The Sons of God

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:16-17

My brethren, what a contrast there is between the present and future estate of the child of God! The believer is here the brother to the worm. In heaven he shall be next of kin to the angels. Here he is covered with the sweat and dust which he acquired by Adam’s fall. There his brow shall be bright with the immortality which is conferred upon him by the resurrection of Christ.

Here the heir of heaven is unknown; he is in disguise, full often clad in the habiliments of poverty. But there his princely character shall be discerned and acknowledged, he shall be waited upon by angels, and shall share in

the admiration which the universe shall pour upon the glorified Redeemer. Well said our poet just now, "It does not yet appear, how great we must be made."

I think I need not remind you of your condition here below; you are too conversant with it, being hourly fretted with troubles, vexed with your own infirmities, with the temptations of Satan, and with all the allurements of this world. You are quite conscious that this is not your rest. There are too many thorns in your nest, to permit you to hope for an abiding city below the skies. I say, it is utterly needless for me to refresh your memories about your present condition; but I feel it will be a good and profitable work if I remind you that there are high privileges of which you are possessors even now; there are divine joys which even this day you may taste. The wilderness has its manna; the desert is gladdened with water from the rock. God has not forsaken us; the tokens of his goodness are with us, and we may rejoice in full many a gracious boon which is ours this very day. I shall direct your joyous attention to one precious jewel in your treasury, namely, your adoption into the family of God.

There are four things of which I shall speak this morning. First, a special privilege; second, a special proof of it, the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit; then thirdly, a special privilege, that of heirship; and fourthly, the practical part of the sermon and the conclusion shall be a special manner of life demanded of such persons.

I. First, then, my brethren, a SPECIAL PRIVILEGE mentioned in the text. "We are the children of God." And here I am met upon the very threshold by the opposition of certain modern theologians, who hold that sonship is not the special and peculiar privilege of believers. The newly discovered negative theology, which, I fear, has done some damage to the Baptist denomination, and a very large amount of injury to the Independent body — the new heresy is to a large degree, founded upon the fiction of the Universal Fatherhood of God. The old divines, the Puritans, the Reformers, are now in these last days, to be superseded by men whose teaching flatly contradicts all that we have received of our forefathers. Our older writers have all represented God as being to his people a father, to the rest of the world a judge. This is styled by our new philosophers as old cumbersome scheme of theology, and it is proposed that it be swept away — a proposition which will never be carried out, while the earth remains, or while God endures. But, at any rate, certain knight-errants have set themselves to do battle with windmills, and really believe that they shall actually destroy from the face of the earth that which is a fundamental and abiding distinction, without which the Scriptures are not to be understood.

We are told by modern false prophets, that God in everything acts to all men as a father, even when he cast them into the lake of fire, and sends upon them all the plagues that are written in his book. All these terrible things done in righteousness, the awful proofs of holy vengeance in the judge of all the earth, and successfully neutralized in their arousing effect, by being quietly written among the loving acts and words of the Universal Father. It is dreamed that this is an age when men do not need to be thundered at; when everybody is become so tender-hearted that there is no need for the sword to be held "in terrorum" over mortals; but that everything is to be conducted now in a new and refined manner; God the Universal Father, and all men universal sons. Now I must confess there is something very pretty about this theory, something so fascinating that I do not wonder that some of the ablest minds have been wooed and won by it. I, for my part, take only one objection to it, which is that it is perfectly untrue and utterly unfounded, having not the lightest shadow of a pretense of being proved by the Word of God. Scripture everywhere represents the chosen people of the Lord, under their visible character of believers, penitents, and spiritual men, as being "the children of God," and to none but such is that holy title given. It speaks of the regenerate, of a special class men as having a claim to be God’s children. Now, as there is nothing like Scripture, let me read you a few texts, Romans 8:14. — "As many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Surely no one is so daring as to say, that all men are led by the Spirit of God; yet may it readily enough be inferred from our text, that those who are not led by the Spirit of God are not the sons of God, but that they and they alone who are led, guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, are the sons of God.

