If one is saved he has been born of God and is, therefore, a son of God. Making claims for ourselves is one of the tendencies of all believers, indeed, of all men. If we can figure a way that we qualify for this or that benefit we want to do so. In truth, most alien sinners have a way of figuring around the circumstances and saying, "I believe I have a chance." Nobody is willing to believe, concerning himself, that he is an unworthy sinner, bound for an eternal hell burning with fire. Oh, occasionally one may say, jokingly, or in a snide way, that he is alienated from God. A news reporter I heard recently told of interviewing the Bishop of Canterbury. He said,

"That is about as close to God as I will ever get, I suppose." I shuddered at the blasphemy in such language.

Are all those who have trusted Jesus truly sons (or daughters) of God? Not all, no, but some may be. I am not saying that only some were saved. The manner of some is to say of others when they sin greatly, "They must never have been saved."
Such language, as my pastor recently suggested, implies that when one is saved he loses his sin nature and will never go far wrong again. This is a wrong conclusion. Not only may saved men sin, but they may sin radically, shamefully, disgustingly, even repeatedly, and may even defend their actions as being right. Such is the power of sin in our members and the effect of deception in the human mind.

No less an error is that one which explains sin away by saying, "Well, we all have a sin nature, so we all sin, so I am to be excused." True, we all do sin, even when we would do good, both through commission of the wrong and omission of the right (Romans 7:15-21). The Apostle Paul who gave us this statement by inspiration included himself in this shameful dilemma. He admitted that sin dwells in all of us, even if we are saved. He then says that there is a law at work that this evil (sin) in one causes him to do evil when he would do good. Then he claims that, even in the midst of this problem, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:22, 23).

This makes one wretched, desiring deliverance from this death which dwells in us (v. 24). Then he shouts the solution: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." "So then with the mind I serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin" (v. 25).
He does not despair. He does not look for some complete sanctification, but he looks to Christ who is our victory. When Paul says that he has deliverance through Jesus Christ he does not mean only that the death of Christ pays for his sin so he need not be concerned with it, but that Christ affords him grace to overcome temptation so that he does not commit that sin.

Is Paul not telling us that we must be responsible for that "flesh" that tends always to sin, using our minds to overcome, looking to Christ who supplies us the grace to gain the victory? It is not just a trick of mental gymnastics, though. However, as we fasten our minds on the Christ, look regularly to His words, pray consistently for His will to be done, we can overcome.
Whether or not we say that one is "born again" at the moment he trusts Christ, being born is not a sure, present cure for sin which dwells in our members. In truth, sonship as we are looking at it, will be seen to be more than an initial experience when one first trusts Christ.

An Analogy to Natural Sonship
A young father, looking at his male child when it is laid in his arms, may call him son, and no one will dispute his words. He is happy, proud, so thankful to have a boy. It is a beautiful feeling and it is a beautiful circumstance. But the feeling belongs alone to the Father in this picture of the two of them. It will take time, patience, teaching, correcting, loving, disciplining, and much experience before that baby boy begins to reciprocate the feeling of that young father. It may never come to the fruition which would bless that father's heart.

In our present society many such boys are stolen from the affection of that father's heart and that home and claimed by a street gang or by many other distractions. This is heart-rending. That father, if he is not willing to bear reproach and suffer the pain of such a delinquent son, may disown him and reject him as a son. Sonship may exist biologically, but not psychologically. True sonship and true fatherhood require that soul be knit with soul in the heart of each. A similar mutual love is necessary in 'Spiritual sonship.

In this natural relationship there is an analogy found in the Bible which supports the idea of spiritual things:
"Now l say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:1-5).

The Apostle is showing the distinction in our relationship to God under the terms of the law and our relationship now under the terms of grace afforded through the coming of Christ to redeem us from that law and give us "the adoption of sons."
We do not question that men trusted God before Jesus came. Perhaps they enjoyed through faith the assurance of knowing their sins were forgiven and they had been accepted with the Lord, but what is called "adoption" was not clear - could not be clear - until after Christ came. Their relationship was like that of a servant, being like that of a child.

