July 29, 2012
Morning Service

Paul shared his personal struggles with us in chapter 7.  He is constantly fighting a battle within himself to do the right thing.  He concludes with this thought in 7:24.

 

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

·         We can’t do this on our own.  We are destined to fail, but we also learned that:

 

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

·         There is no condemnation for us in Christ who is walking according to the Spirit.  Each of us who have surrendered our lives to Christ has been given the Holy Spirit to be our helper, teacher, guide and life.  Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you.

 

Rom 8:12-14 Therefore, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  (13)  For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die. But if you through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.  (14)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

·         We owe our flesh nothing, it offers us only death. 

·         But look at the promise here we are given.  If we will die out to the flesh and allow the Spirit to rule our lives, we will be called the sons of God.  This is part of the “newness” of life we can experience after our death at our baptism (Chapter 6).

·         A new relationship with the Creator Himself; His son or daughter.

 

Rom 8:15-17 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father!  (16)  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.  (17)  And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.

·         Paul uses adoption here to symbolize the new relationship we have gained through Christ.

·         Roman adoptions were taken very seriously and carried consequences for the one adopted.

o   He would lose all the rights from his former father and immediately was placed under the total control of his new father.

o   His old life was totally wiped clean including any debts he owed; he was in essence a new man with a new life.

o   He became co heir of his new father’s estate with all of his siblings.

o   The adoption ceremony was always documented by the presence of seven witnesses that could vouch for the new son’s status in the absence of the new father.

 

Let’s compare that to our adoption with God becoming our new Father.

o   The flesh (old man) no longer has any control of us; we have been given over to our Heavenly Father’s control.

Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.

 

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

o   Our past (sins and all) has been wiped clean and we are truly able to walk in the newness of life (born again).

 

Psa 103:12 And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins (MSG).

 

2Co 5:17 So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 

o   We have now become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, God’s own Son.  Whatever God has for an inheritance for Him, we now are able to share it.

Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

 

Tit 3:7 that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

o   The witness in this ceremony is the Spirit Himself being proof the adoption has occurred. (Verse 16).

2Co 1:22 And He has sealed us and having given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

 

Eph 1:13-14  in whom also you, hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of our salvation, in whom also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,  (14)  who is the earnest of our inheritance, to the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

 

 

We have now been adopted into the very family of God.  Nothing we have done makes us worthy, it occurs only by His grace.  Our past has been washed away and “all things have become new.” 

·         Notice in verse 15 we cry to God calling “Abba, Father.”  This is the Aramaic word referring to a father as” papa” or “daddy.”  This signifies the new intimacy we have with God, we lovingly refer to Him as “Daddy.”

·         Along with the “new” relationship come even more promises that our Father looks out for us.

 

Mat 7:9-11 Or what man is there of you, if his son asks a loaf, will he give him a stone?  (10)  Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a snake?  (11)  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him?

·         We have a Heavenly Father who knows all things and will choose the path that is best for us. Through faith we must learn to trust Him more. 

 

Heb 12:6-8  for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."  (7)  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten?  (8)  But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

·         Our Heavenly Father loves us and seeks for us a closer walk with Him.  The only way for that to happen is for us to suffer through trials that prove to us His faithfulness.

 

Eph 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;  (4)  according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,  (5)  having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

·         He chose you.  He also paid a very hefty price to be able to adopt you.  That makes it very easy to want to follow Him.

 

Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.