Living as “Sons and Daughters of God”

Living as “Sons and Daughters of God”
by Rebecca Greenwood

How awesome is it that once we become citizens of eternal life we are given the unfathomable privilege of becoming His sons and daughters! Paul refers to this in two of his letters: “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:5); “To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]” (Galatians 4:5, amplified). You see friends, once we understand the true fullness that we are sons and daughters of the King and the rich inheritance this makes available to us now, I believe it releases us into great freedom to walk out all the Lord has destined for each of us. Because we are all created for kingdom purpose and destiny. Each of us has a kingdom inheritance. Let’s explore what this means.

Adopted with Adult Status

The New Testament word for adoption is huiothesian, which means “to position as an adult son.” Not only are we adopted into God’s family, we enjoy all the privileges and responsibilities of adult sonship. In the following excerpt from The Bible Exposition Commentary(Victor Books, 1996), Warren W. Wiersbe explains this concept:

We are the children of God by faith in Christ, born into God’s family. But every child of God is automatically placed into the family as a son, and as a son he has all the legal rights and privileges of a son. When a sinner trusts Christ and is saved, as far as his condition is concerned, he is a “spiritual babe” who needs to grow (1 Peter 2:2–3); but as far as his position is concerned, he is an adult son who can draw on the Father’s wealth and who can exercise all the wonderful privileges of sonship.

This is a powerful statement of our position as sons and daughters of God. We do not have to wait to enjoy the spiritual riches we have in Christ. As Paul teaches:

Now what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate; but he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father. So we [Jewish Christians] also, when we were minors were kept like slaves under [the rules of the Hebrew ritual and subject to] the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations.
Galatians 4:1–3, Amplified

According to Roman law, any child who was orphaned was placed under the supervision of a guardian or tutor until the child reached the age of fourteen. Then a trusted manager oversaw the estate until the heir reached the age of 25. At that point, the heir could take over his inheritance.

Also in Roman culture, the children in wealthy families were cared for by slaves. The master of the estate would command the servant who would in turn command the child. In essence the status of the child was not much different from that of the servant.

In using this illustration, then, Paul explains how he and his fellow Jews were slaves or in bondage to the Law. The Law served as the guardian that disciplined the nation of Israel and prepared it for the coming of Christ. They were being trained in basic, rudimentary principles or elementary teachings—like spiritual ABCs.

But the Law was not God’s final revelation; it was preparation for the revelation of Jesus. It is important for a child to learn elemental teachings; but if he never looks past them he will never mature. This was the problem that ensnared the religious legalists of Paul’s day. Those who focused only on the Law after the coming of Jesus could not embrace their full inheritance. They chose to remain under the Law rather than move into the freedom of their inheritance as sons.

The Law of Moses could reveal sin and control behavior to a certain extent, but it could not pardon a guilty sinner. In fact, it highlighted the separation between man and God: A fence surrounded the Temple, and a veil blocked the entrance to the holy of holies. The Law could not position anyone as heir to God.

Faith in Jesus changes all that. Paul says: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26–27).

When we clothe ourselves with Christ we are laying down the old dirty garments of sin and putting on robes of righteousness. This analogy of clothing to describe a new spiritual position would have been a familiar one to the new believers of Galatia: When a Roman child came of age, he took off his childhood garments and put on a white woolen garment—a toga—with purple stripes. This garment was cherished as a symbol of adulthood.

Given Equal Status

Not only have believers put on of a new garment of adulthood, but Paul shares the astonishing revelation that all are one in Christ. There is no room for exclusivity among believers. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28–29).

The Jews took pride in being God’s covenant people; anyone else was considered to be under God’s curse. The Greeks, on the other hand, took pride in being culturally privileged; everyone else was classed as barbarian. These distinctions were no longer valid. In Jesus all are heirs according to the promise.

Paul continues to astound his listeners by stating that believers are neither slave nor free, male or female. In the Galatians’ society slaves were pieces of property. Women were kept confined and disrespected. The Pharisees had their own sense of superiority. As Warren Wiersbe notes in The Bible Exposition Commentary: “The Pharisees would pray each morning, ‘I thank God, that I am a Jew, not a Gentile; a man, not a woman; and a freeman, and not a slave.’ Yet all these distinctions are removed ‘in Christ.’”

When it pertains to our spiritual relationship to God through Christ, one’s race, sex or political status is not a handicap. In Christ all are positioned on the same level.