Those born of God are much like the child or the servant under the law. In fact, most saved people today still live in this fashion, doing the best they can or carelessly doing nothing. A servant is under orders and discipline. He must be told what to do and corrected when he errs. So with a child. A servant may learn what to do and how to do it but he is never free to use his own judgment in affairs pertaining to his master. So with a child. He has tutors and guides to instruct and direct him into what is right in the eyes of his father. Both children and servants are born and have a place in a house hold. But it was very seldom that a servant could ever be an heir. The child became an heir according to the law of primogeniture. This is a system which the oldest son in a family became the primary inheritor of his father.

Primogeniture Illustrated
Ishmael was a son of Abraham, but not c Sarah, his wife. God said he could not be an heir with the son of Sarah, Isaac. Isaac was a son of promise, as are we in the New Testament order (Galatians 4:28).

Esau was a son of Isaac. So was Jacob. In fact they were twin sons, but the older was Esau This, if the mere element of birth was all it took would have made Esau the heir of Isaac. Why we Esau rejected? Was it because he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob in a weak moment? Not really Was it because of the conniving of Jacob and hi mother, Rebekah, that Jacob received it and not Esau? Not really. Both of these circumstances were carnal and neither one determined the inheritance The Scriptures tell us:

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come" (Hebrews 11:20).

It was not Esau and Jacob, but Jacob and Esau Isaac did it by faith. All of the carnal acting of on or both did not change the circumstances.
We are warned:
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears" (Hebrews 12:15-17).

When Isaac acted by faith God had him bless the one whom He would have blessed. Esau is describe as self-serving, so he failed of the inheritance though he desired that very much and tearfully pleaded with Isaac to change his mind. But Isaac had acted in faith and would not change (Hebrews 12:17). Esau's being born the eldest was not enough to qualify him for the inheritance.
Does someone object that Jacob was a schemer conniving to get what he desired, so he did not de serve the blessing either. Yes, but he did remember the Lord. After a careless fashion he followed what was right according to the teachings and example of his parents for many years, but there came time when he "went back to Bethel," the circumstance under which he made promises to God. The latter part of Jacob's life was a walk of faith perhaps as great, even, as that of Abraham. It was earlier than this that he received the blessing from his father, Isaac, but God saw then a heart which valued the blessing. So he became the heir. What did this entail?

1. He became the head of his father's house, the son responsible for the whole household, the ruler.
2. He became the religious leader of the house, a sort of priest.
3. He received a double portion of his father's goods (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17; Isaiah 61:7).

Esau received much goods, but he could never be the head of the family or household, ruling the servants, nor the religious leader of the household. He had stepped over the threshold, this being the sense of the Greek word "profane." We say today, "He stepped over the line." He went beyond the bounds of the family and the people of God. He did not conform to the standards which made him worthy. He took wives from among the heathen. Learning that his parents disapproved of his marrying Canaanitish women he took two other wives of the children of Ishmael, possibly thinking they were in the family line (descendants of Abraham) and this would be all right. But it did not undo the earlier indiscretions. He failed of the grace of the father and of the family.

The writer to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:12-16) admonishes God's people lest they fail of the grace of God. This language is not addressed to alien sinners, but to the Hebrew believers (Hebrews 10:32-35) who once showed great promise of faith but who, under the pressure of persecution, were about to slip away (cf. Hebrews 2:1). Their having been born in the family, if such can be considered a fact for those initially saved, is no positive safeguard if one decides to have his own way, live for this present world, or become bitter.

Practical Application
Go back to the original Scripture quotation at the head of this article (Revelation 21:7). Observe that the description is of an overcomer. Observe that he shall inherit all things. Observe that God is his God, and then note that this one will be God's son.
This is not to say that one must wait until the next age to become a son, or even to find out. But if he is to inherit the kingdom in the age to come he must determine to have no other God than the true God. This kind will be acknowledged as God's son.

Presuming that being initially saved gives all of these blessings is a mistake. Where is room left for reward in such case? Why so many admonitions to the one initially saved and subsequently, while he is living in this life, to look to one's self lest he fail of the grace of God, lest he become bitter? Why the prayer of Jesus that His disciples be one with Himself as He is One with the Father? Why the admonitions to "abide" in Him, put on Christ, continue in the faith?

