The Adoption of Sons
by David Weber
I feel the need to express a few things today; some things that are foundational
to our understanding of "sonship," as many Christians are not very
familiar with the true meaning of "sonship" or "the adoption
of sons" or "the placement of sons" as those things are revealed
to us in scripture.
It is no wonder that a dark veil has been pulled over the understanding of most
Christians regarding "sonship," for the revelation of sonship is something
that the devil ferociously withstands, and that because the Christian progression
from spiritual children to spiritual sons means the enemy's very undoing.
"For the anxious longing of the creature waits eagerly for the revealing
of the sons of God. For the creation was subject to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will
be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of
the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers
the pains of childbirth until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves,
having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons..." (Romans 8:19-23)
Beloved, even a brief glimpse into this passage of scripture from Romans should
reveal to us that the "adoption of sons" or the unveiling of the Son
in fullness in a company of sons is something which yet lies ahead for the body
of Christ. We, who have received a measure of the Spirit now wait ...GROANINGLY
WAIT! for our adoption as sons. We were foreordained unto adoption as sons,
but the actual adoption is something for which we are now waiting. Thus, this
"adoption" is not simply the matter of our coming into the family
of God through regeneration of our spirit, but rather, it is something which
is the end result of God's fiery dealings with us unto the full and complete
surrender of our souls!
There have been vast amounts of erroneous teaching about "adoption"
and "sonship" in the body of Christ, and that mostly because men have
looked at biblical adoption through the eyes of modern western culture. But
beloved, the traditional Hebrew view of "the adoption of a son" has
absolutely nothing to do with the placement of an orphan into a foster home,
rather, it has to do with a young man coming into a place of maturity whereby
the full authority and resources of his father are bestowed upon him.
With this in mind, can you not see why the devil would do everything in his
power to blind the children of God to the message of their full inheritance
and adoption as sons? When MATURE sons of God are made manifest beloved (the
man-child of Revelation 12), the enemy will lose his place, he will lose his
kingdom, he will lose his title, he will even lose his evil grip on creation!
He loses everything!
"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the
authority of His Christ has come, for the accuser of the brethren has been thrown
down..." (Revelation 12:10)
Dear ones, the catching up of the manchild of Revelation 12 to the throne of
God is none other than the sons of God coming into their place of full authority
and power in the kingdom; that which the devil has feared the most, and that
for which all of creation has been groaning like a woman in the travail of childbirth.
The devil has fought hard to keep the light of the inheritance in Christ from
Christian believers ... but beloved ... it is now time for us to rise and shine
for our light has come! It is time for us to know by the spirit of wisdom and
revelation the hope of our calling; which is the full riches and power and authority
of our Father bestowed upon us, and that for the purpose of setting all of His
creation free from its slavery to corruption and death so that even it (creation
itself) might come into the freedom of the glory of the children of God come
into their inheritance as sons! Oh glory!
With these things in mind and heart, let me share with you something about the
true scriptural meaning of "adoption" and "sonship" as it
applies to the above quoted verse from Romans 8 (our inheritance), and as it
can be seen in the life and development of the average Hebrew boy ... and even
Jesus Himself!
The original Greek word translated as "revealing" in Romans 8:19 is
the word "apokalupsis," which simply means "disclosure."
In other places throughout the New Testament, it is also translated as "appearing,"
"coming," "enlighten," and "revelation." The definition
assigned to its root word is, "to take off the cover." Therefore,
when we come across this word "apokalupsis" in Scripture, it has to
do with the exposing of something that has been hidden from view, or bringing
into light that which has been kept in obscurity. In this passage of scripture
it should be pretty clear that what has been hidden and held in obscurity is
... the sons of God! Certainly even the understanding of sonship has been hidden
from many Christians up until now, but thank God, we are coming into a day of
a great unveiling of God's inheritance in the saints.
As the above passage of scripture about the sons of God appears to us in English,
"sons" could be taken in several different ways, but in the original
language, Paul was very careful in his choice of words. For the word "sons"
Paul very carefully chose the word "huios" rather than the word "teknion"
(which means infant) or "teknon" (which speaks of a child or a youth)
because he was not referring to mere children. "Huios" specifically
speaks of matured, fully developed sons, or those who have come of age into
full maturity. Of the three words, "huios" is the only word that the
Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use when he spoke of those to be manifested as
sons of God in Romans 8, and it is also the only word that the Holy Spirit inspired
the beloved John to use when he referred to the manchild in Revelation chapter
12. Is that possibly because those are one and the same? I think so.
With this understanding somewhat established, we should be able to see that
the manifestation of the sons of God is not merely the unveiling or revelation
of God's children, since that manifestation has been occurring for the past
two thousand years, but it is a revelation of those children coming into their
full maturity in Christ, when they will come of full age (spiritually speaking)
and be presented by the Father as full grown "sons" (huios) of the
Kingdom.