A passage from Galatians 3:26 — "For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," declaring as it seems to me, and rightly enough, that all believers, all who have faith in Christ are the children of God, and that they become actually and manifestly so by faith in Christ Jesus, and implying that those who have no faith in Christ Jesus, are not God’s sons, and that any pretense which they could make to that relationship would be but arrogance and presumption.

And hear this, John 1:12. — "To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." How could they have been the sons of God before, for "to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, who were born not of blood," — then they were not make the sons of God by mere creation — "nor of the will of the flesh," that is to say, not by any efforts of their own "but of God." If any text can be more conclusive than this against universal sonship, I must confess I know of none, and unless these words mean nothing at all, they do mean just this, that believers are the sons of God and none besides.

But listen to another word of the Lord in the first epistle of John, 3:1 — "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does no righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother." Here are two sorts of children, therefore all are not the children of God. Can it be supposed that those who are the children of the devil are nevertheless the children of God?

I must confess my reason revolts against such a supposition, and though I think I might exercise a little imagination, yet I could not make my imagination sufficiently an acrobat to conceive of a man being at the same time a child of the devil, and yet a real child of God.

Hear another, 2 Corinthians, 6:17. "Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Is not that "coming out" necessary to sonship, and were they his sons, were they his daughters, had they any claim or right to call him Father, until they came out from the midst of a wicked world, and were separate? If so, why does God promise them what they have already.

But again, Matthew 5:9. — "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." A fine title indeed if it belongs to every man! Where is the blessedness of the title, for they might be lovers of strife, and yet according to modern theologians they might still be the sons of God.

Let us mark a yet more positive passage, Romans 9:8. — "The children of the flesh, these are not the children of God." What then is to be said to this, "These are not the children of God." If any man will contradict that flatly — well, be it so. I have no argument with which to convince the man who denies so strong and clear a witness.

Listen to the divine apostle John, where in one of his epistles he is carried away in rhapsody of devout admiration, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." And then he goes on giving a description of those who are the sons of God, who could not mean any but those who by a living faith in Christ Jesus, have cast their souls once for all on him. As far as I can guess, the main text on which these people build the doctrine of the universal Fatherhood, is that quotation which the apostle Paul took from a heathen poet — "As certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." The apostle endorses that sentiment by quoting it, and against that endorsement we can of course have no contention. But the word there used for "offspring," expresses no idea of Fatherhood in the majestic sense of the term, it is a word which might be used as appropriately for the young of animals, the young of any other creature, it has not about it the human sympathies which belong to a father and a son. I know, besides this, nothing which could support this new theory. Possibly they fancy that creation is a paternal act, that all created things are sons. This is too absurd to need an answer, for if so, horses and cows, rats and mice, snakes and flies are children of God, for they are surely creatures as well as we.

Taking away this corner-stone, this fancy theory tumbles to the ground, and that theory which seemed to be as tall as Babel, and threatened to make as much confusion, may right soon be demolished, if you will batter it with the Word of God. The fact is, brethren, that the relationship of a son of God belongs only to those who are "predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of the Father’s will:" Ephesians 1:5. The more you search the Bible, the more sure will you be that sonship is the special privilege of the chosen people of God and of none beside.

Having thus, as far as I can, established my point, that the privilege of our text is a special one, let me dwell upon it for a moment and remark that, as a special one, it is an act of pure unmistakable grace. No man has any right to be a son of God. If we are born into his family it is a miracle of mercy. It is one of the ever-blessed exhibitions of the infinite love of God which without any cause in us, has set itself upon us. If you are this day an heir of heaven, remember, man, you were once the slave of hell. Once you did wallow in the mire, and if you should adopt a swine to be your child, you could not then have performed an act of greater compassion than when God adopted you. And if an angel could exalt a gnat to equal dignity with himself, yet would not the boon be such-an-one as that which God has conferred on you. He has taken you from the dunghill, and he has set you among princes. You had lain among the pots, but he has made you as a dove whose wings are covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. Remember that this is grace, — look back to the hole of the pit from where you were dug, and the miry clay from where you were

drawn out. Boast not if you are in the true olive tree. You are not there, because of your original, you are a scion from an evil tree, and the Divine Spirit has changed your nature, for you were once nothing but a branch of the vine of Gomorrah. Ever let humility bow you to the very earth while your adoption lifts you up to the third heaven.

