POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD
“But as many as received Him [Jesus, the Word], to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12, 13).
To those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, is given the power (authority, right, and privilege) to become sons of God. Through the new birth, we have been adopted into the family of God, and been promised an eternal inheritance in heaven. This power does not come by natural birth. It doesn’t matter what station in life we are born into, how much money our family has, or the strength of our physical stature. It has nothing to do with our bloodline. The force of our human will cannot secure this power for us no matter how hard we try. It is altogether a gift of God’s grace. Man is powerless to obtain it by any other means than just accepting it from the hands of a loving heavenly Father.
The Apostle John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him [Jesus] not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3). In this text, John declares that we are NOW the sons of God. Just as surely as a baby boy born into my family is immediately a son, so also is everyone who is born again into the family of God. Though that child is a son, it is not yet apparent what he will be when he grows up. He has a lot to learn, and he must grow into his full stature and maturity. We do, too, spiritually speaking. How do we accomplish such growth? It is by seeing the Savior as He truly is. As He reveals Himself to us through the Word of God and by His Holy Spirit, we have the opportunity to receive and believe in Him. As we do this, we gain power through Him to be transformed into His image. It is this hope that compels us to purify ourselves even as He is pure.
The first Book of Samuel, chapters 13 and 14, illustrates some important lessons for us in learning to exercise the power we have been given to become sons of God.
“Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.” (1 Samuel 13:19-23).
The Philistines in this story represent the devil. He knows that we have great power in Christ, so it is his determination to render us powerless in whatever way he can. His lies and deceptions are designed to discourage us and cause us to lose the will to resist him. He knows that if we resist him, he must flee from us (James 4:7), so he tries to convince us that he has taken all our weapons, and we are defenseless.
The place occupied by the Philistine garrison in this story was called Michmash. This name in Hebrew means “laid up, or concealed.” This reminds us that Satan’s tactics are always hidden, or concealed. He comes to us in many disguises – even at times as an angel of light. He is always exposed by two things, however: light and truth. If we, therefore, walk in the light of the Gospel, and in the truth of God’s Word, he will always be exposed.
“Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.” (1 Samuel 14:1). This was a bold plan that Jonathan was suggesting to his armor bearer! It was just two men against an entire garrison of Philistines. Jonathan didn’t bother telling his father what he was doing. Saul was with the main Israelite army in another location, so he couldn’t expect any support from them if he got into trouble. It is fair to say that his father, Saul, would probably have forbidden his son’s actions. Saul was not in a good place spiritually at this time. Though God had anointed him to be king, yet he had disobeyed God’s instructions because of his impatience (1 Samuel 13:8-14). As a result, God had spoken to Saul through Samuel and told him that his reign over Israel would end. God would, instead, replace him with a man whose heart was after God’s. That man would be David. Man can fail; but God cannot. Jonathan’s action were not born of rebellion against his father, though. Jonathan just wanted to spread his spiritual wings, and test his faith, to see what God might do in his life. This is an important part of growing into sonship. We must all learn to exercise our spiritual senses in order to learn how to hear from God for ourselves. Sometimes this means doing what God has told us to do rather than what a leader may have told us. Every believer must learn to recognize God’s still, small voice, and how to walk in the Spirit for himself. Leaders and ministers can encourage and teach us how to do this, but they must never take the place of God, and hearing from Him.
“And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.” (1 Samuel 14:4, 5). The way by which God leads us on our path to becoming mature sons often places us between a rock and a hard place! Jonathan, in order to fulfill what was in his heart, had to pass between these two great rocks. The one was called Bozez, which means “glistening, or slippery;” and the other rock was called Seneh, which means “thorny.” Doesn’t that just sound familiar! We must walk through life’s circumstances very carefully, and very circumspectly, lest we slip or get pricked. Scripture clearly tells us, “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22). Opposition and difficulties are not indications that we are outside of God’s will; in fact, they are often evidence that we are in His will!
“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6). What faith Jonathan exhibits here! We would do well to follow his example and always be looking for opportunities where God might work in our lives. Where God works, miracles follow. His grace is sufficient to our every need, and His great strength is made perfect through our weakness. He is not hindered from working whether we have many with us, or just a few. When we can echo Jonathan’s words here, and believe them in our hearts, then we are in a position to receive the power to become sons of God.
