Sonship Concept

An attempt to attain to "fulness" and maturity of Christian experience and thus become a member of the sonship company by means of holiness, spirituality and illumination in the Spirit. The goal of sonship is to become "like Him" (I Jn 3:1-2) for Jesus is the Pattern Son (see below). Depending on the group involved, the actual goal may range from sanctification through sinless perfection right up to divinity.

According to this teaching, while all Christians are 'children' of God they are not all 'sons' and only the 'overcomers' attain to sonship. This attainment is called the "adoption of sons" (Rom 8:23) or full manhood, which is not achieved by all Christians but only by those who press on to maturity. The "adoption" is the climax of the process, usually identified as receiving the resurrection body and/or the catching up to the Throne of God. All are born heirs, but not all attain to their inheritance, says T. Austin Sparks in his book "God's Spiritual House". Sparks also goes on to say that Full Sonship cannot be attained by individuals but only as a corporate inheritance, as a member of the Manifested Sons body (the Man-Child.)

See http://www.nccg.org/sonship.html for an article (pro) explaining sonship in more depth.