In some places, it is quite common to find large family-controlled businesses. Upon graduation from school, the owners’ children would typically enjoy direct mentoring from their father, be installed in high positions in the company and bestowed with authority over parts of the business, even though they might be young and inexperienced in managing businesses. Sometimes, long-serving and capable staff bemoan it. But the fact remains – sonship has its privileges.
For believers, not only are we promised eternal life through the Cross, we are now called children of God!
“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12) (see also 1 John 3:1, Rom 8:14-17).
There are many privileges which children of God enjoy. I would like to highlight two important ones. Firstly, children of God are given a special children-father access to God through the ministry of prayer. This is such a privilege because our Father whom we have an anytime-access to is no ordinary being but He is God who sits enthroned in Heaven, is above all, has powers over all authorities and rules the whole Universe’s affairs and history.
But we do not want to just use this sonship privilege just for ourselves; we also want to leverage it for the needs of our pre-believer family and friends. Often when resources have run out and people have nowhere else to go for help, they seek after a power above them. Sinful men are spiritually blinded about who their Creator and God is and how to reach to Him. We can and must utilize our special relationship to speak to the Father on their behalf. They do not have a relationship with Him (yet). God hears our prayers and nothing is impossible for Father God to do.
Secondly, children of God are given certain spiritual authority by our Lord. When Jesus sent out the twelve (Luke 9:1-6), He “gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1-2). Likewise, when He sent the seventy-two later (Luke 10:1-20), He said, “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). He also affirmed them saying, “Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19). “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17).
Jesus has given spiritual authority to His disciples, children of God, to heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the Gospel. The hope is that this would lead people to be opened to hearing the Gospel. But first, we must boldly utilize our given spiritual authority to minister to people’s needs.
During his earthly ministry, Jesus leveraged these two privileges to minister to people.
He prayed for people, healed and cast demons out of people’s lives. He then pointed them to the Kingdom of God. Therefore, let us be thankful for the privilege to be called children of God. Then let our thankfulness overflow into a deep desire to want to do what Jesus did – leverage our sonship relationship for others. Then boldly utilize the authority in Jesus’ name given to us, children of God, to proclaim God’s dominion in others’ lives.
Children of God – Oh, what a privilege!
By Sam Tan, Deacon (YCKC Bulletin 16&17 September 2017)