Sons of God
Romans 8:12-17
ÓCopyright 2004 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, September 19,
2004
Right or wrong, who you are related to makes a big difference in the nature of life and how it is lived. If you are in politics and your name is Kennedy or Bush you will have an advantage over others. If you are related to the owner of a company you have an advantage at getting significant positions of leadership. If you are related to someone famous you will have “name recognition” which will open a host of doors for you in business, publishing, and other media pursuits.
Who you are related to is not only significant on these grand scales. Who you are related to may impact the friendships you have in school. Even in small communities, certain last names seem to draw some people to you while others make people reluctant to get close to you. People try not to let it happen in schools, but some children seem to have better opportunities in academics, sports, and leadership because of their last names.
In the passage we study today Paul wants us to know something about our heritage. As believers in Jesus Christ we are children of God. In verse 15 we are told, “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”. The word the NIV translates “sons” is really a richer term that means “adopted as sons”.
In Roman culture adoption was an elaborate process where several things happened. First, the person adopted became part of a new family. His old relationship ended and he became a legitimate son in the new family. Second, as a member of this family, he became a full heir in the Father’s estate. Third, all his debts from the past were cancelled. He was seen as a new person.
The idea of adoption is a rich picture for believers. Through Christ we are made a part of the Father’s family; we are freed from our old sin nature; and the debt of our sinful past is erased. This is an incredible privilege and it has at least five practical implications.
IT MEANS WE LIVE BY THE SPIRIT OR HONOR
THE LORD IN OUR LIVING
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is
not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For
if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14
because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
The first result of our relationship with
God is a change in our behavior. We are
told that we will not live according to the sinful nature because that
is not what sons of God do.
Let me give you an illustration. As my children were growing up, they were
very aware of one fact; they were the children of the Pastor. They understood that this position carried
with it a certain responsibility. They
made sure they looked appropriate and behaved appropriately in worship. They understood that their actions in the
community would reflect on their church and our ministry. That realization influenced the decisions
and choices they made.
In much the same way, the Apostle Paul wants
us to understand that with our new position in Christ, there is a new
responsibility to honor our Father in Heaven.
We wear His name. What we do
reflects on Him. If we truly love Him,
we will honor Him in the way we live.
Christians are held to a higher standard.
If we keep this in mind, it will give us the
added strength we need to be obedient. When I don’t want to work, I remind
myself that I have contracted with the church and with the Lord to do a certain
job. This helps me to do what is right,
rather than indulge in the laziness I desire.
There are times when I want to stop writing because the process is too
arduous. In those times I remind myself
that I have set certain goals, made certain commitments, and built up certain expectations. This reminder helps me to push on.
In much the same way, when we face a sinful
choice, it helps to remember that we belong to the Lord. We are children of the King. What we do, reflects on Him. When we face a moral or ethical choice it will
help us to remember that our actions speak louder than our words.
Paul has told us that we should put to death
the sinful nature. He also told us that
this battle is difficult and we will often fall and fail. However, as learn to trust God’s Spirit that
lives within us and live as sons of God, we will find victory. It is a tough battle, but because God’s
Spirit lives in, us we don’t have to fight alone. Our job is to learn to draw upon His strength to a greater and
greater degree.
IT MEANS WE ARE NO LONGER AFRAID
The second implication of our sonship is
that we no longer need to be afraid.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a
slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
In 2 Tim. 1:7 Paul writes, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” What is it about being a part of the family of God that enables us to live life less fearfully? Let me give you several reasons we don’t have to be afraid.
As sons of God, all of these things are true for us. We don’t need to fear, we must trust.
IT MEANS WE CAN RELATE TO GOD WITH
INTIMACY.
The third implication of our sonship is
intimacy with God. The end of verse 15
tells us that “by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” The “him” of the passage
certainly refers to the Holy Spirit. By
God’s Spirit within us we are able to relate to God with new intimacy. The word “abba” as you have surely heard
many times, is the term for “daddy” or “papa”.
These are terms of endearment and love that are used only by those who
have a unique relationship with the person referenced.
We have a special and unique relationship
with God. Like many of you, I may be
deeply involved in some important work.
However, if my daughter said, “Dad, I need you!” I would immediately drop what I was doing
and I would be in the car headed to St. Ambrose. Why? Because she is my daughter and that relationship is unique
and special.
When President Kennedy was in office, his
children were young. Those children
knew that they could wander into dad’s office, the same office that no one
could enter without approval, any time they wanted. They played under his desk, sat in his chair, and crawled up on
his lap. They did this because John
Kennedy was not the President to them.
He was their dad.
That’s the kind of relationship we have with
God. It’s staggering to think
about. We have access to Him at any
time. We can call upon Him at all hours
of the day or night. We have the
confidence that He will ALWAYS take our call and respond to our requests.
THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BRING YOU ASSURANCE
OF SALVATION. (V.16)
The fourth benefit of sonship is an
assurance of salvation. Paul says, “The
Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (v.16)
There is a story about a boy flying a kite. The kite was so high that it had disappeared into the clouds. A man came by and asked, “Why are you holding on to that string.” The boy said, “I’ve got a kite up there.” The man looked up and said, “I don’t see it.” The boy replied, “Well, I know it’s there because I can feel the tug.”
