Romans 8:14-17 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
The reality that we are “sons of God” is the basis of our walk with God, and our divine relationship of joint heirs with Christ is the motivation for a life separated unto God. A person can either be led by the Spirit of God or be under the spirit of bondage (slavery). While the spirit of bondage makes you fearful of punishment, the Spirit of adoption leads you as God’s children.
As many that are governed and ruled by the Holy Spirit are the sons of God, with all the privileges and responsibilities of children in God’s family – identity, status, position, relationship, etc; and the more matured we are as sons of God, the more the Holy Spirit leads us. And because we are sons God sends His Spirit to dwell in our hearts to confirm our status with God. Galatians 4:6 says, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Sonship is exclusively of God; it is beyond the power and possibility of man to produce or to achieve as the seed and secret of sonship is not resident in man by nature. It is divine! John 1:13 says, "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God".
The life of sonship is a life purely in the Spirit and of a continuous growth in the power of the Spirit. The person who grows spiritually is not the person who becomes something important spiritually, but the one who grows progressively in the nature and stature of Jesus Christ. The person who gets down lowest is the one who rises up highest. This is Kingdom truth and principle! Sonship is unavoidably connected with the Spirit, i.e., "born of the Spirit" - John 3:6; "led by the Spirit" - Rom. 8:14; “strengthened with might by his Spirit” – Ephesians 3:16; “live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit” - Galatians 5:25; "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." - Romans 8:15. Born; led; strengthened; live; walk; cry, all are enabled by the Holy Spirit!
Because the nature of sonship is a life in the Spirit, the enemy constantly provokes us into a life in the flesh; because it is a life of dependence, he tries to make us independent; and because it is a life of humility, he pushes to provoke us to pride. There is nothing that can work against the spirit of sonship in us, like pride, because pride hates and abhors a life of dependence. Pride cannot bear to look outside of self for everything at every time.
By His grace and divine enablement, at this Year’s Annual Glory Summit, themed: “The Spirit of Sonship,” we shall discuss: Pathway to Sonship; Purpose and Privileges of Sonship; Pattern of Sonship; and Power of Sonship. We bless God for all the speakers He has ordained and anointed to minister His Word at the Summit. May we all be richly blessed as we partake of life-giving and soul-saving truth of salvation, by grace through faith in Christ alone, in Whom we stand to receive the full benefits of sonship. Amen.
With joy in our hearts, we welcome you all to the 16th edition of Annual Glory Summit (the Ministry of God’s Word), stepping out of slavery mind-set and stepping into sonship mind-set; progressively and steadfastly rising to the height of sonship in God - a relationship of grace.
Divine sonship is our inheritance,
’Sogo & Abi Adelaja
