Being Children of God

Matthew McDonald

The Romans Road • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Notes

Transcript

Open your Bibles with me to Romans, chapter 8:

Introduction:

When we lived in Washington, our family did Foster Care:

We did foster care for two reasons

One is that we believe God cares for those children, and there was a desperate need for loving homes

The other is that we believe our God loves adoption, and so we hoped to adopt, eventually, through the Foster Care System

When you do foster care, one of the first things you learn is that there is a big difference between foster care and adoption

Foster Care children are still a part of their origin family

The goal is to put them back with that family

You must love them, nurture them, and treat them as though they are your children, but they aren’t

The rules, responsibilities, punishments, and even privileges that you can give to them are limited by the law

The hardest part of being a foster parent is the tireless work of loving and sacrificing to make this child a part of your family, when you know that they often don’t want it and will ultimately never share that identity.

Adopted children are a different story

Adopted children take your last name-they are legally a part of your family

Adopted children are subject to your rules, responsibilities, punishments, and privileges, because they are your children

Many families of adopted children celebrate the child’s adoption day as a special family celebration day each year

All of their legal documents are changed to reflect their new identity

Their birth family is still a part of their story, and many times they are still a part of their lives. But something about their identity has fundamentally changed- they have the opportunity to be a part of a new family

I say opportunity, because this is the great catch of adoption- Despite the unconditional love, affection, and care that an adoptive parent may give, for an adoption to really work, it takes the child’s acceptance of their new identity.

TRANSITION

This morning, we’re going to find that this is an important truth for you and I, because we are adopted children.

In our journey down the Romans Road over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about what you might say are the differences between those that choose to remain in our birth family of sin, and those that choose to accept the adoption of our Heavenly Father

You and I have chosen to sell ourselves into sin

Even if you desire to do good on your own, your natural self is a slave to sin, and so you serve your master

On your own, you cannot do good, and what you have earned is death

This is the problem of our origin family, as everyone in it is a sinner bound for death

BUT: Through Jesus Christ, we have access to a NEW SPIRIT

His Spirit overcomes sin and death

His Spirit allows us to turn from sin and into obedience

His Spirit frees us from the condemnation that we are due

The catch, though, is that you have to choose: you can’t remain in sin and live in the Spirit.

You have to be all in! And the way you can tell is the fruit you are growing in your life.

The natural self and the adopted self pursue different things, and they have different destinations-death and life!

This morning, we are going to focus on what is in store for those that go All in as adopted children through Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:12–18 NASB95

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 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. 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.

Pray, Invite the church to sit

*LISTENING GUIDES*

If you are adopted by God, as His child, you must take on that identity

There are things that come with being a child of God,

You are a part of His family

You have responsibilities

You have expectations

You have blessings

Today we are going to look at three of those things that come with being in God’s family. Look at verse 12 with me

Romans 8:12–14 NASB95

The first thing that I would have you to take note of about being a child of God is this:

Children of God live Spirit-led lives of obedience

You’ll notice, I’ve emphasized the word live…why?

because this is the opposite of what you were doing before

Before Christ, you were dying in your sin,

you were obligated to do so because you were a slave to sin

But now, you are no longer a slave to sin.

As verse 12 says, you are no longer compelled to sin

In fact, the Spirit of God is leading you the other way, towards Godliness

You aren’t being led by your fleshly desires, but by the Spirit of your Father

The only way to be made alive is to put the fleshly desires to death

The Children of God live by the Spirit

John 1:12 NASB95

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Galatians 4:5–6 NASB95

so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

If you are His adopted child, you can’t live the way that you used to live, because it goes against who you are

You can only live by the Spirit if the Spirit is in you

Only those that are living by the Spirit are children of God

ILLUSTRATION: LIVING BY THE FAMILY NAME: Expectations, known by your behavior

And so, again, we see that we know of our salvation, our adoption, or that we have neither of these by the fruit in our lives

Children of God live spirit-led lives of obedience

LET’S CONTINUE:

Romans 8:15–16 NASB95

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

The second thing that you should note this morning about being a child of God is this:

Children of God have nothing to fear from their Father

Verse 15 says you haven’t received a spirit of fear, but of adoption

When we say that we are adopted children of God, we’re saying we’ve been adopted by a King!

Fathers are already figures of authority

Kings are even more profound figures of authority

Kings are feared, both by friends and enemies

those that live in sin, who ignore the commands of God, have a lot to fear.

God loves us, and sent Jesus to die so that we could be called His sons and daughters

Obedient children who are following after their Father have nothing to fear from Him

Luke 8:21 NASB95

But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Because the Spirit of God dwells in His children, they live by His Spirit and are no longer slaves of their flesh

Because His Spirit dwells in His children, His relationship with them is intimate

in Verse 15, Abba=Hebrew=”Daddy”

Pater=Greek= “Father”

He is our Father, giving us direction, instruction, correction, but also He is our Daddy, picking us up when we are down, bringing us love, affection, tenderness

The intimacy we have with Him is that the same Spirit dwells in us both, if we are His! The Holy Spirit, like the seal on the adoption, testifies that we belong to Him!

The Children of God have nothing to fear from their Father

Let’s continue, with the last couple of verses: 17

Romans 8:17–18 NASB95

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. 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.

The last thing I would have you note this morning about being a Child of God is this:

Children of God will suffer in their obedience, but will glory in their inheritance

If you are obedient to Christ, if you walk in His Spirit, you will suffer for it.

This suffering is not the sickness, loss, and grief that we endure-these things are the fruit of the fall

The suffering the Children of God endure is in the suffering of Christ

It is being slandered and ridiculed for what God leads you to do

It is being mocked and reviled, even by those who call you family, friend, or brother and sister in Christ, because of what you do for Jesus

It is being labeled radical

It is losing job, house, and wealth because of Jesus

It is being persecuted, and even martyred for your belief

It is living sacrificially, giving to the Kingdom more of your time, talent, and money than you can afford to give, so that you suffer hurt joyfully as you give it

Obedience is simple, but it’s hard

It takes the Spirit inside you to complete these things because nobody wants to suffer

But the believer will suffer with joy, knowing that suffering for Christ is an honor, and that He is glorified in it

The children of God have joy in their suffering because they are also promised to be co-heirs with Christ

Children share together the inheritance left by their parents

Those who live in the Spirit are the adopted brothers and sisters of Christ and have an inheritance

Suffering may tempt you to quit.

Suffering is meant to sway you from obedience

Suffering is worth it because nothing can compare to the glory of God’s coming Kingdom and the inheritance we have in it.

INVITATION

Have you been adopted by the Father, friend?

If you have, then I urge you to live in the obedience He calls you to

walk in His Spirit, that the fruit of life in you will testify to His Spirit inside of you

And maybe this morning, you need to pray at the altar, and turn a new page over of committed obedience as you leave today

If you have yet to experience what it means to take on a new Spirit, and to live as an adopted child of God

What are you waiting for? Don’t leave here today to continue pursuing death

Let today be the day that you come running to God, and find that you can call Him Daddy.