Sonship – SS1 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Sonship is the status of being a child of God.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain how man lost the privilege of being called a child of God;
2. state how God confirmed the sonship of Jesus;
3. explain how, according to Paul and John, Christians become children of God;
4. list ways in which Christians can show that they are children of God.

What is sonship?

Sonship is the status of being a child of God, with the right to call God “Father”.

• Lost by man: human beings lost this privilege through disobedience at the fall.
• Confirmed in Jesus: God declared Jesus to be his Son at his baptism and at the transfiguration.
• Restored through Jesus: his obedience to God’s will qualified men to become children of God.
• Received by faith: believers now receive this status through faith in Christ Jesus.

How did man lose the privilege of sonship?

Man lost the privilege of sonship through disobedience to the will of God.

• At creation: all human beings were referred to as children of God.
• The fall: Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).
• The result: after the fall, man lost his access as a son of God.
• The cause: it was disobedience to the will of God that made man lose the privilege.

How did God confirm the sonship of Jesus?

God himself confirmed Jesus as his Son twice during his ministry on Earth: at his baptism and at the transfiguration.

At the baptism of Jesus

• As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the sky opened.
• He saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove.
• A voice from heaven said:

“This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.” (Matthew 3:17)

At the transfiguration of Jesus

• Jesus was transfigured on a mountain (Matthew 17:1-8).
• God confirmed his sonship again, this time with a command to listen to him:

“This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him. Obey him!” (Matthew 17:5)

Why does the obedience of Jesus matter?

• His obedience: Jesus maintained obedience to the will of God throughout his life.
• Our qualification: his obedience qualified men to be children of God.

Comparison of the two confirmations

How do Christians become children of God?

Christians become children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, as taught by Paul and John.

What does Paul teach in Galatians?

• Baptised into Christ: those who are baptised into Christ have put on Christ.
• No discrimination: there should be no discrimination among Christians.
• One in Christ: all Christians are one in Christ Jesus.
• Abraham’s seed: if one is in Christ, then he is Abraham’s seed according to the Promise.
• Children of God: Christians are therefore also children of God.

How does salvation through faith in Christ make us children of God?

Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus grants believers access to be called children of God. John 1:12 says:

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

Paul confirmed this in his letter to the Galatians:

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time came, 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. And because we are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:3-7)

What do these passages teach?

• John: those who receive Jesus and believe on his name receive power to become sons of God.
• Paul: Jesus redeemed those under the law so that believers could receive adoption as sons.
• The Spirit: God sends the Spirit of his Son into believers’ hearts, and they cry “Father”.
• Heirs: a believer is no longer a servant but a son, and so an heir of God through Christ.

What are the ways we can show that we are children of God?

Christians show that they are children of God by the way they live, obey and serve.

1. Reject Satan: turn away from Satan in every sphere of life and accept Jesus as Saviour.
2. Obey duties: obey and fulfil Christian obligations and those of the state also.
3. Win souls: work hard to win more souls for Christ.
4. Give to the gospel: contribute our quota, in cash and kind, to the spread of the gospel and Christianity.

What lessons do we learn from sonship?

Paul’s message is that Christians are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

• Maturity: Christians should endeavour to be mature in faith.
• Exemplary lives: they should live according to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Good fruits: such maturity, shown in good fruits, qualifies Christians to call themselves children of God.
• God as Father: they can call God their Father, and he will answer them.

Evaluation

1. How did man lose the privilege of being called a child of God?
2. Describe how God confirmed the sonship of Jesus at his baptism.
3. According to John 1:12, how does a person receive the power to become a son of God?
4. State three ways in which Christians can show that they are children of God.

Assignment

Using John 1:12 and Galatians 4:3-7, write short points to discuss how an individual can become a child of God.