According to John's Gospel, those who receive the Christ are given the power
to become the children (teknon) of God, and that through the regeneration of
their spirit. But what Paul then reveals in Romans is that from these children
will come forth "mature sons;" the manifestation of which all of creation
has been anxiously awaiting. Take a look again at verse 21 from Romans, but
this time from the J.B.Phillips translation;
"And the hope is that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued
from the tyranny of change and decay, and have its share in that magnificent
liberty WHICH CAN ONLY BELONG TO THE CHILDREN OF GOD!"
Beloved, this means that the "sons of God" can only come forth from
the "children of God," or in other words, the "manchild"
can only come forth from the "woman" (she who is made up of "sun
clad" believers, but is yet to come to full maturity in Christ for she
is still in a sense, a spiritual "child," not having put the self-life
fully to death). The manifestation of the sons of God will not be the disclosure
of God's offspring in the infant stage (teknion) or the adolescent stage (teknon)...
No, it shall be a manifestation of those who have come to the full stature of
Christ; nothing less than Christ's own perfection (that's maturity)! Oh, may
the spirit of wisdom and revelation open the eyes of your understanding to this
wonderful truth!
This article is getting a little bit long, and I want to try to wrap it up,
but I would like to take a quick look at the life of Jesus as it is revealed
to us in the Gospels because in His life we can see a pattern which reveals
the three stages of spiritual growth in a believer ... from infancy (teknion)
... to puberty (teknon) ... to maturity (huios). This is revealed in Jesus'
manger birth and circumcision on the eighth day, to His appearing in the temple
at age 12, to His adoption ceremony and His Father's proclamation of His Sonship
at the Jordan at age 30 ("30" is the biblical number for "maturity").
The pattern shown to us in the life of Jesus, is also revealed to us in the
life of the average Israelite male (which I mentioned earlier). Jesus then spiritually
amplifies for us that pattern with His life.
In the life of the average Hebrew boy there were three major events which drew
broad public attention to him. The first of these events was his "Circumcision,"
which occurred when he was an infant, at eight days old. This was the moment
that he was marked as a "covenant man" in Israel, and was celebrated
throughout the community.
The second major event was his "Bar-Mitzvah," which took place as
he was about to enter into puberty. The word Bar-Mitzvah actually means "a
son accountable," and this signified the time, not only when he was held
accountable for keeping the Commandments of God, but also when he was to become
an apprentice under his father in the family business. This, too, was celebrated
as a very special event in the life of the child, just as it is today.
The third event was what was known as the "Huiothesia," or the (young
man's) "adoption ceremony." The word "Huiothesia" means
"Son Placement," and indicates the time when a male child reached
what was considered to be the age of maturity (somewhere around 30). At this
time, the father of the young man would place his hand on the head of his son
and openly proclaim, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased!
I bestow upon him now all of my riches and power and authority (through power
of attorney) so that he might act on my behalf in all of my affairs."
Beloved friends, can you see that the three experiences that are described in
the life of an Israelite male, and the three stages shown to us in the life
of Jesus, are to be spiritually discerned so that we may understand God's enduring
process for our own spiritual growth into sons? Can you now understand why Jesus
would say to Mary and Joseph at age 12, "Know ye not that I must be about
My Father's business?" Can you see that He was proclaiming His just then
entered apprenticeship under the Father? At that point Jesus was just entering
an 18 year stage of "learning the family business" so to speak. His
Sonship ceremony at the Jordan which would "fulfill all righteousness"
and launch His glorious Sonship ministry would not be performed until He reached
the full stage of "maturity." The Holy Spirit's descent like a dove
upon Jesus was in essence the hand of the Father coming upon the Son to proclaim
His Sonship ministry! The Father said, "This is My Beloved Son in Whom
I AM well pleased!" Many of us have not understood the full ramifications
of those words, or that ceremony, until now. But there is now a great light
of revelation being shed upon such things in this day.
Why?
Because the time for our adoption as "sons" is drawing nigh beloved.
Our Father is preparing to bestow the riches and the power and the glory of
His Kingdom upon a people, and that without measure! But He won't give that
power to spiritual infants! No, He won't. Nor will He give it to spiritual children...
But the Father is waiting (as is all of creation) to bring forth sons. This
is the precious fruit of the earth for which the Husbandman has been patiently
waiting.
Oh yes ... one last thing.
Growth from spiritual childhood to that of a son comes only one way beloved...
lots and lots of chastening, suffering, trials, and tribulation. Hardly the
escape "rapture" folks ... sorry.
May the Lord give us the grace to endure the trials and the chastening that
we must suffer unto sonship, and that, so that He may have that company of sons
upon whom He can place the great authority and power that is needed to rule
and reign with Him in the Kingdom of God.
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