(Gary Carpenter)
"...Somehow I fell into a trap that is common to young males who think that the only way to gain their father's love is by exemplary performance on their part. The astounding thing is, that I have only discovered later in life, is that my earthly father loved me from the day I was conceived. True, any father is pleased when their sons do well. But my father loved me from the day I was conceived, before there was any performance on my part at all. From my earthly father's point of view, I am his son. I am heir to all that is his. He has loved me as his son my whole life, even during those times when my "performance" fell far short of what he desired (sometimes it still does)."
"Amazingly, it was only after I began understanding the heart of a father, both by raising children of my own, and by learning of the love of our heavenly Father as demonstrated at the cross of Jesus Christ, that I was able to "rest" in the love of my own earthly father. As I began to identify with my earthly father based more on our "relationship" than on my "performance," the "fellowship" between us has become much more rich, full, and enjoyable.
Fathers desire "sons," not servants, nor employees. For years I attempted to approach my earthly father with a mindset more like a servant than a son. In a way, I was approaching him by my "works," rather than by my "relationship" as being his son. No wonder our fellowship was so strained during those lost decades."
"The ability to "rest" in my "sonship" is what has improved my "fellowship" with my earthly father. I am finding the same to be true with my heavenly Father. I am also finding that the "relationship" of "sonship" is the foundation which all true "service" in the kingdom of God rests upon. Without that revelation, man winds up spending his life in "programs," the "works of man," rather than in "demonstration of the Spirit" and in the true "power of God."
"How important is it for us, once and for all, to come to the place where we are totally secure in our "sonship" in relation to our heavenly Father? Notice this: "Sonship" is the very foundation that Satan first attacked when he tempted Jesus, THE Son, in the wilderness."
"Mat 4:3a And when the tempter came to him, he said, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD ...
Mat 4:6a And saith unto him, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD ..."
"The devil was tempting Jesus to get into "performance" to prove His "Sonship." He was attacking the very foundation that all future ministry was to be built upon ... SONSHIP!"
"It is not by "proving" our sonship that true service for the kingdom comes forth. It is by "resting" in our sonship that the foundation becomes secure for us to "serve in our Father's fields."
"If the Gospel Entrepreneur is not first "fully persuaded" that he is "accepted" in the beloved as a son, and that all of his own personal provision is based on that foundation by grace alone, then he will forever confuse his "performance" in the field with his right to partake from his "inheritance" by grace. This concept is simple to understand as long as we are diligent to view Christianity as a "family" and not as a "religion." You fathers out there, does your son first present you with a list of all his accomplishments of the day, his "good works," and then wait for your approval before he sits down to dine from the family supper table each night? "Absurd," you would say."
"My son eats from my table BECAUSE HE IS MY SON!" Amen!"
"Jesus knew, rested in, was totally secure in the knowledge that He was God's Son. Knowing that, He had no need to "command stones to be made into bread" to get His own needs met. He refused to substitute "performance" for "Sonship."
Read this in its entirety at:
http://www.garycarpenter.org/KST5.html
"...Somehow I fell into a trap that is common to young males who think that the only way to gain their father's love is by exemplary performance on their part. The astounding thing is, that I have only discovered later in life, is that my earthly father loved me from the day I was conceived. True, any father is pleased when their sons do well. But my father loved me from the day I was conceived, before there was any performance on my part at all. From my earthly father's point of view, I am his son. I am heir to all that is his. He has loved me as his son my whole life, even during those times when my "performance" fell far short of what he desired (sometimes it still does)."
"Amazingly, it was only after I began understanding the heart of a father, both by raising children of my own, and by learning of the love of our heavenly Father as demonstrated at the cross of Jesus Christ, that I was able to "rest" in the love of my own earthly father. As I began to identify with my earthly father based more on our "relationship" than on my "performance," the "fellowship" between us has become much more rich, full, and enjoyable.
Fathers desire "sons," not servants, nor employees. For years I attempted to approach my earthly father with a mindset more like a servant than a son. In a way, I was approaching him by my "works," rather than by my "relationship" as being his son. No wonder our fellowship was so strained during those lost decades."
"The ability to "rest" in my "sonship" is what has improved my "fellowship" with my earthly father. I am finding the same to be true with my heavenly Father. I am also finding that the "relationship" of "sonship" is the foundation which all true "service" in the kingdom of God rests upon. Without that revelation, man winds up spending his life in "programs," the "works of man," rather than in "demonstration of the Spirit" and in the true "power of God."
"How important is it for us, once and for all, to come to the place where we are totally secure in our "sonship" in relation to our heavenly Father? Notice this: "Sonship" is the very foundation that Satan first attacked when he tempted Jesus, THE Son, in the wilderness."
"Mat 4:3a And when the tempter came to him, he said, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD ...
Mat 4:6a And saith unto him, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD ..."
"The devil was tempting Jesus to get into "performance" to prove His "Sonship." He was attacking the very foundation that all future ministry was to be built upon ... SONSHIP!"
"It is not by "proving" our sonship that true service for the kingdom comes forth. It is by "resting" in our sonship that the foundation becomes secure for us to "serve in our Father's fields."
"If the Gospel Entrepreneur is not first "fully persuaded" that he is "accepted" in the beloved as a son, and that all of his own personal provision is based on that foundation by grace alone, then he will forever confuse his "performance" in the field with his right to partake from his "inheritance" by grace. This concept is simple to understand as long as we are diligent to view Christianity as a "family" and not as a "religion." You fathers out there, does your son first present you with a list of all his accomplishments of the day, his "good works," and then wait for your approval before he sits down to dine from the family supper table each night? "Absurd," you would say."
"My son eats from my table BECAUSE HE IS MY SON!" Amen!"
"Jesus knew, rested in, was totally secure in the knowledge that He was God's Son. Knowing that, He had no need to "command stones to be made into bread" to get His own needs met. He refused to substitute "performance" for "Sonship."
Read this in its entirety at:
http://www.garycarpenter.org/KST5.html