“And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.” (1 Samuel 14:7). While it is true that the human heart is “…deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), at the same time, we are told that if we commit our works to the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. What this means is that if we are willing to choose God’s ways over our own, then our desires will line up with His, and He will delight in fulfilling them. Jonathan’s will was aligned with God’s in this case, and so the desires of his heart were the same as God’s. There is no better place to be in God where we can know perfect peace and harmony in the Spirit. It inspires confidence in others also. Their faith is bolstered when they witness a heart that is pure before God.
Jonathan then suggested a sign by which they would know that God would deliver this Philistine garrison into their hands. They would make their presence known to their enemy. If the soldiers said, “Wait there and we will come to you,” then Jonathan and his armor bearer would simply stand their ground; but if the Philistines said, “Come up to us,” then they would know that God was going to work. It is never wrong to seek the Lord’s guidance, or ask for confirmation if we are unsure whether to proceed. At the end of the day, we are still going to need to trust the Lord for the outcome, no matter how many assurances that He gives us. This is, after all, a fight of faith!
As it turned out, when Jonathan and his armor bearer revealed themselves to the Philistines, the soldiers told them to come up to them. Jonathan then knew that God was with them, and that the victory would be theirs. They scrambled up the rocks and began to slay their enemies. In a short space, they took down 20 fully equipped warriors without any harm to themselves! And that is when something truly miraculous happened.
“And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.” (1 Samuel 14:15, 16). We need to understand just how hopeless the odds were for Israel in this fight. Saul had three thousand men that stood with him and Jonathan. None of them had proper weapons except for the king and his son. The Philistines fielded 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and foot soldiers “as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude.” They also were all well armed. (See 1 Samuel 13:2, 5). Jonathan was not deterred by the overwhelming opposition of his enemy, however. He truly believed that “there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” Jonathan’s faith was soon rewarded. God sent an earthquake that caused the earth to tremble under the Philistine host. There was a great trembling throughout their army and they were filled with fear and confusion to the point that they began to attack and beat down one another! When Saul’s watchmen looked toward the Philistine army, they appeared to “melt away” as they fell by their own hands.
One immediate effect was that those Jews who had previously sided with the Philistines through fear and discouragement were now encouraged by this “move of God.” They now turned to join their brethren against the Philistines. There were other Hebrews who had hidden themselves in caves, thickets, high places, and holes in the ground because they were distressed by the enemies might. They, too, now came and joined the battle (1 Samuel 13:6; 1 Samuel 14:22). When the Lord begins a move in the midst of His Church, those believers who have been distressed, fearful, discouraged, and unbelieving are going to be stirred in their faith. They will be emboldened to rise up to the battle against the forces of darkness that have sought to destroy the Church. Despite the odds, they are going to realize that the battle is not theirs after all, but it is God’s!
Too many of God’s people are hiding in “holes” today. They have not heard, or have not believed, the call to sonship. They have become disheartened by the strength of their enemy, and accepted the lies that he has planted in their hearts. Psalm 68:1 tells us to, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.” The victory is already ours. We need only believe it, and let God arise!
Though there are many good and faithful ministers of God who have a real burden to see God’s people grow up into Christ, there are also those who hinder the work of God in bringing many sons to glory. King Saul was an example of the latter. 1 Samuel 14:24-30 tells how Saul’s leadership worked against what God was doing through Jonathan’s faith. Saul had pronounced a curse on anyone that would eat anything at all that day. “And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.” (1 Samuel 14:24). Jonathan was not with the army when his father charged the people with this oath, so when he came upon a wooded area where there was a beehive dripping with honey, he took some and was strengthened and enlightened. When the men that were with him saw what was done, they told him what his father had commanded. Jonathan said, “My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?” (1 Samuel 14:29, 30). There is a lesson here that we very much need to learn and understand. It is often the leadership in the Church that quenches the Spirit of God and stifles the move of God with their man-made rules, restrictions on the ministries, and show of self righteousness. They should be the tip of the spear where revival is concerned, but too often they, instead, hinder it. Saul was in disobedience, and his rebellion against the Lord’s leading would only grow worse. It was not long before God rejected him altogether, and anointed David to be king of Israel (Acts 13:21, 22). David knew how to lead God’s flock like a shepherd. He is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. The big difference that would develop between Saul and Jonathan is that Saul hated David and tried in every way to destroy him, whereas Jonathan loved David and went against his father to protect and serve David.
The honey in this story represents the sweet Word of God. It both strengthens us in our inner man, and enlightens us to God’s will. Many preachers only preach about salvation, but they withhold the meat of the Word from those who are willing to “go on unto perfection.” (Hebrews 6:1, 2). It is no wonder that there is so little growth in many Christians who have been saved for decades!
Leaders today get nervous about having their members being empowered to become sons of God. They cannot control what those members might do with such power! Like Jonathan, they might go off and start a ministry, or inspire a revival in a way that has not been “sanctioned” by them. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to lead us, and to anoint us, in the work that He has called us to do. It is not man’s job to assign tasks to God’s people. If, like a natural body, each individual in Christ’s Body would take their marching orders directly from the Head, Christ, then we would see how smoothly and harmoniously that Body would function. Each member would be encouraged to grow up into the full maturity of a son of God. True leaders have come to realize that the “government shall be upon His [Jesus’] shoulders,” and that their most important task is to stay out of the Holy Spirit’s way (Isaiah 9:6). They should teach and encourage their flocks to learn to hear the Master’s voice and move as the Spirit leads them.
There are at least nine ways in which Jonathan’s life models sonship.
- Jonathan loved David. Though his father was the current King of Israel, Jonathan believed in him whom the Lord had anointed to be the future king. Similarly, we who are growing in sonship must love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of our hearts, minds, wills and souls. It is He Who God has anointed to be King of kings, and Lord of lords!
- Jonathan was willing to follow the Lord’s leading rather than blindly follow the direction of his father whom the Lord had rejected.
- Jonathan was willing to use his gifts and weapons to defeat his enemies. God has given every believer with the weapons of spiritual warfare, but also with spiritual gifts as well. With these, he will be equipped to honor the Lord and to do His will.
- Jonathan was willing to pass “between a rock and a hard place” in order to fulfill God’s plan. Often the path of God’s greatest glory passes through personal hardship (See Isaiah 43:1-3). When Paul was given a vision from God to go into Macedonia to preach the Gospel, he didn’t expect that his path would involve him and Silas being beaten, shackled and cast in a Philippian jail. It was through that trial, however, that they were able to see many souls saved and a church planted in that city.
- Jonathan was willing to lay down his life to do the will of God. It was not lost on him that he could be killed by going up and revealing himself to the Philistine garrison. It is this willingness to die to self, however, that releases resurrection power in God’s children. We must decrease so that the Lord may increase!
- Jonathan believed that whether by many or few, if God is on your side, you will always have the advantage and outnumber your enemy. God has said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It does not matter if we think we don’t have what it takes to accomplish God’s will in our lives. His sufficiency is our unlimited supply! When you don’t think you have what it takes, it is time to let go, and let God have His way!
- Jonathan was willing to follow his heart more than his head. This inspired faith in those who followed him. God will inspire us to do things to promote His heavenly Kingdom: to preach the Gospel to lost souls, to edify the Body of Christ with our gifts and ministries, to help the poor and needy, and to minister to the sick. God speaks to our spirit through His Holy Spirit and will let us understand how we can be useful to Him. “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (Job 32:8).
- Jonathan was willing to allow God to direct his final actions, and confirm that he was in the Lord’s will. No matter how hard of hearing we may think we are when it comes to discerning God’s will, He is more than able to speak plainly to His children. If we are still not able to understand what He wants, He is able to confirm it to us.
- Jonathan was willing to believe God in whatever way He would lead Him. Scripture says, “…this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4). God can do some amazing things with a soul who simply trusts in Him. God once put a burden on my heart to go and see a man who had just moved to a new town. I did not have an address, but I knew I needed to go. I did have his phone number, so I intended to drive to the town and then call him to get his address. As my wife and I were approaching the town, I heard the Holy Spirit say in my heart, “you will not have to call, I will lead you there.” Yes, I thought it sounded fantastical too! But I chose to believe God and test my wings. He led me to make a series of turns that brought us outside a small apartment complex. As we pulled up, I pointed to a door and said, “That’s his apartment.” We parked, and I went to the door and knocked. The man we were looking for opened the door. I would have never been able to do such a thing on my own; but I had heard God speak, and I was willing to believe what He said, and that He could do it.
Sonship is something that is not promised only to church leaders, or a few super spiritual Christians. It is promised to every soul who believes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul tells us, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14). It is God’s will that we all be led by the Spirit of God. Now is the time for us to rise up and lay hold on the promises of God. Now is the time for us to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the enemies of our soul. Now is the time for us to learn to purify our souls even as Jesus Himself is pure. Now is the time that we, “All come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,” and that “we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” We must “grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13-15). Beloved, we have been given the power to become the sons of God. Shouldn’t we, therefore, let God arise and let His enemies be scattered?
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