ABBA REVELATION: SONSHIP
One of the greatest understandings in Scripture that I have ever received from God is the Abba Revelation. The truth that He is my Father and I am a son of God, has completely changed my life in more ways than one.
I want to take some time and share a principle of this revelation with you: Sonship.
For me the paradigm of knowing God the Father goes far beyond the simple aspect of “Him as my Father,” but it invites me to grasp that I am a son of God. A son He loves, cherishes, and is willing and fully able to give the best too! I believe that sonship should be one of the highest priorities of the Christian life and a major focus in our daily desire and walk with the Lord. It is the source by which Jesus came to the earth and accomplished everything that He was purposed to accomplish from the Father.
“So, Jesus said, ‘I speak to you a timeless truth. The son is not able to do anything from Himself or through My own initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as His Father. Because the Father loves His Son so much, He always reveals to Me everything He is about to do. And you will all be amazed when He shows Me even greater works than what you’ve already seen so far!” John 5:19-20 TPT
Jesus understood that his sonship to God the Father offered so much more than a name, or momentary bragging rights. It offered Him legacy (of the things to come), abundant life (of the things that currently were), and righteous love (right-standing of the things that had been). The same applies to you and me as sons/daughters of God.
One of the best passages of Scripture that directly relate to Biblical sonship/daughterhood is Luke 15. (I would suggest you go read it and come back to this post.) In this chapter of the Gospel, several stories relate to our standing with the Father and the grace He offers us to be called sons and daughters of God. However, for the time being, I want to focus on the parable that has been standardly called, “The story of the Prodigal son.” Or as I now prefer to call him, “The Redeemed Heir.”
“So the young son set off for home. From a long distance away, His father saw him coming, dressed as a beggar, and great compassion swelled up in his heart for his son who was returning home. So, the father raced to meet him. He swept him up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and kissed him over and over with tender love. . . Turning to his servants, the father said, ‘Quick, bring me the best robe, my very own robe, and I will place it on his shoulders. Bring the ring, the seal of sonship, and I will put it on his finger. And bring out the best shoes you can find for my son. . . For this beloved son of mine was once dead, but now he’s alive again. Once he was lost, but now he is found!” Luke 15:20,22,23 TPT
There are three markers of legitimate sonship that I can be gleaned from this story. When these markers are present in our lives, we can be sure that our relationship with Abba is validated; in the fact that He is a good Father.
Marker 1: The Father’s Robe
The first marker of legitimate sonship/daughterhood is that we are clothed with a robe given by Abba. This is not just any robe, but one that can be understood as a robe of righteousness. When we come into a relationship with God as Father one of the first things He does is cloth us in righteousness—the right standing that can only be accomplished by wearing a robe stained in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and elder brother.
This robe is one of favor over our entire lives and blessing streaming down to everything we could ever hope to accomplish and do. The heart of the Father to us is characterized by the many colors of this garment of sonship/daughterhood, He has placed on us. In this, we are characterized as His “favored ones.” And there is no person, nothing, or no circumstance that can remove or stain this marker of our relationship with Him.
Marker 2: The Father’s Ring
This second maker of our relationship to Abba carries such extreme value, it goes beyond everything in heaven and on earth combined! When we walk as sons and daughters of God, He gives us the ring of His covenant and pledge of His eternal presence, in everything we do. Our hands are blessed, our every endeavor is blessed, and our inner spirit (the voice of passion driving our every action) is blessed. This represents the golden truth that we are invited to partner with Him in everything that He desires to do in the world and within our world.
The ring of sonship/daughterhood shows that He is now our source, our provider, our protector, and our defender. This ring is an invitation not only to momentary blessing, but a life filled with the promise of hope. Hope for our future, hope for our families, and the hope of our divine inheritance. This hope that extends beyond the “low place” of our current experience; but in all things supersedes our wildest desires, abilities, and notions.
Marker 3: The Father’s Sandals
“Genuine sonship often looks like embracing the journey of walking with the Father.” I believe that this last marker is one of the most important in that it challenges action on the part of every son/daughter of God. Our approval and affirmation by Abba should always be accompanied by following His heart on the daily path of His will. When the Father gave his son sandals, to enable him to begin to walk with Him again; seeking out his desires and the pleasures of his heart.
In the same way, the Father’s sandals mark us as children who will passionately pursue the good nature of His intention towards us; by constantly walking according to His perfect will. Often this is easier said than done but is possible to accomplish. Our actions for God: putting on His sandals and walking with Him, can only stem from our first adorning His robe and wearing His gleaming ring.
The Abba Revelation and sonship/daughterhood is a journey to be enjoyed not a race to be run. We can be positive that at the end of the day, the Father runs to us! Because of the depth of our repentance and desire is always met with the greater depth of His passion and love!
Activation Prayer:
Father, You have made me yours. You answered my passionate cry for mercy and have become my strength. You cherish me. You love me. You will never let me fall. I am chosen.
All my days I will sing of your goodness and undeserved favor. How wonderfully you care for me—like a father doting over a precious child. You teach me your ways and illuminate my journey with perfect wisdom.
Every longing in my heart ultimately leads to you. You are the fulfillment of every dream the healing for every pain. You are life and love. You are perfect deliverance. You have removed hypocrisy from my heart and clothed me with righteousness. I choose the humble posture of love. I clothe myself in praise. I am yours.[i]
[i] Prayer Activation adapted from Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez, Prayers on Fire: 365 Days Praying the Psalms (Racine, WI: Broadstreet Publishing, 2017).