The Assurance and Confidence in Sonship

Understanding Sonship Today’s Focus: The Assurance and Confidence in Sonship Scripture: Hebrews 4:1, 8-16; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 3:19; Romans 14:17 Greetings Kingdom Citizens Now of course we should be sure and know that we are the sons of God because God swore an oath with Himself that He would have sons. We talked about in a previous message that you cannot obtain the inheritance of the son by works. So living under the Law cannot fulfill the promise because the Law does not make sons. These sons of God are unique because they are sons of the King, but because they carry the image and likeness of the King then they are kings themselves. They are priests just like the King. Their priesthood is their ministry. They are citizens of the Kingdom of God which offers everything that man is searching for, power, righteousness, peace and joy. According to Romans 14:17, all of these things can only be found in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15) that adopts you into the family of God. Now let’s look at one of those attributes, peace. Peace is quite confidence. Peace is unique because in the midst of all turmoil and hell breaking loose, you can find peace in the Holy Spirit. And after all of this work you will find rest in God from your labor. Let’s look at this controversial issue today. The Jews, UNDER THE LAW, were to keep the Sabbath. It was a day that they are to rest from their work. Now even in Israel today, they observe the Sabbath. The Arabs come in on the Sabbath and run various businesses because the Jews are at home observing the Sabbath. Now remember the Law covered the truth in shadowy form because only the Spirit can give revelation and truth. So because the Jews rejected sonship and got the Law many of the various principals of the Law are shadows of the truth to be revealed in time. Let’s look at Hebrews 4:1. Now people say the Sabbath day is the day of rest from labor, but look at where Paul says rest is. Hebrews 4:1 says “A Promise being left us of entering into HIS rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” So this rest is not in keeping the Sabbath, it is in being a son of God and being in Christ. The scriptures clearly says HIS rest. Now if the Sabbath was supposed to give you rest why did the scriptures speak of another day to come. Let’s look at Psalm 95:6-11. If you read this, it should be obvious that the person kneeling is in the presence of the Lord. Now if you are under the Law, then you are separated from God by a veil. You do not have the privilege to go behind the veil and be in the presence of God, because only those in Christ can go boldly before the throne. So, even David understood that there is another day coming that we will be able to bow before the throne. And to further prove this, look how the Psalm ends in verse 11: Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest. The Sabbath was already established and this is supposed to be the day of rest? No, the day of rest is for all of those who enter into Christ. Because if you enter into Christ then you will not suffer the wrath of God that is found in Revelation. Now let’s wrap this up on a great note. Hebrews 4:8, For if Je’sus (this is interpreted to be Joshua) had given them (Children of Israel) rest (Sabbath), then would he not afterward spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the PEOPLE OF GOD. For he that is entered into His (Christ) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, AS GOD DID FROM HIS. Let us labor therefore to enter into that (Christ) rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. The Sabbath is a shadow of the day of the Lord that all who have entered into Christ, those who are His sons, shall find rest from their labor. And if you are a son then you should be confident and assured that one day you will rest from your labor. At Our Father’s Service, Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.