Sonship
Sons, Not Servants
Saturday, 1 August 2026 · 4 min read · Pastor Ian
“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”
In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger brother rehearsed a speech on the road home: make me like one of your hired servants. It sounded humble. It was actually unbelief. The father would not even let him finish it. He called for a robe, a ring and sandals — identity, authority and dignity restored before a single word of penance was accepted.
Meanwhile the elder brother, who never left, said, “All these years I've been slaving for you.” He lived in the father's house with a servant's heart, and he was just as lost.
A servant works to gain a place in the house. A son works from the place he already has.
The Spirit of sonship
Paul says God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, and the evidence is a cry: Abba, Father. That is not theological vocabulary; it is family vocabulary. Romans 8:15 says we did not receive a spirit that makes us slaves to fear again.
So do not measure your worth by your usefulness. Serve gladly, but serve as an heir. Your place in the house was settled by the blood of Jesus, not by your productivity.
Confession
I am a child of God and an heir with Christ. I am not a slave to fear. I serve from acceptance, not for acceptance.
Prayer
Father, thank you for adopting me as your own. Thank you that your Spirit within me cries Abba, Father. Free me from the heart of a hired servant and let me live today as a beloved child and heir, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
- Romans 8:14-17
- Luke 15:11-32
- Ephesians 1:3-6
Bible reading plan
1-year: Galatians 4 & Psalms 44-47
2-year: Galatians 4:1-7 & Isaiah 50