KNOW, LIVE, BE-KNOW GOD-ROMANS: Marks of God's Family
Marks of God’s Family
Romans 8:1-39
Isn’t family special?
Maybe you’ve been mad at family before. Siblings you know what I’m talking about. Younger siblings you get it - your older sibling out smarted you or tricked you with a garbage trade once and you didn’t realize it until later. Or they just physically beat you up.
Maybe you're family is tight - and maybe there are marks of your family. Maybe there are things about your family that are normal to you, but to outsiders it’s odd and it’s a mark of your family.
We’re going to see these marks of family, this closeness of family applied to Paul’s drawing what it means to be in the family of God - so that prayerfully we’ll be ale to see the marks on others and ourselves.
So stick with me.
Generally there is a spirit to the family. More than simply shared weirdness there is closeness. I can pick on my brothers or sisters, my mom or my dad - but you cannot. It’s a closeness that cannot be explained.
This closeness of family is one that Paul will help us to see the marks of in Romans today - and as we come to ask what is God like, we see He is a father, but a perfect one.
And so today we’re going to see how we’re adopted into God’s family - so hold on and lets learn something to celebrate today:
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
How do you move on past this?
There is no condemnation. Lets draw that concept out some - because I think there is a sense in which we can miss its gravity or move on to quickly from it. Because we really think we’re OK and God just helps us to do good things - or do better things and so church becomes a place to feed people and give people things - and not a center for worship of the God of and over creation who saves His creation from their sins and who defines truth for life and worship that leads to live in glory. And so we cheapen the God intended life and nullify the purpose of the church in creating obedient worshippers in the family of God in the name of ‘good works’.
The law comes to us so that we’ll understand sin, we’ll be able to see it. There is no such thing as light until there is darkness then you can determine light. What color is green when everything is green? Everything just is, then when there is red, then you have two colors, when we have good and evil, we can say oh, ok one is good the other isn’t. God is good, we’re not - the law helps us find that division between God’s character and ours - but the problem is, when that division is made clear - now the law is violated, and so the law comes so that we’ll see sin, but then too the remedy - and Paul will get there, but first… he says for those who are in Christ, who are in the remedy, for those who’ve turned form their own selfishness and turned to Christ, there is no condemnation.
Paul is continuing to speak in terms of a courtroom decision, there is no condemnation, meaning we’re given no sentence no guilty verdict over the guilt of our sin. It doesn’t mean that we’re innocent it means we’re declared innocent. Because of another and that other is Jesus.
Now guys if we believed this and I don’t mean believed this where we believe facts like history - I mean believed this where we believe in the truths of physics and gravity that we trust to stay true when we step out into that crosswalk outside and a car is breaking for a red light, then the gospel would be the great news that the Bible declares it to be. Then God is great - and graceful and awesome, and we should celebrate Him and His great news - and then maybe church makes more since.
People gathered together in worship and celebration, why - because of Romans 8:1:
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
You see when the church becomes a place, simply of good works and good deeds when it tucks its tail at the big bark of the world around it, when it looks to God’s revelation of truth then hears something different from outside and says - we’ll we can shrink on that some because it would make life easier it becomes not about God and celebrating Him, rather it becomes about the great people inside and their good deeds. Now at the same time, we should have good deeds, there fruit of what’s happened in us, but Paul is headed there not before celebrating this amazing truth - in Christ there is NO condemnation, the law gives us a shade of truth so that we can see the grace of God.
Romans 8:2–4 (ESV)
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The law of the Spirit of Life is one of the ways that God’s Holy Spirit is described. When we repent of our own sin, trust in Christ for salvation the spirit of God lives in us.
1 Corinthians 3:16 and so the law of love begins to take root in us (1 Corinthians 13) - and so just like we bear markers of our families in their weird ways and quirks, we too take on the marks of belonging to God, as family - we take on the marks of the spirit of God in us, the law of the spirit of life that sets us free from slavery to sin.
When temptation to sin comes, I’m able to remember the Spirit of God in me, which gives me conviction of sin and a moment of decision comes - it’s an opportunity for worship as I live the character and testimony of Christ or - for sin.
Paul makes this MORE clear in:
Romans 8:9 (ESV)
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Romans 8:14–15 (ESV)
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Paul is pointing the attentive ear to a change that Christ brought about. In the Jewish family, they saw themselves as knowing God a) through the law and b) through their heritage as Jews. When someone would die and the inheritance needed to pass through the family a blood relative child would be born and the inheritance would follow the blood relative.
The inheritance passed through the male line - so Paul then, looking to the cultural explanations of the day says that we’re all made as sons of God…
Galatians 3:28 (ESV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Shows that in Christ regarding our salvation we’re same in value there are no male and female and so then here he is pointing through the illustration of heir-ship and inheritance and making daughters and sons of God in Christ.
You see the reason legal adoption was not for the sake of the child. Lyall, a Scottish law professor, showed in his book Slaves, Citizens, and Sons because children could be fostered rather it was to preserve the family. The adoptee got a new identity and became the same person as the adopter; inheritance followed the adopted just as it did the blood with no distinction.
