Sons by Grace (Pt. 2)

In our previous teaching, we looked at how sonship came about, and established the fact that it never comes about by the law, works or performance, but by God's grace. We also looked at why the law was given, which is not to justify us or make us right with God, but to confine us under sin and point us to Jesus, our Saviour, who was the key to us being reconciled with God. This means that for us to know how to live as sons, we have to observe Jesus, how He lived, talked, did things, thought, related with the Father and so on. He came as a Son, took our place as slaves of sin, became sin Himself on the cross, so that He could free us from the one thing that was hindering us from living lives as sons, separating us from our Father and thus separating us from our rights as sons - sin.

Jesus, knowing He was an heir, and that He would soon leave, knew it was important for us to live lives exactly the way He lived, as through His death and resurrection and through faith in Him we would become joint heirs with Him (Rom. 8:16-17). For this reason, He said:

John 16:14-15 (KJV)

He [the Holy Spirit] shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  ¹⁵ All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit plays many roles in our lives. The first, as we have seen in Galatians 4:6-7, is to bear witness in us that we are truly sons, that assurance that we are sons, as He was the same Spirit in Jesus who helped Him identify His sonship while on earth. Jesus, though fully God, was also fully Man, meaning that His mind and soul needed to be worked on and renewed, which explains why He spent 30 years before starting ministry, learning, being strong in spirit (growing spiritually), growing in wisdom and stature (Lk. 2:40, 52). All this while, the Spirit of God in Him was bearing witness to Him that He was the Son of God, and teaching Him how to live so. In the same manner, none of us saw a physical change when they accepted Christ, to believe that they were saved. The heavens did not open up, and you hear a voice from God telling you, “you are now saved.” Yet we all knew somehow or another that we were saved. This assurance comes from the Spirit of God who was in Jesus, who bore witness to His Sonship, in us. It is the Holy Spirit who bears witness in us that we are sons of God, that we are truly saved, and a new creation. 

The other role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives is to show us our rights as sons, as we have seen in John 16:14-15. On our own, we cannot know what is legally ours. Just like any rightful heir needs an advocate to educate them on their rights here on earth when the father dies, we needed an Advocate to help us understand our rights as sons of God, and He is the Holy Spirit:

John 14:26 (AMP)

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

This is also why Paul says:

1 Corinthians 2:9-12

But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." ¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

This is also why the Bible says:

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

It does not say that as many as are led by the law are the sons of God, but those who are led by the Spirit of God. The law was not able to make us sons, and it is not able to guide us into sonship. We cannot be under the law and at the same time be under the Spirit of God:

Romans 8:2

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Actually, the Bible says that anyone who lives under the works of the law (being led by the law, and not the Spirit) is under a curse!

Galatians 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."

I am not saying that since we are in the Spirit of God we should go breaking the law; I am saying that instead of relying on the law to tell you what to do (which you cannot do as you would have to memorize the 613 laws of Moses), it is better to surrender to the Holy Spirit to tell you what to do and what not to do. That is why Paul again says:

2 Corinthians 3:7-8

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

Notice that he calls the law of Moses the “ministry of death”, as that is what was written and engraved on stones, and says that its glory was passing away. The Bible says that if we follow the promptings of the flesh, they will lead to death; if we follow the promptings of the Spirit, by virtue of manifesting the fruit the Spirit, we will be above any law (Gal. 5:22-23). He goes ahead to tell us that if we live in the Spirit, we should always walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Being led by the Spirit, always depending on Him to tell you what to do and what not to do, you will live above all laws.

