The Signs of Sonship
Focus Scripture
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” – John 1:12-13 NIV
Introduction
Yesterday, we made the decision to live as sons and daughters of God. This is a right that we’ve been given by our faith in Jesus Christ. When we commit to this lifestyle, there are signs that follow—changes that occur within our hearts and become evident in our lives. This week we’re going to walk through The Signs of Sonship. We will cover five signs; each one will help us see the love of the Father and how it will reflect in our lives. Remember, sonship is not a term about gender but about the relationship and lifestyle of a child of God.
This Week's Devotionals
Day 1: Love
The first sign of sonship is love. God loves us freely, consistently and eternally. When we receive the love of the Father, that same love flows through us into the lives of others. John speaks to this flow of love in his first letter recorded in the Bible:
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - 1 John 4:7-10 (NIV)
As children of God, we’ve been born again of His spirit and proof of this is in how we love. Our love for God stems from the love that he has for us, how he gave his Son so that we might live. This is a gift that we did not earn or deserve, yet He gave it anyhow. He showed us unconditional love in how we were still sinners, yet he did not withhold his best from us.
In the world there are endless stipulations that surround love. So many of us had long lists of qualifiers that people had to meet in order to receive our love. I was one where if my list was not met perfectly, I would cut people off quickly. This changed when I learned the promise of love, that there’s nothing I can do that can stop God from loving me. Now that same love flows through me. God did not make us earn his love, and we cannot make others earn ours. Love is the sign of a son, it proves that we are his (John 13:35). Let the Father’s love flow through your life.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - 1 John 4:7-10 (NIV)
As children of God, we’ve been born again of His spirit and proof of this is in how we love. Our love for God stems from the love that he has for us, how he gave his Son so that we might live. This is a gift that we did not earn or deserve, yet He gave it anyhow. He showed us unconditional love in how we were still sinners, yet he did not withhold his best from us.
In the world there are endless stipulations that surround love. So many of us had long lists of qualifiers that people had to meet in order to receive our love. I was one where if my list was not met perfectly, I would cut people off quickly. This changed when I learned the promise of love, that there’s nothing I can do that can stop God from loving me. Now that same love flows through me. God did not make us earn his love, and we cannot make others earn ours. Love is the sign of a son, it proves that we are his (John 13:35). Let the Father’s love flow through your life.
Day 2: Grace
We understand that we are saved by grace and made righteous by grace but grace doesn’t stop here. The second sign of a son of God is one that lives by grace. I could’ve said favor, but grace is more significant than favor alone. Grace is the unmerited (unearned) favor of God, the type of favor that can only come from a Father.
Throughout his three years of ministry, Jesus made it a point to teach us how to live as children of God. One of my favorite examples of this is found in Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message translation:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, knows how to flow with the Father and the key to his technique is grace. In this passage, he first addresses the fruitlessness of our efforts, the exhaustion caused by our works, by asking “Are you tired?” If we be honest, the answer is likely a strong yes. Jesus’s answer to this is that we should join him in rest and learn from his example. One of the key things he says that we can “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” by watching how he does things. The word to highlight here is unforced.
There’s a toy for toddlers that has blocks of different shapes and holes that match the shape of the block. It’s meant to introduce and teach them how to recognize the difference in shapes. However, before they grasp this concept, the child will spend time trying to push a block a block through a hole that doesn’t have a matching shape. The child quickly realizes that this doesn’t work. Yet, instead of trying a different hole, the toddler tries harder to push the block through the wrong hole. This process can become pretty noisy as the upset toddler begins to slam the block against the opening, thinking he/she can force their way through the hole. Eventually they give up and throw the block to the ground out of frustration. Then here comes the older sibling who takes the time to show the toddler that there’s a better way—how to align the block with the right hole and it flows right through.
So many of us look like the toddler when we live outside of the grace of God. We tend to force relationships, business ideas, vision and goals don’t fit. Sometimes it doesn’t fit because it’s not the right time or it’s not fully developed. In other instances, it’s just simply not the right match, yet we get angry, not realizing that all we need is to learn to live in God’s grace. Jesus is that older sibling that’s willing to teach us that which we don’t know and the perfect place to start is in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). Nothing about Jesus was forced, instead everything was always in God’s perfect timing. Jesus understood that he wasn’t in this alone, but everything he did was done through the grace of God.
It’s time for us to walk in the same grace, not just for our salvation or righteousness, but for every day of our lives. You were not created to wear yourself out trying to force things in life, instead you were created to flow in the unforced rhythms of grace.
Throughout his three years of ministry, Jesus made it a point to teach us how to live as children of God. One of my favorite examples of this is found in Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message translation:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, knows how to flow with the Father and the key to his technique is grace. In this passage, he first addresses the fruitlessness of our efforts, the exhaustion caused by our works, by asking “Are you tired?” If we be honest, the answer is likely a strong yes. Jesus’s answer to this is that we should join him in rest and learn from his example. One of the key things he says that we can “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” by watching how he does things. The word to highlight here is unforced.
