a level of holiness not available to the average believer. On the contrary, the invitation to walk as one of these manifested sons, whom the scriptures say the whole of creation is longing to see, is an open one, available to all born-again children of God. The scriptures also make abundantly clear, however, that attaining this measure of mature sonship will involve significant cost to the flesh for those who sincerely seek to respond to it.
There are many in the church who aspire to mature sonship, but there are many less who have learnt the secrets of walking in it. All who enter the Kingdom are called as sons of God, but few are willing to meet the cost of becoming MANIFESTED sons. For those who object: "but sonship belongs to ALL believers at the new birth", I would agree and disagree. It is one thing to enjoy the TITLE of son and heir and the privileges that come with that position. It is quite another thing to submit oneself to the school of obedience and unjust suffering that produces within us the character of the Firstborn Son, to whose image all other sons are to be conformed. (Rom. 8:29) A wise father recognizes all his sons as his sons, but also marks and celebrates the day of maturity when a son can be trusted with the responsibilities of a functioning heir. It is at that time that the Father's endowment of authority in that son becomes apparent to the world.
So we are talking here not simply about the inheritance of sonship through faith, but more specifically about the unmistakable MANIFESTATION of that sonship, here on this earth and in this mortal life, that must be witnessed by creation. Those who, in the coming days, will be revealed to all creation as "manifested sons" of God will be those who have yielded to the Spirit's training in ALL aspects of sonship, which includes the Father's discipline (Heb. 12:6-8), and the embracing of the Cross.
There is no mysterious exclusion zone surrounding this event the scriptures refer to as "the manifestation of the sons of God" (KJV). We should not be deceived into believing this company of sons who will be revealed are an elite group of super-saints, endowed with a level of holiness not available to the average believer. On the contrary, the invitation to walk as one of these manifested sons, whom the scriptures say the whole of creation is longing to see, is an open one, available to all born-again children of God. The scriptures also make abundantly clear, however, that attaining this measure of mature sonship will involve significant cost to the flesh for those who sincerely seek to respond to it.
by
Cheryl McGrath
What an incredible prophetic word. I wonder if we, now, are not a bit like John, who came out of the wilderness to prepare the way for the Manifestation of the Son of God. God apparently told him what to look for, but he really didn’t know all the details of His appearing until it happend. So refreshing to find your blog… Thanks Keith
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