We might not always feel happy, but we don’t have to stay that way. This peaceful song reminds us we are never alone, never unloved, and never without God’s promises. He is faithful, present, and loving. Please give the song a listen, and come back for more thoughts on what it means to be a child of the Father.

Sonship and fellowship

I cannot tell you how much peace, comfort and joy has been added to my life since I came to understand the meanings of two Bible words: Sonship and fellowship.

Let’s look at these words in light of the new birth and our relationship as Christians with God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

SONSHIP
As humans, we can understand a lot about sonship. Not a single person got here without a certain contribution from a father. That certain contribution is SEED.

Just to be clear, here I define “father” and “dad” differently. A man can become a father very quickly, but it takes years to be a DAD. (Sometimes a son’s father and dad are two different people.)

I’m blessed to report my father was also my DAD, but even if he HAD left my mom before I was born, he would STILL have been my father because of seed. That is one thing about me that cannot change.

A human son becomes a son of his father because of seed, and that father’s seed remains in that son as long as he draws breath, no matter what.

To be born again, a person becomes a son of God because of seed. When we accept Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead, we enter into a new relationship with God the Father. When talking about this relationship, the Bible uses different words, including:
saved
born again
everlasting life
inner man
new man
son of God
go from death to life
sealed with the holy spirit of promise
quickened
the gift of God
His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus
and … check this out from I Peter: … “incorruptible seed“.

As long as I draw breath, I will remain the son of my earthly father because of seed.
As long as I have the everlasting life promised with the new birth, I remain the son of my Heavenly Father because of seed. THAT is SONSHIP. The Father’s seed remains in me no matter what.

FELLOWSHIP

Sonship is the Christian’s STANDING. That does not change.
Fellowship is the Christian’s STATE. That can change a dozen times a day.

Growing up in a tidy suburban home near St. Paul, Minnesota, my standing as a son of my dad was never in doubt. But my state, my fellowship, with my dad fluctuated lots. When I cleaned the garage and mowed the lawn, and was polite to Mom, the state of my fellowship with Dad was pretty good. If I made a lot of noise outside his bedroom window while he was trying to take a well-deserved Saturday afternoon nap, he was quick to let me know the state of our fellowship needed improving. I quit making noise and apologized, and he forgave me, I was restored, and he returned to what he had been doing.

Dad took good care of us kids, and we USUALLY had enough sense to try to do what would please him.

How about with our Heavenly Father? He gave us life, made us sons, He faithfully guides and protects us and blesses us with good things. How much more should we want to do what pleases Him?

God is faithful

My earthly father may or may not have given much thought to getting me started. But I’m certain my Heavenly Father knew very well what He was doing when He offered me life. I know it because I know a little about what the Father did through His Son, Jesus Christ, to make sonship and fellowship available to me. God remains totally committed to the sonship relation He gave us, AND He remains totally faithful to FORGIVE us when we confess our sins and get back in fellowship with Him and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

What a joy to know we became sons of God by seed, and that will not change.

What a joy to know God is faithful and will restore us from broken fellowship if we will ask.

The epistle of I John is a great place to read about fellowship “that your joy may be full.”

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another”
and
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The context of these verses is FELLOWSHIP — about restoring and maintaining our state of fellowship with the Father as one of His dear children.

Brothers and sisters, we might be trudging through sadness brought on by our broken fellowship, but we don’t have to stay there. THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU JESUS!

God bless you lots!
-Dale R.

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Get this song sheet

LYRICS: Father And Child

1. Don’t be discouraged when men leave you on your own.
My love is with you even when you feel alone.
I love your company; I’ll always see you through:
My love is rooted deep within you.

Chorus
And, oh, I knew from the beginning
You’d believe in me, and now we’re on the road to winning.
Oh, my child, we’ll always be together
I gave you life so you could live forever

2. I’ll always bless you I’ll be with you as you stand
I’ll always keep you in the hollow of my hand
And as you walk through life no matter what you do:
My love will still be deep within you.

After last chorus:
And as you walk through life remember what I say:
My love will rise in your heart like the dawning day
God your Father’s in you to stay

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First posted May 1, 2020. Reposted July 21, 2024.