Consider again, I beg you, what a dignity God has conferred upon you — even upon you in making you his son. The tall archangel before the throne is not called God’s Son, he is one of the most favored of his servants, but not his child. I tell you, you poor brother in Christ, There Is a Dignity about You That Even Angels May Well Envy. You in your poverty are as a sparkling jewel in the darkness of the mine. You in the midst of your sickness and infirmity are girt about with robes of glory, which make the spirits in heaven look down upon the earth with awe. You move about this world as a prince among the crowd. The blood of heaven runs in your veins; you are one of the blood royal of eternity — a son of God, descendant of the King of kings. Speak of pedigrees, the glories of heraldry — you have more than royalty could ever give you, or all the pomp of ancestry could ever bestow.

II. And now I press forward to notice that in order that we may know whether we are partakers of this high — this royal relationship of children of God, the text furnishes us with a SPECIAL PROOF — "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." You will notice here, my beloved, that there are two witnesses in court — two who are ready to prove our filiation to the eternal God. The first witness is our spirit; the second witness is The Spirit, the eternal Spirit of God, who bears witness with our spirit. It is as if a poor man were called into court to prove his right to some piece of land which was disputed. He stands up and bears his own faithful testimony; but some great one of the land — some nobleman who lives near — rises, stands in the witness box, and confirms his witness. So is it with our text. The plain, simple spirit of the humble-minded Christian cries, "I am God’s child." The glorious Spirit, one with God, attests the truth of the testimony, and bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Let us notice in the first place, how it is that our spirit is able to bear witness; and as this is a matter of experience, I can only appeal to those who are the true children of God; for no others are competent to give testimony. Our spirit bears witness that we are the children of God, when it feels a filial love to God. When bowing before his throne we can boldly say "Abba Father." — "You are my father," then our spirit concludes that we are sons, for thus it argues, "I feel to you as a child feels to its parent, and it could not be that I should have the feeling of a son if I had not the rights of a son — if I were not a child you would never have given to me that filial affection which no dares to call you "Father."

Sometimes, too, the spirit feels that God is its Father not only by love but by trust. The rod has been upon our back and we have smarted very sore, but in the darkest hour we have been able to say, "The time is in my Father’s hands; I cannot murmur; I would not repine; I feel it is but right that I should suffer, otherwise my Father would never have made me suffer." God surely does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of man for nothing; and when in these dark gloomy times we have looked up to a Father’s face, and have said, "Though you slay me, yet will I trust in you; your blows shall not drive you from me; they shall but make me say, Show me why you contend with me, and purge me from my sin." Then our spirit bears witness that we are the children of God.

And are there not times with you, my dear friends, when your hearts feel that they would be emptied and void, unless God were in them. You have perhaps received an increase to your wealth, and after the first flush of pleasure which was but natural, you have said, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity; this is not my joy." You have had many mercies in your family, but you have felt that in them all there was a lack of something which could satisfy your heart, and you have felt that something was God. My God, you are my all in all — the circle where my passions move, the center of my soul. Now these longings — these pantings for something more than this world can give you — were but the evidences of a child-like spirit, which was panting after its Father’s presence. You feel you must have your Father, or else the gifts of his providence are nothing to you. That is, your spirit bears witness that you are the child of God. But there are times when the heir of heaven is as sure that he is God’s child as he is sure that he is his own natural father’s son. No doubt can make him question. The evil one may whisper, "If you be the son of God." But he says, "Get away Satan, I know I am the son of God." A man might as well try to dispute him out of the fact of his existence, as out of that equally sure fact that he has been born again, and that by gracious adoption he has been taken into the family of God. This is our witnessing that we are born of God.

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