Living as Heirs of God

Now that we understand our position of sonship, we can begin to grasp the fact that we are heirs of God. We have a powerful inheritance, and it is available to us now, not in the future. “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:6–7).

The Greek word for heir is kleronomos, which means “the recipient of divine promises.” Heir is connected with sonship: An heir is one who receives his allotted possession by right of sonship. This inheritance is linked with the Kingdom. Jesus said: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).

Jesus spoke these words to the Jews of His day who refused to believe in Him, but the message applies equally to us today. The Kingdom and its power will be taken away from those who fail to remain faithful to Christ by rejecting His righteous ways. It will be given instead to a people who separate themselves from the world and seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness. As we embrace Christ and His righteous ways we become sons and heirs of God, and our inheritance is the Kingdom.
Not only are we heirs of God, but we are also co-heirs with Christ. All that has been given to Jesus is made available to us: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17). A co-heir is a fellow receiver. It involves joint participation. We are fellow heirs with Christ and as such are called to participate in extending the Kingdom of God.

Our positions as joint heirs with Christ begin at salvation. All that belongs to Christ as the Firstborn also belongs to us, His brothers and sisters. This includes suffering with Him in this present time, as well as our glory with Him at His return. In order to enter into our rights we must accept the whole inheritance, suffering as well as glory.
Does this mean the Lord wants us to walk through life as victims and not as victors? Absolutely not. But we will all experience times of struggle, hardship and persecution. We will also experience temptation from the enemy. If we want to gain the fullness of our purpose, destiny and calling, if we want to wear the crown, we must also embrace the cross. Jesus is just as concerned with our character as He is with our anointing. We have to die to self daily. But it is in this place of total surrender that we discover true freedom and can then begin to walk in the resurrection power and life of Christ. You see, we must be willing to die, but we must also embrace the resurrection side of the cross. Don’t stay in this place of death, but ask God to take you into the place of resurrection abundant life with Him.

Those of us in the Western Church do not face the threat of severe persecution for our faith. We are fortunate to live in a nation where we can worship as we choose. But we must be careful that we do not fall into complacency and passivity in our walk of faith or we will lose the freedoms we enjoy. Many brothers and sisters around the world—as many as two hundred million believers—suffer for their faith daily. Christians can be imprisoned, tortured or murdered for trusting in the name of Jesus.

Men, women, and children around the world pay a high price for their faith, just as Jesus, Peter, Paul and Stephen did. Being a believer does not guarantee that there will not be struggles, hardship, trials, tribulations and persecutions. Just the opposite. Suffering is part of the call of spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God and discipling the nations.

Access to the Throne

A crown awaits all who die believing in the name of Jesus, but we have seen that we do not have to wait until death to receive our inheritance. Our faith means that through the blood of Christ we, like our great High Priest, have access to the throne room and all the benefits of a kingly inheritance. The following verse is one of my favorites because it states who we are in Christ: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

The Greek word for belonging is peripoiesin. This points to our position as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We are:

• A set apart nation
• A people consecrated for God’s own possession
• A consecrated class of people
• A purchased people
• An acquired people
• A people for purpose
• A people for action
Another Scripture that refers to our walking in light on the earth is this: “[Give] thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:12–13).
This inheritance can also be translated “parcel of the lot,” and is suggestive of the way in which the Promised Land was given to the Israelites. When they reached Canaan, Joshua cast lots to determine which tribe would receive which parcel of land.

Our inheritance is also attached to land—the Kingdom of light. Our Lord delivered us from the tyrannical dominion of darkness and drew us to Himself—a transference from a skewed, ignorant, dark tyranny and dictatorship to a well-ordered sovereignty. The language used in this Scripture does not depict a casual episode. Jesus, the mighty conqueror, snatched us out of one condition and positioned us in another. We are now part of His Kingdom and under the rulership of the true King.
What a wonderful position! We are poised to receive a powerful inheritance through Jesus and the seal of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we are welcomed as adult sons of God for the purpose of influence in this earth; we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; our inheritance is a territory over which we are called to rule and Him and release kingdom influence; we are a royal, kingly priesthood of bridge builders who have been created for purpose and action; and we have been blessed with the gift to enter the throne room of God to worship and commune with Him. Friend, you are a son or daughter, who is positioned with Him to be a great kingdom influencer. You have a kingdom inheritance that is available to you now.