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SCRIPTURE:
Romans 8:11-17; 11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. 12 So then, brethren,
we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 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. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are
sons of God. 15 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!” 16 The Spirit Himself
bears witness 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 in order that we may also be glorified
with Him.
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The central point of Paul’s discussion is to clarify
our obligation. In light of our unique position as Children,
Sons & Heirs, we are Obligated!
Today we look at the first step in the progression toward becoming HEIRS;
it is incased in the cry, Abba!
Father!
A. A matter of
Life
vs. 13b
“ . . . 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.”
Life is precious, with few exceptions, everyone wants to
live. However, some have no perception of life beyond daily existence made
tolerable by all kinds of entertainment and distractions. Even to
religious people the Apostle Paul said, “If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
Christianity offers everlasting life to all who believe and the
assurance comes as we grow in His grace and knowledge. The Apostle John
said “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son
of God does not have the life. These
things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in
order that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1st John 5:12,13
What an encouragement and blessing that is to us! Have you placed
your trust in Jesus Christ alone having confessed your sinful state and
accepted His atoning work on Calvary? John wrote in John 1:11,12;
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive
Him. 12 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, 13 who were
born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.
B. A Matter of
Freedom
vs. 15a
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading
to fear again, . ..”
The Christian has moved from enslavement to sin and
death to a new freedom to enjoy the provisions of Christ. Paul speaks of
the fact that we have moved from children to sons! Galatians
4:3-6; 3 So also we, while we were children, were held
in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fulness
of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the
Law, 5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we
might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
There it is! Abba, Father!
C. A matter of
Adoption
vs. 15b
15b “ . . . but you have
received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba!
Father!” Paul
set forth the same truth to the Galatian saints; see above.
Adoption (huiothesía)
In the NT only: Paul uses the term.
His aim is to show that the sonship of believers is not a natural one but
is conferred by divine act. The term might refer either to the act or to
the result. In Romans 9:4, relating to Israel, adoption is
associated with the covenant and the promises. It means freeing from the
law in Galatians 4:5. In Romans 8:15 freedom comes with the
spirit of “sonship” in virtue of Christ’s all-transforming act. Ephesians
1:5 traces it back to God’s foreordination and thus leaves no room
for boasting. In Romans 8:23 the adoption is future; this teaches
us that we always need God, but also that his purpose does not change. [E.
Schweizer,
Abba (ah'buh),
the definite form of the Aramaic word for ‘father’ (lit. ‘the father’),
properly translated as ‘my father’ or ‘our father.’ Used by Jesus
(and early Christians) to address God (Mark 14:36; cf. Romans 8:15;
Galatians 4:6), the word suggests familial intimacy.
It is a beautiful picture of a personal relationship
with God the Father like a young child secure in the hands of his father.
See John 10:28-30.
John 10:27-30; 27 “My
sheep hear My voice, and I
know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I
give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no
one shall snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My
Father, who has given them to
Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them
out of the Father’s hand. 30
“I and the Father are one.”
If your relationship to God is not as a child to a
loving father, you need to cast yourself upon His mercy and grace.
Christ Jesus died on the cross as a mediator for sinners such as we. All who
come to Him in repentance He gives life and faith to believe.
John 1:11-13; 11 He came to
His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 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, 13 who were born not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God.
If you have never entrusted your life to Him, why not come to Him today
for Salvation. That's the first order of business.
"And
there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven
that has been given among men, by which we must be
saved." Acts
4:12
Please contact
us if you sense your need to come to Him. We can help. (Just
click on "contact us.")
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