None of these admonitions and warnings are necessary for one to be initially saved, but they are there to those who have trusted Jesus as Savior Is it merely to provide no cause for shame to Go or to others of His children. Why the tarrying in prayer? Why the holding out faithful? Why the studying to show one's self approved to God? Is on not already approved when he trusts Jesus?
Paul had a question for the "disciples" a Ephesus: "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since y believed?" (Acts 19:2).

I am aware that there are those who say this question was designed to deter mine whether they had truly believed in that initial sense. But Paul's question led them back to John purpose for baptizing, saying it was with a view the getting men to believe on the Christ Who should come after him (John) (v. 4). Our baptism is still a witness to get us to believe on the Christ Who ha already come and Who is coming again.

So "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14).

This is said to believers who had already been baptized, but it should draw their minds to the meaning of that ordinance. Note how Paul does this in Galatians 3:1 --

"0 foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you?"

When one goes back to his sinful practices he is repudiating his declaration of death to sin: "Know ye not, that so many of you as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? …Even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3 4c).
"For ye are all the children (Greek, huioi, sons) of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:26, 27).

It does not say you are sons by being "born" (Greek, tikto) of God through faith, but you are sons on the basis of faith. We are trying to establish an idea which is difficult: One is "born again" (Greek, gen-neth-ey) by an initial faith in Jesus, but one is son (Greek, huios) by an operative faith which will take him through baptism and a continuing identification with the Christ. This continuing faith is operative by the Holy Spirit, called "the spirit of adoption" (Greek, huiothesia, a setting of sonship).
Go back and recall the "time appointed of the father" in Esau and Jacob's case when Jacob was set as the son and heir, having the birthright and its attendant privileges. I cannot say exactly at what point God sets sonship upon us, but the concern in the Scriptures was that one receive the "adoption of sons."

"…That we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God bath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:5b-7).

This "adoption of sons" is the critical factor. Since God knows our hearts and whether we have such faith as will obey him He can set us as sons at whatever point He pleases. God, however, usually allows us to manifest our faith as a living, working faith in some outward elements, and in this case it includes baptism into a Scriptural New Testament church. Just joining the church is not enough. At the time most of us joined the church we had no understanding of just what baptism was for. Some never seem to understand. The disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1) were sincere and grasped the idea immediately and were baptized, at which point Paul laid his hands on them and "the Holy Ghost came on them" (Acts 19:6).

The fact this coming of the Holy Spirit, or "the Spirit of adoption" came subsequent to baptism may be significant. In fact, this benefit came on no disciples before that first Pentecost after Christ's resurrection. On some who were not Jews it came as a special mark of God's grace beyond the nation of Israel (as on the Samaritans (Acts 8:15) and the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:44), in both of which circumstances special action of the church is involved).

To the Romans Paul explained that "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14) and went on to call this "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15).

Conclusion
We have said that initial faith is saving faith, but only in a limited sense. If the life is to be saved and if the glorifying of the body is to come, there must be an operative faith which will obey the Lord in that pattern which He has set for those who would be his heirs. In fact, such faith waits for "the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23).

Sonship is a special relationship, analogous to the mature relationship of that boy who has learned to respect and obey his father. It is made possible by God's grace in response to a trusting faith which is willing for His will to be done and which continues so that the believer abides in Him. If he falters or fails at a given point he quickly repents and cries for forgiveness. He seeks fellowship with others of like precious faith and supplies in His faith those elements of godliness which enable him to make his calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).

We would challenge all who claim to trust Jesus to such a faith walk, warning against hanging all on that one act of faith by which he was initially saved, as real and as precious as that was. One may, indeed, be set as a son at that point, as God imputes his faith to him for righteousness, as he did to Abraham before he was circumcised. But one may be cut off from this blessed relationship with Christ if he does not abide in Him (Galatians 5:4 ; Romans 11:20, 21).

Do you speak to God as Father ("Abba") or do you, like a servant, say only, "0 Lord, or 0 God?" Our consciousness of this sweet relationship of sonship will indeed reflect itself in our prayers.