This is what the Spirit of God does for us. We may not always see the evidence that we are a son of God but we will feel his tug in our hearts continually that reminds us that we belong to Him.
IT MEANS WE HAVE A RICH INHERITANCE
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.
We are going to leave the “sufferings” part
of this verse until our next study. For today we want to notice that we are
“heirs” of God and co-heirs with Christ.
We have a rich inheritance ahead of us.
Dr. Boice lists several things that are part
of our inheritance. He lists the
“lesser items” first
· A heavenly home (Jn. 14:1-3). We are reminded that we are only passing through in this world. There is a place that is being prepared for us in Heaven.
· A heavenly banquet (Mt. 22:1-14). We will be invited to feast with God.
· Rule with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12) We don’t know whether this is some kind of earthly rule with Christ in some future age or some heavenly rule
· Likeness to Christ, we will be made like Jesus(1 John 3:1-2)
The greatest inheritance of the Children of
God is God Himself. The phrase “heirs
of God” can mean two things depending on whether God is the subject or the
object. Let me give you an example of
what I mean. If you heard that you were
an heir of a car it could mean that some car had you listed in it’s will or it
could mean that the car is your inheritance.
In the same way we are either God’s heirs or God as our inheritance. I
think the last meaning is the right one.
Our richest inheritance is the fact that we will see God, enjoy God, and
fellowship with God.
How would your life be different right now
if you knew that you had a guaranteed inheritance of one million dollars
waiting for you? You wouldn’t have to
worry about how to pay your medical bills, taxes, college tuition for your
kids. You could take that vacation you
could never afford and you wouldn’t have to worry so much about having enough
for retirement. You could live a little more fully in the present.
In like manner, the fact that we have an
inheritance in Heaven should have a positive impact on how we live now. Though we struggle against the sin nature,
we struggle with confidence and an assurance of victory. We don’t give up. We don’t get discouraged.
Though things on earth do not go as we would like them to go, we are
buoyed by the fact that we have an inheritance in Heaven. This one fact changes
everything.
CONCLUSIONS
We should live with a new confidence.
We have a tendency to mistake what it means
to be a Christian. We look at our
Christianity as a label we wear. We see
the term “Christian” as defining what we believe. Being a Christian is much more.
A “Christian” is what we are. We
are children of God!
The advertising slogan for the Marines is
“the few, the proud, the Marines”.
Those who are Marines wear the uniform with pride. They think of themselves as the best trained
soldiers our country has. There is a confidence
about them that is clearly evident. We
would do well to adopt a similar attitude.
Why should we live with heads hung down? We are God’s children! He
is our “daddy”. Because of this fact we
live with assurance and confidence.
There is no reason for arrogance but every reason for confidence.
We should not be weighted down by the
trials and concerns of this life. We know that we have an inheritance in
Heaven. We know that God is on our side.
We know that He is working for us and in us. This should give us an entirely new perspective on the trials of
our lives. This doesn’t mean things
will be easy or less painful. They will
simply be less overwhelming.
During World War II, the Germans forced many twelve- and thirteen-year-old boys into the Junior Gestapo. These boys were treated very harshly and given inhumane jobs to perform. When the war ended, most had lost track of their families and wandered without food or shelter. As part of an aid program to post-war Germany, many of these youths were placed in tent cities. Here doctors and psychologists worked with the boys in an attempt to restore their mental and physical health. They found that many of the boys would awaken in the middle of the night, screaming in terror. One doctor had an idea for handling that fear. After feeding the boys a large meal, he put them to bed with a piece of bread in their hands, which they were told to save until morning. The boys then slept soundly because, after so many years of hunger, they finally had the assurance of food for the next day.[1]
God has given us a rich inheritance, He has provided His sure promises, and has placed His Spirit in us as a “deposit that guarantees our inheritance” (Eph. 1:14). We can sleep soundly and live joyfully.
If You are Not Yet a Child of God it is
time to respond to God’s invitation
It’s possible that you are here today and
you wonder, “How does one become a part of the family of God? How can I be adopted into God’s
family?”
In the Gospel of John we are told, “to all
who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God— children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John
1:12,13). According to the Bible the
key to being a child of God is to “receive Him”.
To receive Christ we consciously renounce our efforts to save ourselves and choose to put all our confidence for salvation in the work of Christ on our behalf. And it means we agree to trust Him as he leads our lives on a daily basis even though at times we won’t understand.
If you have never made this kind of commitment, I encourage you to do so today. In simple words and with childlike faith say to God, “Lord, I turn from my rebellion and trust Christ alone for my salvation. Place your Spirit in me and help me to follow Him as I live my life from this day forward. Thank you for making me a child of God.” If you are willing to make this commitment, He will adopt you as part of His family and you will be able to live with the confidence that comes from being a child of God.
ÓCopyright 2004 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, September 19, 2004