Maturing into Sonship

Adam and Eve wanted to have the knowledge to decide for themselves what they wanted and what they deemed appropriate for their lives, but it led them into hiding because they became afraid. (Gen.3:10)

When we are stuck in the independence of living as a spiritual orphan we have to:

• Provide for ourselves.
• Promote ourselves.
• Protect ourselves.

But what happens if we don’t measure up? What happens if we can’t provide, promote and protect ourselves sufficiently? Fear and hiding will become a part of our daily lives.

Sons walk in the inheritance of their Father’s favor, rest, and provision.

How do you journey into sonship?

In today’s post I will share the steps I took as well as give you a chart to begin to identify your own growth steps.

Meeting the Master

In ’86 I was delivering pizzas for Dominos, on drugs, and directionless. I felt the the darkness and despair of the pit I lived in. One day I came to believe God offered freedom. So I turned to God and He did give me freedom. I then embraced a life of working hard for the Master lest I displease Him and be cut off. You see, at that time I didn’t even know it was in me to naturally view God that way — as a master.

Gal.4:1-2 — Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

”A good master can draw the prodigal home, but only a good father can empower a son.” — Jason Clark

When I came into the Kingdom, I didn’t realize I wasn’t a son. In fact, I didn’t even know what sonship was. I had no paradigm for it.

Meeting the Father

We were never meant to be slaves, even if for a good Master.

“If our revelation of God as a good Master doesn’t mature into a revelation of God as a good Father, we will find ourselves enslaved either to the world or religion.” (Jason Clark) And this is exactly what occurred in my life.

I lived as an orphan from ’86 until ’99 when the Father’s love finally came into my life. This was huge. This now gave me a foundation of security in love. I no longer lived daily in condemnation and fear. However, I was still in the process of maturing from Master to Father.

I knew the revelation of Father’s love but now I needed to hold my heart open and work out my “spiritual orphan issues” if I wanted to experience maturing into sonship.

Steps I Took

In those early days of the Father’s love I took many steps.

• I repented to my parents.
• I wrote letters to them honoring them as my mother and father.
• I repented to pastors and employers for ways I acted as a spiritual orphan.

I took the steps to resolve the ways my heart had resisted being a son.

Even today I’m still in process. I walk in sonship much of the time but there are days I still get triggered and revert. But having a foundation of being irrevocably loved by my Father, I can quickly get prayer ministry and move back into sonship.

Gal.4:4-7 — God sent forth His Son, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

All of us can grow from being under “tutors and governors” into a full heart that cries, “Abba!” If you will take the steps of humility to repent for orphan attitudes and get prayer ministry for the orphan issues you find arising in your heart, there’s a great freedom just waiting for you.

 

Below is a helpful chart from for identifying our orphan issues from Shiloh Place

ORPHAN HEART		HEART OF SONSHIP
See God as Master	IMAGE OF GOD	See God as a loving Father
Independent / Self-reliant	DEPENDENCY	Interdependent / Acknowledges Need
Live by the Love of Law	THEOLOGY	Live by the Law of Love
Insecure / Lack peace	SECURITY	Rest and Peace
Strive for the praise, approval, and acceptance of  man	NEED FOR APPROVAL	Totally accepted in God’s love and justified by grace
A need for personal achievement as you seek to impress God and others, or no motivation to serve at all	MOTIVE FOR SERVICE	Service that is motivated by a deep gratitude for being unconditionally loved and accepted by God
Duty and earning God’s favor or no motivation at all	MOTIVE BEHIND CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES	Pleasure and delight
“Must” be holy to have God’s favor, thus increasing a sense of shame and guilt	MOTIVE FOR PURITY	“Want to” be holy; do not want anything to hinder intimate relationship with God
Self-rejection from comparing yourself to others	SELF-IMAGE	Positive and affirmed because you know you have such value to God
Seek comfort in counterfeit affections:  addictions, compulsions, escapism, busyness, hyper-religious activity	SOURCE OF COMFORT	Seek times of quietness and solitude to rest in the Father’s presence and love
Competition, rivalry, and jealousy toward others’ success and position	PEER RELATIONSHIPS	Humility and unity as you value others and are able to rejoice in their blessings and success
Accusation and exposure in order to make yourself look good by making others look bad	HANDLING THE FAULTS OF OTHERS	Love covers as you seek to restore others in a spirit of love and gentleness
See authority as a source of pain; distrustful toward them and lack a heart attitude of submission	VIEW OF AUTHORITY	Respectful, honoring; you see them as ministers of God for good in your life
Difficulty receiving admonition; you must be right so you easily get your feelings hurt and close your spirit to discipline	VIEW OF ADMONITION	See the receiving of admonition as a blessing and need in your life so that your faults and weaknesses are exposed and put to death
Guarded and conditional; based upon others’ performance as you seek to get your own needs met	EXPRESSION OF LOVE	Open, patient, and affectionate as you lay your life and agendas down in order to meet the needs of others
Conditional & Distant	SENSE OF GOD’S PRESENCE	Close & Intimate
Bondage	CONDITION	Liberty
Feel like a Servant/Slave	POSITION	Feel like a Son/Daughter
Spiritual ambition; the desire for spiritual achievement and distinction and the willingness to strive for it; a desire to be seen and counted among the mature.	VISION	To daily experience the Father’s unconditional love and acceptance and then be sent as a representative of His love to family and others.
Fight for what you can get!	FUTURE	Sonship releases your inheritance!