So the Spirit of God is the only one who can help us live as sons of God, realizing all that is entitled to us and enjoying it, as joint-heirs with Christ. The Holy Spirit was not given to condemn you and beat you down every time you sin, as some think. He never condemns anyone, as the Bible says that there is no condemnation for anyone who is in Christ (Rom. 8:1). He was given to show us how to live as sons, just as He helped Jesus:

Romans 8:9, 11

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Many people are afraid of being led by the Spirit, and prefer being led by the law, as they think that the Spirit will always condemn them, if they become sensitive to His leading. Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world, but save it (Jn. 3:17). Continuing the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit cannot condemn us, but is out to save us. His work is to convict and convince us of sin (not believing in Jesus), righteousness and judgment (of the devil) (Jn. 16:8-11). He is always trying to point us back to Jesus, to believe in Him, as it is by faith in Him that we become and enjoy sonship. He is always pointing out to us that our righteousness should not be of our own works, but by faith in Jesus, and that the devil has been judged already, and cannot be a hindrance to us fulfilling the purpose of God. Let the Spirit always guide you. Stop relying on your own understanding and efforts to try and attain your rights as a son of God. They are already yours, by God’s grace. All you need to do is always rely on the Spirit to lead and guide you, and show you how to enjoy your rights as a son. Start acknowledging Him, and talking to Him more. He is your friend, the One who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). How many times do you feel lonely, lost, confused, anxious etc. and seek solace in other friends and relatives, where as you have a Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Counselor, Strengthener and Standby to help you out, the Holy Spirit? You can imagine walking with someone as a friend and helper, devoted and able to help them out through whatever they go through, yet this person never talks to you or asks you for help, but seeks it in other weak people who cannot even help themselves.

As a father leaves a written will for his sons, to show them what is theirs, and possibly an advocate to help them access the same, God gave us His written Word to show us what is ours, by virtue of being joint-heirs with Christ, and gave us His Spirit, our Advocate, to show us how to receive the same. Your work should not be to put effort to receive from God; your work should be to spend time in His Word, understanding your rights, with the help of your Advocate, and live life doing ALL He tells you to do. When I talk about rights, I am talking about all that Jesus is entitled to, as we have seen in John 16:14-15. That is why He says that just as He is, so are we in this world (1 Jn. 4:17), and that whoever is joined with Him (Jesus) is one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). When God looks at you, He sees Jesus, which is why we even pray in His name. In the OT, when an Israelite brought their offering, God looked at the High Priest and the offering they brought, which should have been blameless. Today, when we approach God, He looks at our High Priest (Jesus) and the offering we have brought (entering by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus - Heb. 10:16-20). God is Spirit, and seeks people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24). As you walk through life, see yourself as God sees you; He sees you as a spirit, new creation in Christ Jesus, holy, righteous, blameless, forgiven, blessed, healed, sanctified, redeemed etc. (1 Pet. 2:9, 2 Cor. 5:21, Col. 1:14, 22, 2:13, Eph. 1:3, Gal. 3:13-14, Heb. 10:10, 14, 1 Cor. 1:30).

See yourself as a son already entitled to rights, not because of anything you have done or will ever do, but because of His grace. Sons do not beg their fathers to do something for them, and do not do anything to cause their fathers to give them anything; they know their rights and ask in faith, relying on their father’s love. The older brother to the prodigal son was angry at his father because, despite working and keeping his father’s commandments, his father never gave him even a goat to celebrate with his friends (Lk. 15:29). His father told him, “Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.” Lk. 15:31. He was sweating it off to work for what was already his, what he would have received freely, like the prodigal son had when he asked and left to squander his portion of inheritance with harlots. Actually, the Bible says that when the prodigal son asked for the portion of his inheritance, his father divided to them both his livelihood (Lk. 15:12). So the older son was sweating to get what was already his, what he had already been given.

The older son is a picture of believers today who continue to depend on their works and keeping God’s commandments to receive from Him. They continue to work their heads off to please God and appease Him to give Him what they need. All the while, God says, “Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.” We are joint heirs with Christ. The way Jesus lived is the way we are supposed to be living. Do you see Jesus begging God for anything, or doing things to appease God to give Him what He needed? Before He began His ministry, before He did any miracle, God said:

Matthew 3:17

"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Before you do anything, before you keep any commandment, God is pleased with you, as it is faith, your faith in His Son, that pleases Him:

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

John 16:27

"...for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.”

