God. They are God's "SONS" (continued)
and admit him into His family! Even though the world does not understand you! Even though the men of this world laugh at you, and reject your name as evil! Let them laugh if they will. God is your Father. You have no need to be ashamed. The Queen can create a nobleman. The Bishops can ordain clergymen. But Queen, Bishops, priests, and deacons—all together cannot, of their own power, make one son of God, or one of greater dignity than a son of God. The man that can call God his Father, and Christ his elder brother—that man may be poor and lowly, yet he never needs to be ashamed. 2. Let me show, in the second place, the special evidences of the true Christian's relation to God. How can a man be sure of his own sonship? How can he find out whether he is one that has come to Christ by faith and been born again? What are the marks and signs by which the "sons of God" may be known? This is a question which all who love eternal life ought to ask. This is a question to which the verses of Scripture, which I am asking you to consider, like many others, supply an answer. (1) The sons of God, for one thing, are all led by His Spirit. What does the Scripture say, which heads this paper? "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:14) They are all under the leading and teaching of a power which is Almighty, though unseen—the power of the Holy Spirit. They no longer turn to their own way, nor walk in the light of their own eyes, nor follow their own natural heart's desire. The Spirit leads them. The Spirit guides them. There is a movement in their hearts, lives, and affections, which they feel, though they may not be able to explain, and a movement which is always more or less in the same direction. They are led away from sin—away from self-righteousness—away from the world. This is the road by which the Spirit leads God's children. Those whom God adopts He teaches and trains. He shows them their own hearts. He makes them weary of their own ways. He makes them long for inward peace. They are led to Christ. They are led to the Bible. They are led to prayer. They are led to holiness. This is the beaten path along which the Spirit makes them travel. Those whom God adopts He always sanctifies. He makes sin very bitter to them. He makes holiness very sweet. It is the Spirit who leads them to Sinai, and first shows them the law, so that their hearts may be broken. It is He who leads them to Calvary, and shows them the cross, so that their hearts may be healed. It is He who leads them up the slopes to the top of Pisgah, and gives them a clear view of the promised land, so that their hearts may be cheered. When they are taken into the wilderness, and taught to see their own emptiness, it is the leading of the Spirit. When they are carried up to Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon, and uplifted with glimpses of the glory to come, it is the leading of the Spirit. Each and everyone of God's sons is the subject of these leadings. Each and everyone is "willing in the day of [God's] power," and yields himself to it. And each and everyone is led by the straight way to a city where they could settle. (Psalm 110:3 KJV); (Psalm 107:7 NIV) Settle this in your heart, and do not let it go. The sons of God are a people "led by the Spirit of God, and always led more or less in the same way. Their experience will wonderfully agree when they compare notes in heaven. This is one mark of sonship. (2) Furthermore, all the sons of God have the feelings of adopted children towards their Father in heaven. What does the Scripture say which heads this paper? "You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
The sons of God are delivered from that cringing fear of God which sin generates in the natural heart. They are redeemed from that feeling of guilt which made Adam "hide from the LORD God among the trees of the garden," and Cain to go, "out from the LORD'S presence." (Genesis 3:8; 4:16) They are no longer afraid of God's holiness, and justice, and majesty. They no longer feel that there is a great gulf and barrier between themselves and God. They no longer feel that God is angry with them, and must be angry with them, because of their sins. The sons of God are delivered from these chains and shackles of the soul. Their feelings towards God are now those of peace and confidence. They see Him as a Father reconciled in Christ Jesus. They look on Him as a God whose justice and holiness is satisfied by their great Mediator and Peacemaker, the Lord Jesus. They see Him as a God who is "just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26) As a Father, they draw near to Him with boldness: as a Father, they can speak to Him with freedom. They have exchanged the spirit of bondage for that of liberty, and the spirit of fear for that of love. They know that God is holy, but they are not afraid: they know that they are sinners, but they are still not afraid. Though holy, they believe that God is completely reconciled: though sinners, they believe they are completely clothed with Jesus Christ. Such is the feeling of the sons of God. I admit that some of them have this feeling more vividly than others. There are some of them who still carry about scraps and remnants of the old spirit of bondage to their dying day. Many of them still have moments when they shake with the resurrected fears of their old sin nature. But the overwhelming majority of the sons of God would say, if cross-examined, that since they knew Christ their feelings towards God are very different from what they had ever been before. They feel as if something like the old Roman form of adoption had taken place between themselves and their Father in heaven. They feel as if He had said to each one of them, "Will you be my son?" and their hearts had replied, "I will." Let us also try to understand this, and hold on to it tightly. The sons of God are a people who feel towards God in a way that the children of the world do not. God's children no longer feel a cringing fear of God; rather, their feelings towards Him is as a reconciled parent. This, then, is another mark of sonship. (3) But, again, the sons of God have the witness of the Spirit in their consciences. What does the Scripture say which heads this paper? "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16) The sons of God have got something within their hearts which tells them there is a relationship between themselves and God. They feel something which tells them that old things have passed away and all things have become new: that guilt is gone, that peace is restored, that heaven's door is open, and hell's door is shut. They have, in short, what the children