Sons of God

The Bible uses the term, “sons of God,” to refer to his chosen and redeemed. There are those who would pervert this term to promote an unbiblical theological ideology which has invaded the church in these last days but I digress. We will save that for another blog.

In this blog I will talk about the difference between being a servant of God and a son of God.

In Galatians Chapter 4 Paul talks about the difference between being under the law or under grace. He uses an allegory to explain this difference.

Paul begins by saying that the Mosaic Old Covenant system was given to the natural unregenerated person under the law. Paul likens the natural person under the law as being child like. That is not having spiritual maturity.

Paul says that as a child the natural person under the law really doesn’t have any heretical rights because of immaturity. Therefore, the natural person under the law is like a servant.

Those who do not serve the law are still under the law. In effect they are rebels who are judged by the law they refuse to serve.

Servants in ancient Greek culture were used to do manual work. Slaves served as maids, nurses, cooks, craftsmen, artists, and musicians. Many could even earn a wage. Slaves or servants were the property of their masters. [1]

Under the law people were in servitude to the law. This is because the law though righteous and true requires servitude. You must obey it or else!

Servitude is a legal term in property law. By definition it means that a person is designated rights over a property that belongs to another. This means that a servant has use of property owned by another. [2]

Paul says that the law was a precursor to lead us to Christ.

So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3: 24 (ASV)

The law reveals our sin. It shows us how we cannot keep it or live up to it.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Romans 3:20 (AVS)

The law according to Paul is a shadow

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Hebrews 10:1

A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an object. [3]

The law is like a shadow. The light is blocked by our sin to prevent it from shinning in our hearts.

“Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Paul tells us that ‘in the fullness of time God sent his Son in the flesh born of a woman made under the law to redeem those under the law.’ Galatians 4:4

Jesus redeems those who put their trust in him for redemption from the bondage of the law.

Why is being under the law a bondage?

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

One is not a son but a servant under the law. And according to the scriptures the servant does not stay in the master’s house forever. When the heir grows up the heir will take over all the property rights given in the inheritance. The servant will no longer be in charge of the master’s property.

The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. (John 8:35)

Now that does not mean that the son being an heir does not retain a servant’s heart, though he/she is a son. The heir is always in submission to the Father. However, as a son the heir has rights and privileges that a servant does not have.

An heir is legally entitled to all the property and rights or privileges of the estate owner.

When the heir comes into his/her full rights after the death of the Father, he is no longer a servant.

That is why when Jesus died on the cross he said, IT IS FINNISHED!

No longer are the redeemed born of God persons, servants under bondage to the law!

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:6,7 (KJV)

Refer to my blog on the promised inheritance here.

Heirs of the Promise

Paul tells us in Galatians that those who continue to follow the law are putting themselves back into bondage. They are rejecting sonship for servitude. Paul likens going back to the law the same as going back to the types of methods pagans used to appease their gods. By observing all kinds of rituals and special days and times of the year. Paul calls it a bondage.

Paul calls those practices weak or beggarly. In other words powerless to control the fallen nature which always wants to sin against God one way or the other.

Now if you want to observe holidays culturally that is fine BUT to use these practices for your justification before God is to reject the New Covenant. Redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The AMB version says it well.

For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do. Galatians 5:17

Paul uses the story of Isaac and Ishmael as an example to explain the difference between the promised inheritance versus the law.

Isaac was the child of the promise. God’s promise was given to Abraham. Ishmael was the child of the servant. He did not have the full inheritance of Abraham.

Paul says that those in the flesh or the unregenerated person cannot please God. Those of the promise or born of the Holy Spirit are children of God. Joint heirs with Christ, sons of God. They have the ability to please God.

Why? Because of the promised inheritance given to them. The Holy Spirit.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

Paul exhorts the Galatians to cast out the servant. In other words stop adhering to the law for their righteousness. Don’t go back to weak and beggarly things that have no power to redeem. The child of the servant has no inheritance with the child of the promise.

We cannot mix works with grace. Going back to the law by observing days, years, festivals, and rituals to try to please God brings one into bondage.

Wherefore then serve the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Galatians 3:19

Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the bondage of the law!

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Galatians 2:23, 24