November 1, 2026, Morning Service
Adopted By God
Pastor Greg Isom
Paul, in chapter 7, was very transparent with the struggles he has with his own flesh. The things he wants to do for God, he finds himself not doing and things he knows not to do are the things he does. It is a spiritual battle for all of us and if we aren’t careful, we can simply give up on ourselves realizing we cannot live up to the standard God is calling us to. BUT GOD makes a way for us where there is no way. He knows we cannot do this alone and He wants us to realize that as well and seek Him and His strength to empower us live according to His calling for us. Paul showed us an amazing truth as we began Chapter 8:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
This promise changes everything for me. I don’t have to be perfect and “earn” my ticket to heaven, God will not condemn me as long as I am “in Christ” and “walking according to the Spirit.” Listen as I read verse 2-11 which will get us to our scripture for today and try to soak in all He is telling us.
Romans 8:2-11
We dug deep two weeks ago in what it meant to have the Spirit of God. It is a gift given to us when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, confess our faith, repent of our sins and obediently enter into the waters of baptism. Peter assures us that when we do this with a sincere heart we “shall receive the Holy Spirit” into our life. The Spirit of God within us is a guarantee of our salvation and He is also our guide to open our spiritual eyes to the things of God that our flesh cannot see. It is through the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life that gives us hope of eternal life with God as the Spirit is God living within us. Paul uses this as a springboard to go deeper as he begins our verse 12 with “therefore.”
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Paul explains it so well that we are not debtors to live according to the flesh (seeking only the pleasures this world offers) because all that will give us in the end is death and a permanent separation from God. But we have a choice. We can use the Spirit’s guidance and strength to “put to death the deeds of the body and live.” Notice Paul makes it clear there that we can only die out to our old self “by the Spirit” as it is not a task we can do alone. Paul then hammers the nail home with verse 14 (read). This is a verse that should cause each of us to evaluate who is leading our life’s journey. Are we led by our flesh (my will) or by the Spirit (God’s will)? Is the path we are choosing to follow leading us towards God or away from Him? That is what is so beautiful about this Roman letter, it is constantly challenging us to own up to our faith and make the necessary changes to assure we stay on course.
Now I want to go on a bit of a sidebar regarding being “led by the Spirit.” Something we truly need to have a grasp on, not a total understand of though, is that God is One but in Three persons. It is clear throughout the scriptures that God consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). No one has seen the Father, but Jesus, the Son, became man and dwelled among us. Many people saw Him, touched Him, and talked with Him. He is now ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3) making intercession for us. It is the Spirit that is key for us. The Spirit is like the wind (John 3) and we don’t see Him, but we see and feel His presence through what He is doing. It is through the Spirit that we have a direct connection to God. It is through the Holy Spirit that dwells in us that God opens up our understanding of the scriptures, leads us on the right path, and warns us of danger ahead. The Spirit is our internet connection with God, we must keep it up and running and learn to listen as He speaks to us. Paul tells us here that when we are “led by the Spirit of God, we are the sons of God.” By the receiving of the Spirit in our lives AND yielding ourselves to His control we are assured that we are in the family of God. What does that mean for us? Oh my just when you thought things could no get better, it does!
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
I would be honored to become a servant of God and take great joy in serving Him in that capacity. BUT GOD through His grace has much more in mind for us. When we receive His Spirit and yield our lives to His guidance, God adopts us into His family as His sons and daughters. In Roman culture a child who was adopted lost all rights to his former family but legally had the same rights as a biological child in his new family. Paul show us here spiritually that we are freed from the bondage of our old lives, sin leading to death, and adopted into God’s family receiving all the benefits and responsibilities of being a child of God; life and peace. (Our story with Thomas).
Again however it goes deeper than just the legality of becoming part of God’s family. Notice how Paul says we now cry out “Abba Father.” This is the translation from the Aramaic which is an intimate term for the father relationship. The term may be better translated as how we use “daddy” or “papa” which are names that show an intimate, loving and personal relationship with our father. (Bill Tutttle) Think of that for a moment. God has not called you as servant or simply as a heir to His blessing, but He is calling you to a relationship with Him. He desires you to know and love Him on a very intimate level; one of a loving Father and child.
April and I have a very clear view of what that means from God’s perspective. We have two sons, one biological and one adopted. They are equal heirs according to the law to our inheritance but most importantly they are equally loved by us. We both now know we love our sons the same and have a clearer understanding that God does the same for us.
Now from our point of view as us being the adopted child, IF we have a loving, caring father we can understand what Paul is showing us here. My father was such a man. He loved me, invested in me, encouraged me and was always there when I needed him. If I was in trouble, his presence alone made thing better. I did not have to worry when he was with me, I fully trusted him to guide and protect me. For my father to be the image of God is a great thing I have been blessed with.
However, not everyone has a father like that. Some regretfully have a father who was no involved in their life, was not there to encourage them or may have even hurt them deeply. For those of you with a father like that I truly am sorry and know that seeing God as your Father is a bit more difficult. Your gift is now knowing your Heavenly Father is perfect unlike your earthly father. He will not lie to you and promises to fill the empty void left in your heart. He will be there for you, never leaving you to face this world alone. Learn to delight in His presence and love Him for first loving you and choosing you for adoption. Open up to Him and allow yourself to be vulnerable to His love for you. He alone will fill the hole in your life and be that “good, good Father” you always wanted; to be fully loved and supported.
Actually this is true for all of us and we need to understand what Paul is really showing us here. If we are trusting in our human relationships to bring us true happiness and contentment, then know that there is room for failure. We are all human and we will let each other down, we have great intentions but weak follow through (spirit is willing but the flesh is weak). Knowing this allow your relationship with God to be your foundation. He will never fail you. He loves you unconditionally and gave His all to adopt you into His family. Let Jesus be the lover of your soul, closer than any other relationship in your entire life. Yield to the Spirit’s guidance and love Him back. Follow and serve Him because you love Him for first loving you. Following Jesus is not a religion it is a relationship with a loving Father who desires to be known by us on a very intimate level. It has been His plan all along as Jeremiah quoted God Himself:
Jer 24:7 Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.
God has made a way where there was no way. He desires us to follow Him, know Him and love Him as He does us. Give Him your whole heart and embrace the blessing we have been given to be an adopted child of the God of the universe.