Spiritual sonship is one of God’s beautiful ways to grow us. Submitting to leaders is where we actually thrive. We set ourselves up for success when we learn to trust someone else with guiding and directing our spiritual journey. I want to address what’s confusing and misunderstood about spiritual sonship.

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Hebrews 1

God disclosed a full picture of Himself in His Son.Jesus revealed what God wanted to be the final statement about who He is.God is a Father to a son and son to a father.The dynamic of the Trinity is relational and family oriented.It’s built on self giving love, mutual submission and empowerment.

• John 16:13 Holy Spirit doesn’t speak on His own initiative
• John 5:19-23, 30 Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing
• John 3:16 God works through His Son so all can believe

The Trinity shares in all things, none of them are consumed with themselves but are other-centered.How does this change us?The family dynamic of Trinity gives us understanding to why we have been given the Spirit of sonship mentioned in Romans 8:15We relate to God just as Christ did, as a son to the Father.How does this change church?The house of God is a family.We relate to one another as sons, daughters, fathers and mothers.The church is the family of God with the intention of displaying the Trinity, which is properly understood as relational.We are to relate to each other with the self giving love, mutual submission and empowerment of the Trinity.Spirit of Adoption

• “You received the Spirit of Sonship” – Romans 8:15
• “You are no longer a slave, but a son” – Galatians 4:7

Jesus Lived SubmittedNo independence in Him. Complete obedience and submission to His Father.Jesus never did anything His Father didn’t intend for Him.I don’t think Jesus knew all things as God, but rather He walked recognizing His Fathers initiatives and surrendered to them.Luke 2The Son of God who was perfectly submitted to His Father submitted Himself to Mary and Joseph

Jesus didn’t live submitted as a Son to the Father and then be orphan to who God anointed to father and mother Him.

He didn’t use His submission to God as an excuse to avoid submitting to natural authority.What we are in Christ should works itself out with others.

• Submit to God and submit to one another
• Love God and love your brother

Jesus knew that submission as a son was where He would thrive.Serving as a son to natural leadership is an initiative of the Father.John 2: Water to wineThe Father knew Mary would love Him with the same love of mother and Jesus would love and serve her with the love of a son.This wasn’t a stain in the timeline of Jesus, or a moment He disobeyed the Father. God knew Mary would love, protect and care as mother and Jesus would serve her with the love of a son.You’re safeguard from self promotion is submission as a son. DON’T TAKE ALL OPPORTUNITIES!Submitted and serving as sons and daughters is how we live in inheritance.

• Aligning yourself underneath
• Matthew 10:41 Recieving a prophet
• Matthew 8:9 Man under authority

Serve as a Son

• “For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.” Philippians 2:20-22
• “I have become your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending you Timothy, my son whom I love.” – 1 Corinthians 4:16
• “To Titus, my true son in our common faith” – Titus 1:4
• “To Timothy, a true son in the faith.” 1 Timothy 1:2

We don’t look for a father before we love like a son.We first love and through time and communication and relationship may develop into a mutual commitment.Jesus wasn’t allowing His understanding as the Son of God to trump Him from submitting to Mary.

• No seniority in the God head.
• Not hierarchal.
• Not most qualified but anointed

Jesus actually even pursued John the Baptist so He could submit to His ministry.Jesus was launched into ministry as He submitted, just as Timothy was sent as He served Paul.We don’t control when Fathers come or the quality of the Fathers, but we choose when we will act as sons by what quality we position ourselves to be fathered and mothered. Open your heart to being fathered and mothered and live as sons and daughters.

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