I. Jehovah’s relationship. God has written in His Word, saying, “I will be his Father, and he shall be my son.” Here I commence with a fundamental principle, and that because fundamental principles, in our day, are become almost obsolete; and, in hundreds and thousands of instances, are cast aside. The fundamental principle I mean is the original adoption of His sons. This seems to be the very spirit of the promise of my text, “I will be his Father.” It is not left to after-date to be fixed, but it is accomplished in after-date manifestly, to prove that Jehovah had before ordained that it should be so.
II. The open manifestation of the sonship. “He shall be my son.”
1. “He shall be my son,” manifestly, for the family likeness shall be put upon him. He once bore the image of the earthly; and earthy enough God knows he was, before regeneration work made the change in him. He bore the image of the earthy, the image of the fallen Adam, the image of ruin, the image of the curse. But though he has borne the image of the earthly, he shall bear the image of the heavenly; and this family likeness expresses and exhibits, before all the world, the distinction between the children of God and the children of the world.
2. God’s sons are privileged to wear the family robes. You recollect a passage in the Book of Samuel pointing to this, “With such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins, apparelled;” and all His sons too.
3. That when Jehovah determines openly to display the character of His sons, it is by affording them the spirit of adoption. The privilege of adoption is one thing, and the spirit of adoption is another. In the privilege of adoption, all that pertains to the family of God is made over to the sons, and secured to them for ever; but in the spirit of adoption, the poor sinner born from above, the poor sinner regenerated by grace Divine, is brought to know his relationship, as the apostle has it. As soon as this spirit of adoption is sent forth into his heart, he cries out, “Father.” “Abba” is the word given--“Father.”
4. Let me add here, the sons of God are very tenacious about the maintaining of truth and holiness; and they are the only persons in the world that are anxious to maintain them. In this sense also they differ from all people, from all nations under heaven.
5. But go on just to mark, that the sons of God, especially as they grow up a little above their boyhood, and begin to be young men in Christ and fathers in Christ, will be very tenacious to understand all the truth, and to hold the truth and nothing but the truth, to compare one truth with another, and to refuse to give up an iota of it, and unfurl a banner with this inscription upon it, “Buy the truth and sell it not.”
III. But there is something in my text that may not be quite so welcome to my hearers, “If he commit iniquity, i will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men, but my mercy shall not depart away from him.”
1. You know, if the father uses his rod, he holds it tightly in his hand; he does not throw it at the child, and let the chances be as they may be--he holds it firmly in his hand. Now, whatever trials you may pass through, bear in mind two things; there is something wrong, and you should say with Job, “Show me wherefore thou contendest with me?” and then in the next place remember that the rod is in the hand of your Father, and He will not make a sword of it.
2. But there is one other phrase: “My mercy shall not depart away from him.” Hear the record of Divine faithfulness, “My mercy shall not depart away from him.” The verse closes with an awful contrast, which marks the difference between His sons and His enemies; “As I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.” But He will never do this with His sons. Why so? because they are in union with Christ. (J. Irons.)
Consciousness of sonship
Correggio stood before a grand painting, enraptured; and as he gazed, grasping the sublime conception, amazed at the wondrous execution and colouring of the picture, exclaimed, “Thank God! I, too, am a painter.” So, when a Christian looks steadily at what it is to be children of our Father, with sublime thrills of joy he can say, “Thank God! I, too, am a child of the Lord God Almighty.” (G. C. Baldwin.)
The confidences of father and son
A young man was taking leave of a well-beloved father, who said to him, “My son, if you are in any trouble or need anything, write to me; you know I am always ready to do all I can for you.” “Yes, I know it, dear father,” said the son, “and will you keep safely for me this box containing the most precious things I own? “After a time the young man became ill, and the expected aid from his father was delayed. A chance acquaintance said, “Your father may have forgotten his promise.” The young man’s eyes flashed as he said with emotion, “My father never failed me yet. I love him and he loves me. I know whom I can trust, and I am as sure of his help as if the money were in my hand! The mail may miscarry, but my father’s promise is sure. Never suggest to me again that my father is not faithful to his promise.” (Weekly Pulpit.)
