High Voltage Shareware/high1.zip/high1/DIR46/ALPHON_2.ZIP/SONS.R07

Text File | 1992-10-31 | 8KB | 151 lines

SONS OR SERVANTS?

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God". 1 John 3:1.

In making us His sons, God is inviting us to enjoy His immeasurable love to
the full.  He wants us to live with freedom in the unrivalled position and
inheritance of the sons that we are.

Sometimes we find the Bible speaks of us as servants, in the sense that we
serve God rather than other gods, idols or ourselves, The children of Israel,
great Old Testament leaders, the prophets and Christ Himself are all referred
to as servants: they were all willing to serve and obey the Father.  Read
Isaiah 41:8; Numbers 12:7; 2 Kings 9:7; Philippians 2:7.  We also are to
express the humility of a servant rather than the conceit of one trying to
exalt himself above his God-given position.  Read Mark 10:35-44; John 12:26.

For the purpose of this study, however, we are looking at the comparison of a
son as one who has a secure position in his home with ready access to his
father and a servant who has to work well and seek to please his master
continually to remain part of the master's household.  The first relationship
is one born of faith in the promises of God and the reality of His Word; the
other of fear and unbelief, a misguided concept of God and our relationship
with Him which demands that we work to gain God's approval.

CHARACTERISTIC ATTITUDES OF THE SON AND SERVANT.


1. son = faith - a responsive open attitude towards God: recognizing His
goodness, His faithfulness and His desire to bless us with every spiritual
blessing.  A trust in the Word of God and a willingness to believe the
promises of God.
"without  faith  it  is  impossible  to   please God".
Hebrews 11:6.  Read Romans 4:19-21 ; Ephesians 1:3.

   Servant = fear - a misguided concept of God as one who enjoys punishing
wrongdoing and whose wrath we can never escape.  A feeling of insecurity
because of the fear of God's disapproval.
Doubt that God's promises can actually work for us.
"take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief".
Hebrews 3:1 2.

2. son = resting - realizing we can add nothing to the finished work of Christ
- His work was perfect in breaking the power of sin: we need to accept this by
faith.  At rest about our lives because we are confident God is guiding our
footsteps as we trust in Him.  Read Hebrews 4:9,10; John 6:27-29; Psalm
37:3-7; Galatians 2:1 6.

   servant = striving - failing to, see that Christ's victory on the Cross can
be fully applied to our personal problems - hence trying with self effort and
self determination to struggle through them.
Unsure of God's will and that we can hear God's voice at all, hence trying to
do the best in all situations.   Read Hosea 6:6; Luke 1:37.

3. son = led   God leads us as a shepherd leads the sheep: with love and care.
The Holy Spirit draws us out and ministers in peace, taking us into new paths
when we are ready.  He is always waiting for us.
"for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" Romans
8:14.  Read Isaiah 42:3.

   servant = driven - wrong motivations cause us to drive ourselves to
unattainable goals and ideals; this may break up family and personal
relationships as we feel pressured to use all the time we have, supposedly,
for the glory of God.
It is Satan's nature to bring pressure through condemnation and false
motivation.  Read 1 Chronicles 21:1; Romans 8:1-4.

4. son = liberty - free from the restrictive effects imposed by the letter of
the law.  Obeying the spirit of the law: free to say yes or no in different
situations as the Spirit leads, allowing the peace of God to be the deciding
factor in our hearts.  Read Philippians 4:6,7; Colossians 3:15.

   servant - bondage - confused and condemned by the law.  Either feeling that
the last letter of the law must be kept on every occasion or fully rejecting
the law and being totally careless in attitude.  Read Galatians 2:16,21;
5:13-21.

5. son = victory -  a constant positive attitude, triumphing over all
situations because we are conscious of our position in Christ.  Accepting with
joy that any trials given us by God are for our benefit.  Read 1 Corinthians
15:57; 1 John 5:4.

   servant - defeat - expecting and confessing failure, Expecting that
problems, sin and sickness will continually be present with no hope of a
solution in this life.  Sometimes self righteously bearing this as a "cross".
Excusing ourselves and accusing others.  Read Romans 2:15.

6. Son - Christ's righteousness -  realizing that we have no righteousness of
our own, we accept His righteousness and see ourselves completely clothed in
it as in a cloak.  There is no need to justify ourselves.  Read Philippians
3:9.

   servant - self-righteousness - feeling that our superior background,
abilities or personality enable us to be more effective Christians.  Exalting
ourselves above others.  Feeling satisfied with our attempts at living up to
Christian standards.  Read Isaiah 64:6.

7. Son - first love is Jesus -  seeing Him as the one who has changed us and
made us what we are by His great grace.  Responding to His love by making Him
the object and goal of our living.  What we do is motivated by our love for
the Lord and our obedience to His will. Read 2 Corinthians 5:15; Colossians
3:1,2.

   servant - first love is self - motivated to build up our own image and
ministry that others might recognize us for who we are and what we have done.
An independent attitude which seeks to benefit ourselves before benefitting
God's kingdom, Read Luke 12:16-21; Matthew 6:21; Jeremiah 10:23.

8. Son - fruit of the Spirit -  allowing the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be
always present in our lives by recognizing that we are abiding in the vine,
Jesus.  Confident that we are ordained to bring forth fruit in our lives.
Read Galatians 5:22,23; John 15:16.

   servant - fruit of the flesh - from a place of striving and self effort, we
cannot help but produce fleshly works: works that come from natural, human
sources and not from God.  Read Galatians 5:19-21.

 AN EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SON AND A SERVANT. Martha and Mary.
Luke 10:3842.

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home to stay for a short while, but then she
was so preoccupied with the household chores that she had no time to spend in
His presence.  Mary, on the other hand, took the time to sit at Jesus' feet
and hear Him teach.  Martha felt completely justified in what she was doing
and tried to get Jesus' support against what she regarded as Mary's laziness
in not helping her.  To her surprise Jesus took Mary's part and rebuked her
for getting her priorities wrong.

Martha:  -  taken up with "much serving" in self effort.
         -  appeared righteous but had the wrong motivation.
         -  her relationship with Christ suffered because of her
            preoccupation.
         -  was self-righteous.
         -  wanted Jesus to notice her good works.

Mary:    -  taken up with Jesus; put Him first.
         -  had an attitude of rest in her position with Christ.
         -  did not have to answer Martha's accusation; Christ was
            her  justification.
         -  was walking by faith not by sight.

The attitude of a son is not one of sitting around idly enjoying God's
goodness, but rather of being zealous in the work that God gives us, to do,
knowing that "faith without works is dead".

          We need to get involved in Martha's work but with Mary's attitudes.

THE END