1) Eternal Intimacy. God is inviting us into the very same intimate relationship and fellowship that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have. They had that relationship before time even began, and now they invite, or call us, to enter in and experience the deep level of intimacy that they enjoy.
John 17:23 – “That the love that you have for me, may be in them, and I in them”.
It's hard to fathom what that would look like. It's hard to even imagine that the deep intimate connection that God has with the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship they have - that God's desire is to include us into that, so we would be part of that, and enjoy face to face encounter, with all that goes with that.
2) Eternal Authority - and that implies responsibility. God invites us to share ruling with Him, and that means His plan is that we would rule with Him, over all His creation. It's not just the earth. It includes all that He has created. It just blows the mind to try to comprehend that, even just when it comes to the millennial kingdom, that God will have a people He will empower supernaturally. He will give responsibility, that will involve the restoration of the whole earth; working with Jesus Christ, to bring the whole earth, all its government, all it's systems, education, social systems, everything into alignment with the Father's kingdom, for a period of unprecedented peace. It doesn't end at the end of that kingdom, millennial era; it goes on for the ages and ages and ages.
Isaiah 9:7 – “Of the increase of His government, there's no end”
God will work with us, and through us, to expand His dominion through vast regions of the physical universe.
3) Eternal Glory (or Honour). His plan is for us to have a resurrection body, that would enable us to enter His throne room, to engage Him face to face; and we'd be able to express His glory. There are many ways that God intends to honour, and produce glory for us; one of them will be the crowns.
The last thing, before we get into the study for today, is the issue of God's design for sonship. Sonship is a key aspect of God's eternal purpose, so when we unfold what God planned, before the world was even created, is that the Father would have a family of sons, who would be in the exact image of Jesus Christ. God so delights in Jesus. He wanted to create a family like Him, that would also enjoy the same relationship with Him. The key concepts of what it means to be son is: it matches the rewards.
John 17:3-6 – “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom You've sent”.
Eternal Life has to do with intimacy; experiential knowledge of God. Intimacy where He invites us, as a son, into an ever-deepening intimacy. You can't stay where you are. God calls you to know Him more deeply, more intimately. That requires engagement with Him; worship, seeking Him, and a life that pursues Him.
The second thing, which is a characteristic of sonship, is having an assignment.
John 17:4 – “I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do”.
This season of our life on earth is a season of preparation for our big assignment. We get lots of little assignments - an area of responsibility that God gives to us, an area that we're called to faithfully fulfil, and each assignment we faithfully fulfil prepares us for our next assignment, which would be larger. One of the key areas that God requires is faithfulness: that we are faithful with what's entrusted to us; and we persevere, and see through the assignment He's given to us, until we've finished it.
Jesus said: “I honoured You or glorified You on earth. I have finished the work You gave Me to do”. We're not called to do everything; we're called to know what God has spoken into our heart to do. He's wired it into our makeup, and He speaks prophetically to our heart, what He calls us to do. Notice those two aspects, or functions, of sonship: intimacy; and an assignment, both relate to the Eternal Rewards - which is a much deeper intimacy, and a much greater connection with the Father, and with Jesus and the Holy Spirit; and also a greater level of assignment.
John 16:6 – “I have manifested Your name to the men You've given Me out of this world”.
What He's saying there is: I have demonstrated your character. That speaks to us of transformation; of the need for each of us to be transformed progressively, in our character, so the fruit of God's spirit is manifested through our name.