Reclaiming My Sonship
From when I professed faith in Jesus at age 6 all the way through my college days, I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be God’s child. I knew that being God’s child meant God loved me and that I would go to heaven after I died. But beyond mere intellectual knowledge, this affected my life very little.
Over the last 5+ years, I’ve learned about my identity in Christ and what it means to be God’s child—thanks to the Gospel truths and practical tools presented in Freedom in Christ materials. I have experienced profound transformation and gained a deeper, richer faith and love for God. Now I work at FICM, and I’m steeped in the identity message. I wrongly assumed I had pretty much “gotten it.”
A few months ago, I read the book Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. In short, it’s about Nouwen’s insights into his relationship with God after seeing Rembrant’s painting on the return of the prodigal son (it basically rocked his faith world). At one point in the book, he poses this question to himself: “Have I claimed my sonship?”
This question hit me hard. Something about the word “sonship.” Nouwen explains that when the Bible talks about being a “son of God,” it’s not a gender thing. It’s a position and title.
Luke 15 tells the parable of the prodigal son. Luke 15:20 says this: “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
Notice the short phrase before the Father welcomes his son back. “And he arose and came to his Father.” A few verses before that, it says the son “came to himself.”
Clearly, there was a process before the son returned home.
The son first became aware of his dire situation. Verse 14 says that “he began to be in need.” After a grand ole’ time spending his father’s money, he is left with nothing, so he starts feeding pigs to get by. Eventually it gets so bad that he decides it would be better for him to return to his father as a slave, than it would be to stay where he currently is and die of hunger. Finally, he owns his mistakes and decides to return to his Father’s house. He leaves his old life, and he starts walking on the path home toward his Father (sounds a lot like repentance, huh?)
And as soon as the son turns back home, the Father runs and embraces him!
The son then gives a prepared speech to his father about how he sinned against him and is no longer worthy to be called his son. He asks his father if he can simply work as one of his hired servants.
This speech feels very familiar to me because I prayed a prayer like this many years ago. Burdened with profound guilt and shame over the consequences of my sin, I came before God with fear and trepidation, not daring to look at His face. I told Him how sorry I was, how I will do better and try harder from now on. For years, I believed that I needed to work as hard as I could to get back into God’s good graces. This left me feeling discouraged, defeated, and exhausted.
Even today, it’s easy for me to slip back into this type of thinking: I need to be good so that God will love and accept me. I need to keep “doing” to deserve the title of son of God.
The Father’s response to his son’s confession and plea is truly mind-blowing.
“Absolutely not, son!” It almost seems like the Father cuts him off mid-sentence. The Father immediately turns to celebration mode. Bring the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger! Put shoes on his feet! Oh, and let’s eat that calf that we’ve been saving for a special occasion!
The Father is not angry at the son. He doesn’t ask any questions. He doesn’t give him a lecture about “how he should have known better.” He doesn't make the son feel condemnation for all the years he was gone, for disgracing him and squandering all his money. He also doesn’t tell him what his son can do to make it up to him.
Instead, the Father joyfully welcomes his son home with open arms and bestows honor and dignity to him, restoring him to the title of heir. Our FICM study disciple describes the meaning of the robe, ring, and sandals that the Father gives to the son. The robe symbolizes that he has been restored to his position as son; the ring shows that he has the power and authority of the Father; and the sandals are an indication of his family standing.
As children of God, our Father God joyfully welcomes us home every single time we sin, no matter how short or long we’ve been living in a far off land. As soon as we repent and turn back to Him, He runs to meet us. There is no reason for Him to condemn us because our sin is totally forgiven, and we are already washed clean because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He is overjoyed just to be with us again. And He can not wait to lavish us with the life, freedom, and abundance that comes from being His child.
Like the younger son, my mentality of working my way back to being loved by my Father was wrong.
Reclaiming my sonship involves believing that I am God’s beloved child, a position that cannot be earned but is bestowed on me by my loving, merciful Heavenly Father, no matter how unworthy I feel. To claim our sonship is to know our Father.
So my question to you is…
Have you truly claimed your sonship as God’s child?
