on sonship

A gut reaction to be humble and service is not necessarily good. In my experience always insisting on being the first to serve inflames the ego. On the contrary allowing yourself to be served (receiving without giving anything in return) takes humility – provided you see the service as meeting your weakness/need and not something to be exploited! Witness Peter’s cry of ‘you shall never wash my feet, Lord’, and Christ’s reply. (John 13:6-8)

A son is served out of his father’s riches. Learn to enjoy these as the fruits of sonship.

But remember that this is the juncture when true humility can be proven. When you know that you can be served, yet choose to serve – that is real humility and obedience. One born a slave who knows nothing but service, serves because that is all knows, and can scarcely claim humility. To know your sonship yet condescend, that is true service.

As Christ did.

Recall the old saying: true bravery is to go ahead knowing the consequences. Going ahead without knowing the consequences is merely ignorance

Or recall what you and Iain noted: he came to London trusting that the Lord would provide. But that was no faith so long as he didn’t know what troubles lay ahead. When said troubles came , then came the juncture to truly choose to believe the Lord would provide, knowing full well what lack of providence felt like. Real believing faith was exercised at that point.

Recall that the Lord delivered and redeemed his people out of Egypt before telling them what their service involved (Ex 19:4-6). Identity and sonship came before service to God, sonship came to those who had known nothing but service. Service was not a requirement for sonship. Sonship, redemption, new life and relationship with God was granted before service. Identity came before service.

How good it is to be a beloved son! To never fear though surrounded by danger, to never covet or be in want though hungry and deprived. Such is the sustaining love of God, that bottomless well of love, hope and power.