John 17:23

…[You, God] have loved them as You have loved Me [Jesus].

Stop depending on your works and efforts to make you right with God, and earn you His inheritance. His inheritance is by grace. We were saved by grace through faith, not of our works (Eph. 2:8); we are told that just as we received Him (by grace through faith), we should continue to walk in Him (Col. 2:6). God has already given you all you need in this world:

2 Peter 1:3-4

…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

With all these things that pertain to life and godliness, came His promises, to help us be partakers of His divine nature. These promises, which are Yes and Amen (2 Cor. 1:20), are in His Word, and it is the work of the Spirit of God to lead you to them, to lead you to all truth (Jn. 16:13). Notice we are told that these things that pertain to life and godliness have been given to us through the knowledge of God (verse 3); how do you know God? Through spending time in the Word, and in fellowship with Him, through prayer. The reason why we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness but we do not manifest or enjoy them is that we do not know God, do not know the promises that have been given to us by Him by virtue of us being sons, do not know our rights, and are not in fellowship with His Spirit and Word to help us know what is ours.

If a father dies and leaves an inheritance to the son, and the son does not believe this, will they receive and enjoy the inheritance? What if they do not take time to go through the will and claim what is theirs, and other sly relatives take what was entitled to the rightful heirs, will these sons enjoy the inheritance? Or what if they ignore the advocate who is supposed to help them understand how to receive and enjoy their inheritance, sent by the deceased father, will they receive and enjoy the inheritance? The answer to all these questions is NO. Have you ever heard of a will left by a deceased father written, “I leave this inheritance to my son because he served me and was always obedient to me?” Fathers leave their inheritance to their sons, not because the sons have done anything, but just because they are sons. You have rights as a son of God and should enjoy them, not because you have done anything, but simply because you are a son, through faith in Jesus (Jn. 1:12). What did you do to receive rights as a son? Just believe in Jesus. It is not your offering, hard work, prayers or fasting that caused you to be saved; it is the sacrifice in Jesus, and your faith in it, that saved you (Rom. 10:9-10, Eph. 2:8). It is not your offering, hard work, prayers or fasting that will earn you a right to enjoy God’s best; it is God’s grace and faith in Jesus as your Saviour. Yes our works have a part to play, as faith without works is dead, but it is not these works that earn us rights as sons, but faith in Jesus. Today, many people continue to cry out to God like the prodigal son’s older brother cried out to his father: “God I have served you, kept all your commandments, tithed, prayed, fasted etc., and you have not provided for me, blessed me, healed me, healed my siblings, answered my prayer etc.” To this, I imagine God responds, “Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.  Stop working for it, and just receive. Work and obey me, not to appease me to give you anything, but because you are grateful for being my son, and know that sonship comes with responsibility. As you carry out your responsibilities (serving and obeying me), enjoy all that is yours; enjoy your rights. What is mine is yours, just as what is mine is Jesus’. Serve and live for me as He would, not as religion teaches you. Keep your eyes on my Son. He is the reason you are a son in the first place. Let my Spirit teach you how to live, as you study my manual for life, my Word. Serve me, not because of what you can get out of me, but because you are a son, and because of what you have by virtue of being my son. Serve and obey me out of love and gratitude. We have a kingdom to establish, and work to do.”

Jesus gave up His place as a Son, so that you could be a son by believing in Him, acquire rights as a son, and enjoy them, as you serve the Father. Live life observing how He lived His, relying on Him to live it through you, as He teaches you how to live as a son. It starts with you coming to an end of yourself, leaning on your own understanding to serve God how you think He wants to be served, and doing so to earn rights as a son, and surrendering to Him to teach you how to live as a son, all the while enjoying all the rights of a son by His grace. Live by God's grace. 

If you have any questions regarding this teaching, feel free to contact me by clicking on either of the social links below my name, or dropping your question/comment on the comments section, below this teaching. 

Blessings. 

-- Sam Gitonga. 

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(1/02/15 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.) 

Brother Sam is the Youth Leader, at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.