Who is a Son? The Oxford Advanced Dictionary defines a son as a male child or a male member of a family. In the Greek, there are two words for the word son. The first is “nepios”, which is used to describe an offspring who does not posses or exhibit the qualities of his father. He is referred to as a child, an infant, an immature Christian.
“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;” (Galatians 4: 1).
The second word for son is “Huios”, which is used to describe one who has and exhibits the nature and qualities of his father. Becoming a true son is a process of maturity that offers certain rights and privileges.
“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” (Galatians 4:1-2)
The offering of financial seed to a man or ministry does not qualify or produce a father-son relationship, though there must be the seed connection. The divine impartation of the spiritual life, grace and vision connects spiritual father and son. It is something spiritual that heaven does. The relationship brings the son to a unique level of relationship with God. This flows from the grace that is upon the father, who must himself (or herself) have a unique relationship with God.
The nature of God is reflected in His Fatherhood and Sonship relationship which is the way – through the pattern of fathers and sons.
I was interacting on the social media – Facebook with a dear friend and a spiritual father in the faith, Ricci J Hausley Sr, who is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – USA, and he was giving me some nuggets that gives us further understanding of sonship as the pathway to the Father.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” – (John 14:6-11).
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” – (John 1:18).
He (Jesus Christ) came to show us plainly what the Father was like, to reveal His shape and His form. He came to put a face on God our Heavenly Father.
The only way to the Father is through His Son, and sonship. Jesus came on a mission as the eternal Word, straight from the heart of God. He also came as God’s Son, and the Apostle and high priest of our profession. As an apostle, he is a sent Son from the Father.
Without sonship we are orphans, performance oriented and ambition driven. Too many put their identity in great gifts, callings and anointings and not in God’s familial relationships in their lives. The biggest offenders of this are the preachers, because most are performance driven.
Jesus’ emphasis was in His sonship and His relationship to His Father and He did everything out of that relationship. That is why He was so effective. He said:
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” – John 5:17.
The entire account in Genesis concerning man is about a father and son story, not just his fall and the promise of redemption. Adam became estranged from God and an orphan in his heart. So the Old and New Testament begin and end with a father and son story, and every story in the word of God centers around that paradigm.
“Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God” – (Luke 3:38).
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given….” – (Isaiah 9:6).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” – (John 3:16).
The only way to the Father is through His Son. This is why the entire Bible centres on the Father and Son paradigm. God is a family God because He is a Father and a Son. Once we begin to see that this is the case, then we notice it is absolutely everywhere in the Bible. Sonship is the pathway to the Father and one of the main keys into the Kingdom.
People have stopped at Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but have not made it to the destination which is the fathering heart of God. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are trying to get us to the Father, not to them. The Holy Spirit is the drawing cord, and the Lord is the Way, Truth, and Life, but both are trying to get us to the Father, and that is through Sonship. Sonship is the central theme.
Jesus was not independent, but He came to do the will of the One who sent Him, and He did not have His own message, but the message of the sender – The Father. The kingdom is the message, but sonship is the path.
As the Son of God, Jesus Christ was, and is in cooperation with the Father in running the business of the Kingdom and fulfilling purpose; so also, true spiritual sons must align with spiritual fathers to run the Father’s business. What a legacy and impartation we will make upon the next generation – when fatherhood and sonship are in unity and true submission and obedience is expressed.
There is a biblical pattern that has already been set. Paul the apostle knew this, and therefore commanded Timothy as his son to commit the same to others who must teach the same doctrine. There must be a tribe that speaks only the doctrines of the Kingdom and walk in sonship.
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” – (2 Timothy 2:1-2).
It is noteworthy, that sons are those that carry the heart of the father and not his briefcase. We must decease from the past mode of foolishness and carnality that manifest pride and feed the ego of the flesh, thinking that sons carry our briefcase. That principle is not raising sons but slaves. It is a Nicolaitans system with a mentality to conquer.
“And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men” – (11 Samuel 23:15-17).
As much as we have stated that true fathers would love their sons and will be willing to risk their lives and integrity for them, likewise sons must love their father also, to the extent of putting their lives on the line to meet his heart’s desire. This was the character of the three mighty men, who would be classified as the sons of David. They risked their lives to draw water out of the well of Bethlehem. Ultimately the goal was to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.
Copyright © 2017 by Israel Onoriobe
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