Are you seeing the adoption picture - it’s into a family, the family of God, in the spirit bearing the marks of the family the spirit of God of patience and love and kindness, it’s not slave to sin - then the hammer in.
Romans 8:16–17 (ESV)
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Fellow heirs with Christ.
I want to go back to an illustration from last week in the Chicago Cubs. Their record in their World Series wining year (not 1907 or 1908 but 2016) was 103-58.
I don’t care how you slice it - losing 58 times is a lot. This means they lost like 1/3 of the time. However, in 2016 they’d be the champions, even though they’d lose 58 times.
Now if they knew that they’d be champ, I think they’d survive those losses better - lets apply that to ourselves, if we know we’re heirs with God in Christ and share in his son-ship not because of our works or not because of our win record, but because we’re chosen in adoption, and though we’re from outside we’re brought in by God himself, by the father the head himself, we’re secure.
This is something else!
So not only is:
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
Life in the Spirit
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Amazing, it’s encouraging to know that we receive no condemnation not because of our performance or our record not with a losses record regarding the law but rather we’re declared winners and co-heirs with Christ who killed it - who’s record was amazing though ours wasn’t. Rudy - yes he was on the Fighting Irish for the single last play of the season against GT - a walk on that they didn’t’ want to list on the active roster - but, he’s there.
Now you live as someone celebrating that truth - you live a worshiper’s life style. You’re free and free to celebrate.
The law and no condemnation in Christ should cause us to look at our glasses. When you see things through glasses you just operate - ideally you forget they’re there - the law and the grace of God cause us to take off our glasses and inspect the lenses. Maybe you’ll need to wipe them off some, maybe you don’t worship like someone who is free from condemnation - do I mean jumping up and down no, I mean worship is it deep and impactful is your life changed is this gathering a celebration of the truth of Romans 8:1 a truth you trust like physics or a truth you trust like historical facts (one you put your life down for the other is most likely true)?
Just like the Cubs you wouldn't try to lose just because you know you’ll be the champ, no you you’re simply excited to know the wins are coming, and you want to see them!
I’m encouraged whenever I see evidences of grace in my life and in my spirit, church as your Christian family grows to know you in a community, through home groups even, you’ll be encouraged and you’ll encourage one another by helping to see and recognize growth in others.
You’ll be like wow you used to be a HUGE jerk, and now your way less of a huge jerk - and that will be encouraging, because your a son, adopted in and you’ll think yep - that’s my father.
Now I said something, about difference that Paul was pointing to in the Jews view of son-ships and salvation Paul pointed to it in adoption and back where it said in 14/15 you cry out Abba father - there is some debate over this and I’m not going to jump into that mix.
In short it’s this, the Abba there is Aramaic and only one of 3 uses in the Bible of the word, it’s always listed in those 3 instances right next to father - it’s like father father familiar some people say it’s like daddy - but it’s hard to say, because culturally that word is used differently. In southern cultures it’s more of a familiar term for dad - it’s a good dad actually who would be called daddy in southern culture - more of a dad name than a father title; but Paul reaching past Jewish culture (of which he comes) reaches into a Greek culture to pull something out - an adoption to the father concept, but through the Abba word that Jesus first used in the garden of Gethsemane a touching and intimate moment where Jesus in Mark 14:36 calls out to his Abba father, but not just to God, but to his father - to whom we’re joined to the Abba father in Christ we see in Romans, and finally - Paul again uses Jesus familiar father language in attachment to adoption in.
Galatians 4:6–7 (ESV)
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Church - that’ amazing, the Bible says some of you don’t exist, because God is calling your heart to Christ.
Romans 3:11 (ESV)
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
Guess what - folks when you’re seeking after God, when you understand this gospel message you’re being pursued by a God who chooses, and adopts and secures an inheritance in Christ - your only right response is to a) repent and be saved, simply trusting Christ in faith - reversing Adam’s anti-faith decision and then your secured in the family of God not by performance, but by inheritance - and God sees you as he sees Christ, perfected in the law.
Then the spirit of God will live in you and life will change - if that describes what’s happening in you, your next move after salvation and repentance - is baptism.
Christian, I’m going to talk to you for a minute I pray you’re a worshiper I pray that you celebrate all that God has done in securing you as a son, that you know you have a perfect father who chose you in something as beautiful and amazing as adoption, and I pray that makes you a worshiper who lives differently - I pray that that describes more about why we do the things we do at church. Why we celebrate corporately in song and study the word so carefully we’re family. Why we hang out and join home groups and are weird together - guys we’re family!
And if you’re that person seeking God and understanding the gospel, you’re now family too and you’ll start to bear the marks, just trust the process and trust the spirit of God that will come to I've in you.
That’s why Paul would say of you:
Romans 8:37–39 (ESV)
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing in all creation.
Not your record.
Not your decision.
Nothing can separate you once your family. Maybe you know that of your family, you bicker and fight sometimes, you kick against the family rule some times, but at the end of the day - your family, your in, and you bear the marks - lets be that Church, lets be what God called us to, celebrating worshippers who bear the marks increasingly day-by-day.