Cees en Anneke Noordzij — Pneumatology
b4 — The Heritage of Jabez
Spirit of Sonship (Rom. 8:15)
Noordzij links the bringing forth of sonship to being overshadowed by the Spirit:
“Everyone who is overshadowed by ‘the Spirit of sonship’ will also bring forth ‘sonship’ through pain (Rom.8:15, Rev.12:1-2). That process is always painful (cf. Gal.5:13-26). All manner of misunderstanding, slander, suffering, rejection, and loneliness come upon you.”
And earlier, as the conclusion drawn from Jabez’s prayer:
“Praying this way makes you spiritually mature and leads to sonship in God (Rom.8:14-19).”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, sections “The Prayer of Jabez” and “Born Through Pain”
The Spirit as Guide in the Inheritance (Rom. 8:14)
In the section “Our Inheritance,” Noordzij describes the believer’s inheritance primarily as a reality of the Spirit:
“It is ‘the redemption to the praise of His glory’ (from Eph.1:14). It is the redemption of all that is bodily-soulish (Rom.8:23). It is being led by the Spirit of God (Rom.8:14). Through the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Walking by the Spirit to become ever ‘richer’ and ‘riper’ (Rom.8:13-14, Gal.6:16). In this way our ‘territory’ grows ever larger and we are increasingly renewed in our thinking.”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, section “Our Inheritance”
Sanctification by the Spirit (2 Thes. 2:13)
Noordzij explicitly names sanctification as a work of the Spirit:
“Through the Spirit we are sanctified and come to see His ways ever more clearly (2Thes.2:13, 1Cor.2:10).”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, section “Our Inheritance”
Discernment Through the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10; 12:8)
Directly following sanctification, Noordzij articulates discernment as a fruit of the Spirit:
“Through the Spirit we remain on the right track and learn to speak with wisdom (Eph.4:23, Gal.5:25, 1Cor.12:8). […] Through the Spirit we learn to discern what is ‘old’ and what is ‘new’, what is ‘fleshly-soulish’ and what is ‘spirit’, what is counterfeit and what is truth.”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, section “Our Inheritance”
Kindling One’s Own Fire as Contrast to Being Led by the Spirit (Isa. 50:11)
Noordzij presents “kindling one’s own fire” as the negative contrast to being led by the Spirit:
“But in our day, even among many believers, so little happens through the Spirit. Many ‘kindle their own fire’ (Isa.50:11). That is, with the enthusiasm of soul and flesh. In this way they are drawn away from the inheritance in the Spirit. They build well-constructed ‘houses’ of their own, but not God’s house.”
To underline this, Noordzij cites Haggai:
“Lord, consider what has happened to you. You have sown much but harvested little; you have eaten but not been satisfied; […] and whoever earned wages did so to put them into a bag with holes (Hag.1:4-6).”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, section “Our Inheritance”
Sowing to the Spirit — Reaping Eternal Life (Gal. 6:8)
Noordzij concludes the theme of the two paths with an explicit flesh/Spirit antithesis:
“Whoever buries his spiritual talents ‘in the ground’ will lose everything (Matt.25:14-30). […] For ‘the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life’ (Gal.6:8).”
Source reference: verborgenmanna.nl/pages-1/jabez.html, section “Our Inheritance”