Children of God

Chris Baker

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 20 days ago • Presented 22 days ago

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Transcript

What does the word obligation mean?

Defined, the word means an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.

Where do we see this word utilized in our daily routines?

At work, if you have taken on a specific role at the job, you have an obligation to make sure that role is carried out.

What happens at work if a person falls short in their obligations?

In the military, you have specific duties to carry out. Your team depends on you to carry your weight.

What happens in the military if a soldier does not carry out his/her duties?

In a family, you have specific things to do as a parent for your kids. Be it nurturing, caring for, providing for, protecting, training, etc.

What happens in families when these obligations are neglected?

Now… who is it that comes up with these obligations?

How are job descriptions formulated?

A need is discovered and a job is designed and designated to take care of that need.

How are military duties formulated?

The job of securing and protecting our freedoms is not an easy one. It requires men and women at every level taking care of business. Some are the boots on the ground. Others are giving direction to the boots on the ground.

How are family needs formulated?

The needs of our children dictate the response of the parents. Kids need food, shelter, love, compassion, discipline, protection, guidance, etc. If no one steps up and covers the needs, the kids will grow up lacking important parts of their upbringing.

When we take on a job, we agree to the job description. When a person enters into the military, they agree to the role they will play. When a couple starts a family, they agree to the responsibility of raising children.

That person becomes BOUND to the commitment. The agreement or duty is BINDING.

Did you know that in our walk with Christ, such a binding exists?

First off, I am thankful that In Christ, we experience a new freedom from that which had us bound!

Remember Paul’s plea at the end of Romans 7? Who will deliver a wretched person from the body that is subject to death? He then says, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In that deliverance, comes a new obligation… a new commitment… and that is what our text will speak of tonight.

This commitment comes in the form of a new identity.

In Christ, what was is no more. What was… was life governed by the flesh.

In this life, our obligation was to self - and this path was leading us to death and destruction. Why? Because of the sinful nature of our flesh.

In Christ, we are now governed by the Spirit - we have a new mindset - this mindset is not focused on self but on God’s Spirit.

BECAUSE of this new mindset… we also have a new obligation… a new commitment…

We are no longer bound to that which was destroying us… we set free of that! We are now bound to the One who delivers us from that hopeless and spiritual despair.

And this new “binding” if you will, has a completely different feel to it altogether.

Instead of bound to sin or slaves to sin… we are now adopted as God’s children. We are no longer slaves… but sons and daughters of the most high!

So tonight, we look at this identity… as God’s children… and consider the new obligations that come with it.

With any commitment comes following. And Paul is going to lay out what that looks like as we follow the Spirit instead of self.

Number One: LIVE as Children of God.

Romans 8:12–14 NIV

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

A reoccurring theme continues to pop up in recent messages and I do not believe it is accident or coincidence.

That theme is simply this: In order to know who you are, you need to know whose you are.

This point, live as children of God, cannot be realized outside of a relationship with Jesus. It must take place in your life WITH Christ.

Your flesh will convince you that you belong to you… and you should work to please the desires of your heart and chase the pleasures of this world.

Your self struggles to see beyond what the world has to offer, because your self has been corrupted by sin. Sin keeps self focused on what it wants.

In Christ, our obligation is no longer to the flesh, but to the Spirit of God.

Our mindset has changed… it has been renewed… this brings transformation to who we are and what we do. Romans 12:2 speaks of this renewal and transformation.

So how does the renewing of our minds lead to the transformation of our lives?

God’s love, Word, and Spirit are the source of our transformation. God reveals to us a different way - a way that no longer conforms to the pattern of this world.

As our minds are renewed, (Romans 12:2) the Word states that at that point we can “test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So… what about the will of God are we supposed to test? If His will for our lives is indeed perfect, is Paul suggesting that we test it for improvements?

What Paul is speaking of is discernment. He is speaking of the ability to KNOW the will of God verses the mindset of the flesh. As our minds are renewed by the power of the Word, we can begin to see God’s will more clearly. The more of the world that the Word filters out, the more clear God’s plan and purpose becomes.

So… in a sense, we are testing to discover what God’s will is as we move from the obligation we once had to self and to the pattern of the world.

Our obligation in how we live… changes.

Because we know now that we are God’s children, we now become obligated to live as God’s children.

And let’s check our attitude here… don’t view this as a have to… view this as a get to mentality. I GET to live as a child of God!

The word obligation is dutiful and a bit mechanical. But it takes on a new meaning in Christ. I WANT TO LIVE AS A CHILD OF GOD for I know that living in this way leads to life, freedom, peace, hope, assurance, etc!

Our obligation in living is now to the Spirit of God - who brings life to who we are in Christ!

He leads us as His children, He provides for us as His children, He nurtures us as His children, He cares for us as His children, He protects us as His children, His promises us great hope as His children… and the list could go on and on!

Church, there is no doubt that our heavenly Father WILL NOT FALL SHORT in His caring for those who are His children!

The question is… are we willing to live everyday as a child of God?

Number Two: We Embrace our God-given Identity

Romans 8:15–17 NIV

15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

It might seem odd that this point of embracing who we are in God comes after the point of living as God’s children.

Doesn’t identity define action? Or does action define identity? I could argue one over the other but both miss an important point. Our God-given identity isn’t something that comes through action… and it isn’t something that defines our action. It is SPOKEN to us through the Spirit of God.

I’ll never forget one day at the house several years ago I was talking to Shae and I called her beautiful. She was happy, she smiled super big, gave me a hug, and went to go play.

Keith was nearby and he saw her response to what I had spoken over her… and he wanted a piece of the action as well.

“Dad, what about me? What am I? Am I awesome?” “Yes, son, you are awesome!”

You would've thought I gave the kid a million dollars! He ran through the house saying that he was awesome and for several years after that, he would introduce himself as Keith boy Alexander Baker AWESOME.

What has I done? I spoke identity to my children. I spoke value over them. I spoke positively toward who they are.

They needed to hear from their father their worth… they needed to hear from their father an assurance.

We get this same kind of assurance from the Spirit of God.

Look at verse 15 again. The Spirit is not someone looking to make slaves of us… He assures us of our adoption to sonship.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE! What a transformation! And as that reality hits our hearts, we cry out Abba Father!

What does Abba Father mean? Abba means daddy or papa. It is found in the NT three times. It is used by Paul twice… anyone know who else used it?

Jesus… in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Spirit speaks to our heart and enables us to call out to God… as Jesus called out to God… as FATHER!

In Christ, that is who God is to you! And because of that… you can now know who you are to God!

The Spirit testifies of our belonging to the Father. There is no questioning or doubting this… the Spirit gives the assurance.

The problem is… too many people are trying to tell God who they are instead of hear from God regarding their identity.

Honestly church, our culture has never been more lost. The identity crisis continues to press ahead as people try to give or find definition through self.

Self is impacted by the world around it and the sin within it. God did not place that sin there and He doesn’t want you finding identity in that sin… He wants to deliver you from sin.

The identity we are longing for is found in our relationship with Christ. As we BECOME a believer, the Spirit will testify of our new reality. In that new life, we will DO as the Lord would lead us. Our obligations change.

The Spirit speaks of our BEING a son or daughter of God. That BEING His son or daughter will impact what we do… how we live… how we see others and… how we see ourselves.

Bottom line is… we no longer serve self… we submit to the Spirit. We HEAR what He has to say. We DO as He leads us to do. AND… we KNOW whose we are no matter what the world… or our self… may try to say!