Sermon Tone Analysis

The last time I told you about the revelation about my *Father*, my Abba-Dad and we looked at how this truth is found in the Old Covenant as well as in the New Covenant.

As my understanding and experience of this intimacy with my Abba Dad grew, I began to look at what He called me—His *son*.

Since I was familiar with Romans 8, I started meditating on it.

Go with me to Romans 8:14-23:

Ø     *14* For all who are abeing led by the Spirit of God, these are *sons* of God.

*15* For you ahave not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received 2a spirit of adoption as *sons* by which we cry out, “Abba!

Father!”  *16* The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are *children* of God, *17*  and if *children*, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with /Him/ so that we may also be glorified with /Him./

*18* For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the *sons* of God.

*20* For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope *21* that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

*22* For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

*23* And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for /our /*adoption* *as sons*, the redemption of our body.

One day as I was reading this passage the Holy Spirit asked me a question.

He said, “Why does it say “*sons*” in some verses (vs.

14,15,19,and 23) and “*children*” in other verses (vs.16,17,21)?”

Now I don’t know if you have ever been asked a question by the Holy Spirit before, but I usually don’t know the answer to His questions.

That was true in this case.

I responded that it was just 2 words meaning the same thing, i.e. sons = children.

Then He spoke again and said */“The Father has many children, but not many sons.”/*

I sat there dumbfounded.

Obviously the Holy Spirit was not saying that God has only male children (i.e.

sons and not daughters), so there must be something about this statement that I did not understand.

So I began to look at the Greek words and I noticed that that are actually 2 different words used in this passage.

5207 /huios/ (hwee·*os)* –sons (vs.

14,15,19,23)

5043 /teknon/ (*tek*·non) –children (vs.

16,17,21)

 

The word that is used for *children* is “teknon” and shows birth into a family.

It means we belong to the family.

But the word that is used for *sons* is “huios” which stresses the dignity and character of the relationship or shows maturity.

As *children* of God we want to please our Father and grow up to be *sons* (and daughters) of God so that others will see the image of the Father in us.

There are two ways to become a *child* in a family—natural birth and adoption.

Though some may argue that an adopted child is not truly a *child* of the family, by law he is as much a part of the family as if he had been born naturally into the family.

Even more than the law though, are the feelings of the parents.

´    Has anyone here adopted a child or know someone who has adopted a child?

If you ask a parent who has adopted a *child*, to them that *child* is just as much a part of their hearts as the other natural born *children*.

They have taken him into their heart as well as into their home.

The first thing we must realize as *children* of God is that we are */adopted/* *children*.

To us that may seem like we are not fully accepted, but just as natural parents take adopted *children* into their hearts, so our Father takes us into His heart.

When a person is born again, he is not born into a position of slavery.

Rather, he receives *the spirit of adoption (vs.

15)*; that is, he is placed in God’s family as a mature *son~/daughter*.

There is a parallel passage to Romans 8 found in Galatians 3:26, 29, and 4:1-7: 

Ø     *26* For you are all *sons* of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  . .

.* 29* And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Ø     *1* Now I say, as long as the heir is a *child*, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, *2* but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

*3* So also we (the seed of Abraham-heirs according to the promise Gal 3:29), while we were *children*, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

*4* But when athe fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, bborn of a woman, born cunder 1the Law, *5* so that He might redeem those who were under 1the Law, that we might receive the adoption as a*sons*.

*6* Because you *are* *sons*, aGod has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!

Father!”  *7* Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a *son*; and if a *son*, then an heir through God.

*Adoption as sons*

Ø     /huiothesia/ (υἱοθεσία, 5206), from /huios/, “a son,” and /thesis/, “a placing,” akin to /tithemi/, “to place,” signifies the place and condition of a son given to one to whom it does not naturally belong.

The word is used by the apostle Paul only.

The word *adoption* means “*son-placing*”—that is, the act of placing all believers as mature *sons* with all the privileges and responsibilities of sonship.

W.

E Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says,

“Adoption” is a term involving the dignity of the relationship of believers as *sons*; it is not a putting into the family by spiritual birth, but a putting into the position of *sons*. . . .

In Rom.

8:15, believers are said to have received “*the Spirit of adoption*,” that is, the Holy Spirit who, given as the Firstfruits of all that is to be theirs, produces in them the realization of sonship and the attitude belonging to *sons*.

Verse 5 tells us that the purpose for our redemption is “that we might receive the adoption as *sons*.”

Look at verse 6—Paul says you *ARE* the *sons* of God, not that someday you will be the *sons* of God.

This verse tells us that the Spirit of Adoption (Holy Spirit) places the Spirit of God’s Son (Jesus) in our hearts.

It is because of this relationship of *sonship* that we cry out “Abba, Daddy.”

This is the same thing we saw in Romans 8:15.

Do you see the intimate relationship that is being pictured here?

We—the sons of God—have the same love for the Father that Jesus (The Son of God) did.

Why?

Because we have the same Spirit in us that Jesus had.

Romans 8:14 tells us that those who are led by the Holy Spirit are the *sons* of God—not the *children* of God.

How many want to be led by the Holy Spirit like Jesus was?

Ø     Matt 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

This verse clearly says the Holy Spirit was the One who led Jesus into the wilderness.

Have you ever felt you were in the wilderness?

How did you get there?

Well, if you are a *son* of God you got there because you were led there by the Holy Spirit!

Now don’t stone me for saying that, but just think about it a moment.

If we have the same Holy Spirit guiding us as guided the *Son* of God (Jesus), and He specifically led the *Son* of God into the wilderness, then why can’t He do the same today for the *sons* of God.

In fact, I believe that is exactly what He does in our “wilderness” experiences.

The problem is when we are in the wilderness we forget who led us there and then try to get out on our power—which never works.

While I’m on this subject, let me add one more point.

Why did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness?

“To be tempted by the devil.”

When we are in the wilderness we face the temptation to do it our way (i.e.

complain, get angry with God, quit serving God, stop praying, stop reading our Bible, stop going to church, etc), which is just exactly what the devil wants us to do.

Maybe the enemy doesn’t directly tempt us, but he uses the weakness of our flesh to tempt us.

So what is the answer to victory in the wilderness?

First, recognize and give praise to God that *He* put you there—the Holy Spirit guided you there because you are a *son* of God.

Second, declare the truth of the Word of God that you *are* a *son* of God and have a relationship with One who gives you the power to be more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37).

Recognize that as God’s *son* (take the “attitude” of a son—W.

E. Vine) you have all of heaven behind you and a Daddy that fights for you—now take that you devil!

 

Romans 8:16 says that we have been given the Holy Spirit of God to bear witness or testify that we belong to the family of God—i.e. we are His *children—not sons*.

Every believer is a *child* of God in that he is born into a family of which God is the Father.



 

There is another truth in this passage in Romans that is found in Romans 8:17.

That is that we have an inheritance with Christ as *children* of God.

Notice that our inheritance is tied to the fact that we belong to the family, not to the level of our maturity.

This means that we don’t have to wait a certain amount of time before we can enter into our spiritual inheritance; it is ours the moment we are saved, and it belongs to all believers.

As *children* of God we are the benefactors of all the covenant blessings that God has for His children.

Of course, the primary blessing is that of our salvation—which is what brings us into the family of God.   Paul says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor.

2:9).

(Our inheritance consists of sound wisdom (Prov.

2:7), riches and righteousness (Prov.

8:18), and a kingdom which the Lord Jesus has appointed unto us (Luke 22:29).

It is “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet.