INTRODUCTION
• One of the great things that happens to us when we give our lives to Jesus is that we become a part of the family of God. We become an adopted child of God.
• In the Romans world from which the letter to the Romans comes from, adoption totally changed a person’s life.
• Many times adoptions were done for a sonless father.
• There was a ceremony performed where the adoptive father takes the clothing off his newly adopted son and puts new ones on him. This was to symbolize transference to a new family.
• In the Romans society, the father of the house literally held absolute power over the children, even the power of life and death.
• The newly adopted son lost all rights and privileges of his old family, he became an heir to his new family, the old life was completely wiped out and he was a considered a blood son to the new father.
• When we give our lives to Jesus the same thing happens. We belong to a new Father! We are a child of the king.
• This would be like seeing some of the children we see on television who are close to starving to death. Then picture Bill Gates coming to them and adopting them. They go from the out house to the penthouse.
• I remember when I was a young boy my father stressing to me the importance of not doing anything to shame the family name.
• When we belong to the King, there are some things we need to understand about our new life in Christ. Something that will help us not to bring shame on the name which we now bear.
• Today we are going to look at a few of the implications of belonging to Jesus!
• Turn with me to Romans 8:12-17.
SERMON
I. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD ARE OBLIGATED TO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT (12-13)
• I believe that most of us had standards by which our families expected us to live by when we were living with our parents. As parents, I hope we have set standards by which we expect our children to live by.
• We have spoken at length about the fact when we give our lives to Jesus; we are supposed to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.
• Verse 12 reminds us of this, but the verse goes one step further.
• Verse 12 says we are not under obligation to live in the flesh, but we have an obligation to live according to the Spirit. The Christian owes nothing to the Devil. There is no valid obligation to live for the Devil.
• It is a contradiction for the Christian, a son of God, to live like a son of the Devil. Remember we have been delivered from the law of sin and death.
• The word “obligation” denotes one who owes a moral debt. It is a debt imposed from within a person. Duty would be a something imposed by an outside authority.
• We owe God a moral debt for all He has done for us in giving us our salvation.
• If we are living by the Spirit, we will be putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
• This is something that takes place on a daily basis.
• READ Colossians 3:5-10
• If we continue to put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will continue to live.
• When I lived under my father’s roof, I had a moral obligation to obey him. My parents provided me with everything I had, my food, clothing, shelter, and emotional support.
• All this is true about Jesus also. All we have is because of Him. That alone should help motivate us to live for Him.
• The more we obey sin, the more we erode our Spiritual growth.
II. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT (14)
• One of the reasons we can put the deeds of the flesh to death in our lives it the fact we are led by the Spirit of God.
• When we are “being led” by the Spirit, it is a continual leading. A person who is habitually led by the Spirit allows the Spirit to influence and lead them.
• When a child is adopted by a family, they are lead by that new family. When we are adopted by God, the Holy Spirit is given to us to lead us. Just as with an earthly family, we do not have to allow the Spirit to lead us, we can resist, but it would not be good for us.
• The indwelling of the Holy Spirit helps us to conquer the lusts and desires that are not good for us.
• We have a special relationship with Jesus; we must remember that God will only lead us to do what is best for us.
• Notice verse 14 says for ALL who are continually being led by the Spirit are sons of God.
• JOHN 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
• 1 JOHN 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
• 1 JOHN 2:4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
III. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD RECEIVE ACCESS TO GOD BY THE SPIRIT (15)
• When I had a problem, I could go to my parents for help. Because I am their son, I have access to them whenever I need them.
• I was not afraid of my parents, all though I respected them very much.
• When we are lost, we have a spirit of slavery and fear. I believe many people get upset at the mention of God in the public arena because down deep they are fearful of God. A slave of sin has a fear of future punishment.
• In this verse a “spirit” is a frame of mind, feeling, or attitude. A spirit of slavery would be an attitude found in men who are slaves; the spirit of adoption would be one of hope, joy and peace.
• Imagine the joy of a young person who was homeless and without a family all the sudden being adopted into a wonderful family.
• If God is not our Father, then we cannot expect anything from Him. As I have said before, I can go to my dad for help and encouragement. I cannot go to our dad and expect the same thing because your dad is not my dad.
• Abba was the intimate term used by a child to address his male parent, similar to “Dada” or “Daddy” in English. By the time of Jesus it was not limited to the speech of children (Cranfield, I:400); but it was still a term of intimacy and endearment, not one the Jews would presume to use in addressing God. But Jesus used it (Mark 14:36), and from Rom 8:15 and Gal 4:6 it is apparent that Christians were taught to do the same in imitation of their Lord. (College Press Commentary on Romans)
• “Cry” is a term used often in the lxx for sincere and urgent prayer, and for heartfelt praise to God (e.g., Isa 6:4). Here likewise it indicates a deeply-felt and emotional acknowledgment of our sonship, poured forth from the heart as a positive counterpart to the mournful outcry of 7:24.
• You are the child of the King of king, Lord of Lords when you have Jesus as your Lord!
IV. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD HAVE THE SPIRIT TO TESTIFY TO THEIR STATUS WITH GOD (16)
• One of the privileges of belonging to Jesus is you receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One of the many ministries of the Spirit in your life is to testify to our spirit that we are an adopted child of God.
• The Holy Spirit is like your birth certificate which proves your birthright.
• The Spirit testifies with ours to God and it testifies to our sprit encouraging us with the fact we belong to Jesus.
• I know that some of you are really struggling with feeling accepted by God. Within you the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you that you do indeed belong to and are accepted by God!
• READ GALATIANS 4:4-7
V. ADOPTED SONS ARE HEIRS OF GOD’S KINGDOM (17)
• I think many parents would like to be able to leave an inheritance for their children. I know many children would like that also!
• Verse 17 continues the thought of verse 13. One of the characteristics of a son, is the fact that he is his fathers heir.
• 2 TIMOTHY 2:11-12 says, “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
• Our identity as heirs of God involves three emphases.
• The first is the sheer amount or content of the inheritance, which includes all the riches and wealth of the entire creation.
• The second point is that our possession of this wealth is still future. We are heirs, but we do not yet possess the full inheritance; we have only a foretaste of it (see v. 23).
• The third emphasis is the certainty of our ultimate possession of it all. (College Press Commentary on Romans)
• If you know you are going to receive a wonderful inheritance, it will have a effect on how you live your life now.
• When we realize that we have an inheritance to collect in full one day, it should affect how we live now.
• I do not know about you, but I love life. I love my life and I love living it. Is there some things I would like to change, sure, but I love the gift of life. Sometimes I love it so much I cannot imagine how wonderful heaven will be.
• We have too much to loose to go back to the old way of life. We have too much at stake for us to rollover and quit because things get tough. We have too much at stake not to take God seriously in our lives. One day we all will face death’s doorstep.
• What kind of shape will you be in when you get there?
• Whatever awaits Jesus, awaits those who are faithful to Him!
• Sometimes our standing with Jesus will cause us to suffer loss. Are you willing to do that for the sake of Christ? Too many of us will give ourselves to Jesus until it cost us something.
• I used to work for a news stand when I was 12-14 years old. I would help deliver papers. I was young, but I could not help notice that the place I worked for sold pornography. I really though nothing of it, I was not a Christian.
• Years later after I became a Christian I started preaching at a church in my hometown. I noted this man had been a part of the church. To my knowledge, he was a Christian while he was selling pornography.
• I had another friend who ran a gas station that I used to go to all the time. He started selling liquor. I asked him why and he said, you have to make a living.
• We are heirs to an inheritance beyond belief! That should itself keep our focus on God.
CONCLUSION
• If you belong to Jesus, you are a special person.
• When we give our lives to Jesus, we have a moral obligation to give Him our all, to hold nothing back, just as He gave His all and held nothing back for us.
• When we are a child of the King and habitually act as such, we will be glorified with Him when He returns.
• Are you living like you belong to Jesus? I hope so. Are you passionate about what He is passionate about? Is His purpose your purpose, are you letting your life be led by the Spirit?
• I hope that all of us want to belong to Jesus!