of the world have not—a felt, positive, and reasonable hope. They have what Paul calls the "seal" and "deposit" of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13) I do not for a moment deny that this witness of the Spirit varies to the extent to which the sons of God possess it. With some it is a loud, clear, ringing, distinct testimony of conscience: "I am Christ's, and Christ is mine." With others it is a little, feeble, stammering whisper, which the devil and the flesh often prevent from being heard. Some of the children of God race on their course towards heaven with full assurance. Others are tossed back and forth on their voyage, and will scarcely believe they have got faith. But take the least and lowest of the sons of God: ask him if he will give up the little bit of religious hope which he has attained? Ask him if he will exchange his heart, with all its doubts and conflicts, its wrestlings and fears—ask him if he will exchange that heart for the heart of the downright worldly and careless man? Ask him if he would be content to turn around and throw down the things he has got hold of, and go back to the world? Who can doubt what the answer would be? "I cannot do that," he would reply. "I do not know whether I have faith, and I do not feel sure I have got grace; but I have got something within me I would not like to part with." And what is that "something"? I will tell you—it is the witness of the Spirit. Let us also try to understand this, that the sons of God have the witness of the Spirit in their consciences. This is another mark of sonship. (4) Let me add one thing more. All the sons of God take part in suffering with Christ. What does the Scripture say which heads this paper? "If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings." (Romans 8:17) All the children of God have a cross to carry. They have trials, troubles, and afflictions to go through for the Gospel's sake. They have trials from the world, trials from the flesh, and trials from the devil. They have trials of hurt feelings from their relatives and friends —cruel words, harsh treatment, and unmerciful judgment. They have trials in the matter of character; slander, misrepresentation, mockery, insinuation of false motives—all these often fall heavily on them. They have trials in the matter of worldly interests. They often have to choose whether they will please man and lose glory for God, or gain glory for God and offend man. They have trials from their own hearts. In general, they each have their own thorn in the flesh— their own resident-devil, who is their worst foe. This is the experience of the sons of God. Some of them suffer more, and some less. Some of them suffer in one way, and some in another. God measures out their portions like a wise physician, and cannot error. But I believe there never was one child of God who reached paradise without a cross. Suffering is the daily provision of the Lord's family. "The Lord disciplines those He loves." "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons." "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (Hebrews 12:6, 8; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12) When the godly Latimer was told by his landlord that he had never had any trouble in his life, "Then," said Latimer, "God cannot be here." Suffering is a part of the process by which the sons of God are made holy. They are chastened to wean them from the world, and make them partakers of God's holiness. The Captain of their salvation was made "perfect through suffering," and so are they. (Hebrews 2:10; 12:10) There never was a great saint who had not experienced either great hardships, or great persecutions. An early church father, Melancthon said, "Where there are no cares there will generally be no prayers." Let us try to settle this in our hearts also. The sons of God all have a cross to bear. A suffering Saviour generally has suffering disciples. The Bridegroom was a man of sorrows. Therefore, the Bride must not be a woman of pleasures and unacquainted with grief. Blessed are they that mourn! Let us not murmur at the cross. This also is a sign of sonship. I warn men never to assume that they are sons of God unless they have the scriptural marks of sonship. Beware of a sonship without evidences. Again I say, Beware. When a man has no leading of the Spirit to show me, no spirit of adoption to tell of, no witness of the Spirit in his conscience, no cross in his experience—is this man a son of God? Whatever others may think I would not dare to say he is! It is to his shame that he is not one of God's children. (Deuteronomy 32:5) He is no heir of glory.
Do not tell me that you have been baptized and taught the catechism of the Church, and therefore must be a child of God. I tell you that the church register is not the book of life. I tell you that to be christened a child of God, and called regenerate as an infant is one thing; but to be a child of God in fact, is another thing altogether. Go and read that catechism again. It is the "death unto sin and the new birth unto righteousness," which makes men children of grace. Unless you know these things by experience, you are no son of God. Do not tell me that you are a member of Christ's Church and therefore you must be a son. I answer that the sons of the Church are not necessarily the sons of God. Such sonship is not the sonship of the eighth chapter of Romans. That is the sonship you must have if you are to be saved. And now, I do not doubt that some reader of this paper will want to know if he may be saved without the witness of the Spirit. I answer, if you mean by the witness of the Spirit, the full assurance of hope—then without question you may be saved. But if you want to know whether a man can be saved without any inward sense, or knowledge, or hope of salvation, I answer that ordinarily, He cannot. I warn you plainly to cast away all indecision as to your state before God, and to make your calling sure. Clear up your position and relationship. Do not think there is anything praiseworthy in always doubting. Leave that to the Roman Catholics. "Assurance," said a godly Puritan, "may be attained: and what have we been doing all our lives, since we became Christians, if we have not attained it?" I do not doubt that some true Christians who read this paper will think their evidence of sonship is too small to be good, and will think bad things about themselves. Let me try to cheer them up. Who gave you the feelings you possess? Who made you hate sin? Who made you love Christ? Who made you long and strive after holiness? Where did these feelings come from? Did they come from nature? There are no such feelings in a natural man's heart. Did they come