There’s a toy for toddlers that has blocks of different shapes and holes that match the shape of the block. It’s meant to introduce and teach them how to recognize the difference in shapes. However, before they grasp this concept, the child will spend time trying to push a block a block through a hole that doesn’t have a matching shape. The child quickly realizes that this doesn’t work. Yet, instead of trying a different hole, the toddler tries harder to push the block through the wrong hole. This process can become pretty noisy as the upset toddler begins to slam the block against the opening, thinking he/she can force their way through the hole. Eventually they give up and throw the block to the ground out of frustration. Then here comes the older sibling who takes the time to show the toddler that there’s a better way—how to align the block with the right hole and it flows right through.
So many of us look like the toddler when we live outside of the grace of God. We tend to force relationships, business ideas, vision and goals don’t fit. Sometimes it doesn’t fit because it’s not the right time or it’s not fully developed. In other instances, it’s just simply not the right match, yet we get angry, not realizing that all we need is to learn to live in God’s grace. Jesus is that older sibling that’s willing to teach us that which we don’t know and the perfect place to start is in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). Nothing about Jesus was forced, instead everything was always in God’s perfect timing. Jesus understood that he wasn’t in this alone, but everything he did was done through the grace of God.
It’s time for us to walk in the same grace, not just for our salvation or righteousness, but for every day of our lives. You were not created to wear yourself out trying to force things in life, instead you were created to flow in the unforced rhythms of grace.
Day 3: Purpose
You are a child of God, and you have a purpose. It’s so important that you believe this because how you live will be determined by whether you agree with this truth. Each of us were created by an intentional God with an intentional plan to do an intentional work. If we live without intention, we are living without purpose.
Today, many people are searching google, reading books and watching YouTube, looking to discover both identity and purpose, but if none of those direct us back to the Father, then we’re looking in the wrong place. The only person who has the ability to reveal and guide us in our purpose is the One who created us. He’s ready and willing to lead us by his spirit to do all he’s prepared us to do.
Perhaps you’ve thought that your life was a mistake, you’re here by accident. Or maybe you’ve felt that your life has little or no significance. Both thoughts are lies that were planted in your heart by Satan, who simply desires to distract you from the good you were created to do. Defeat his lies with God’s truth about who you are. The truth is this: God made you by hand, through Jesus, to walk in greatness before you took your first breath (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 2:10)! You are not a mistake; you have purpose, and that purpose is found in God.
As you seek the face of the Father through prayer, study and worship, he will reveal to you both who you are and why you are. You are a child of God, and you have purpose!
Today, many people are searching google, reading books and watching YouTube, looking to discover both identity and purpose, but if none of those direct us back to the Father, then we’re looking in the wrong place. The only person who has the ability to reveal and guide us in our purpose is the One who created us. He’s ready and willing to lead us by his spirit to do all he’s prepared us to do.
Perhaps you’ve thought that your life was a mistake, you’re here by accident. Or maybe you’ve felt that your life has little or no significance. Both thoughts are lies that were planted in your heart by Satan, who simply desires to distract you from the good you were created to do. Defeat his lies with God’s truth about who you are. The truth is this: God made you by hand, through Jesus, to walk in greatness before you took your first breath (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 2:10)! You are not a mistake; you have purpose, and that purpose is found in God.
As you seek the face of the Father through prayer, study and worship, he will reveal to you both who you are and why you are. You are a child of God, and you have purpose!
Day 4: Confidence
Will it happen? How will it happen? When will it happen? Who’s going to do it? Where will it come from? Examples of questions that ravage our minds and bodies of its precious resources as we try to find answers. Since the fall of man, Jesus watched as weight of worry tormented the hearts of men. Stress keeping us up all night, affecting our appetites and ability to function in life. Yet there was never a moment in scripture that we saw Jesus stressed over the things that we stress over. Instead, he always walked with a level of confidence that often left those around him confused, concerned and curious. Jesus understood a truth that empowered him to live this way and that truth is he is God’s Son. And sons don’t worry, they have confidence in the Father.
One day while preaching on the mountainside, Jesus begins to teach on worrying:
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV)
Jesus was very intentional to describe God as both Father and King. In doing this, he makes note of the love, care and provision of the Father and the limitless ability, authority and resources of the King. Showing us that he’s not only God, but he’s our Father and King. Knowing this, we have no reason to worry, instead we have every reason to walk confidently. Because you are a child of the King of kings, you can live like you cannot lose.
This confidence is what infused Apostle Paul with the boldness to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:13; 1:6 NKJV). And even if things don’t look so well, we can still have confidence knowing that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).
As a child of God, worry is not your portion. Confidence is your calling. Not confidence in your ability, but in the limitless ability of God. Your confidence in your Father is a sign of your sonship.
One day while preaching on the mountainside, Jesus begins to teach on worrying:
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV)
Jesus was very intentional to describe God as both Father and King. In doing this, he makes note of the love, care and provision of the Father and the limitless ability, authority and resources of the King. Showing us that he’s not only God, but he’s our Father and King. Knowing this, we have no reason to worry, instead we have every reason to walk confidently. Because you are a child of the King of kings, you can live like you cannot lose.
This confidence is what infused Apostle Paul with the boldness to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:13; 1:6 NKJV). And even if things don’t look so well, we can still have confidence knowing that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).
As a child of God, worry is not your portion. Confidence is your calling. Not confidence in your ability, but in the limitless ability of God. Your confidence in your Father is a sign of your sonship.
Day 5: Peace
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