In my
previous congregation we had a good number of people who had adopted unwanted
babies. One stands out. She was found on the rubbish dump in a plastic bag,
barely alive. A woman in our church, a retired nurse, nursed her with
the idea of making her available for adoption.
This little girl crept into her heart, she had pity on her, and now she,
an older woman, chose to become this little girl’s mother. It reminds me much
of the graphic picture found in Ezekiel 16:1-7. This is how God finds us, when He finds us on
the rubbish heap of sin. He has pity on us. He adopts us as His own.
Are you a Christian? Then I remind you that you too have been adopted.
Once you were not a child of God. Then came a time when you were adopted into the family of God.1 Peter 2:9-10 reminds us,
“But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy. “
1 John 3:1 reads,
“See what
kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of
God, and so we are.”
Here Paul tells us in Romans 8:15
“…you have received the Spirit of adoption [Gr. huiothesia – lit. placing as a son] as sons, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!’”
This
term is only used by Paul cf. Rom.
8:15,23; 9:4 ; Gal. 4:5 ; Eph. 1:5.
Romans 8 is the great chapter on Christian assurance. Here we learn how the Holy Spirit makes the difference in a believer’s life. Our attention has already been drawn to 8:16,
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”.
In 8:15
we find a new aspect of God’s work of salvation in us[1]
: our adoption into the family of God.
This is the first time this doctrine of spiritual adoption appears in
the letter to the Romans.
Romans 8:1 -11 shows us what we have become by God’s grace. A true believer can say,
“I have been justified by faith. I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1)”. Paul continues, “The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (8:2).
The
Christian person walks, no longer according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces fruit. The mind set on the Spirit has life and peace
(8:6).
In Romans
8: 12-17 Paul now focuses on the
practical implications of this life in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces
visible fruit in the believer. Follow
the logic as it unfolds verse by verse…
8:12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
The implication is that you cannot habitually live according to the flesh and claim to be saved. You are a debtor now! How so? You are indebted to God, because He has freed you (bought you/redeemed you) by the blood of His Son. You have been freed from the consequences of sin. Out of gratitude and love you serve God. You are now, like Paul, a slave of God (Rom 1:1). In my childhood we had a family friend who saved a woman from certain drowning in the sea. She was so grateful – she married him!
Mary, whom
the Lord Jesus had delivered from a sinful life, was filled with gratitude to
the Lord. He had received her- unworthy as she was. She literally kissed His feet.
She wiped her thankful tears off His feet with her hair. She poured out all her material riches on Him!
(Lk. 7:36-38). This is a profound
picture of the forgiven sinner. She loved much, because she was forgiven much (Lk
7:47). She felt indebted to Jesus.
8:13 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. Here we find a warning and an encouragement:
(i) a warning : “For if you live according to the flesh you will die”.
Continue to live like a non- Christian, and you will die like a non- Christian! You will not inherit the kingdom of God (see Galatians 5:19-21). You will not be an heir.
(ii) an encouragement: “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”.
“By the Spirit!” You are not alone in this war against sin. You fight sin, and the Holy Spirit helps you as you fight. Killing sin "by the Spirit" means enablement to deal effectively with whatever sin is before you. You are not helpless. You are not a victim of your addictions and your attitudes. As you fight, you are effectively helped. No true Christian can ever say, “The devil made me do it; I am a victim; I am helpless in this fight against sin; I am enslaved to my addictions or attitudes; I can’t forgive, I can’t help doing pornography, I can’t control my anger … etc. “. With the help of God’s indwelling Spirit, you are always able to put to death the deeds of the body, and in so doing you prove that you have spiritual life in you. As a child of God, enabled by the Holy Spirit, you must act in line with the values of the family that you belong to. It is a sign of God’s grace in you. It is a sign of salvation. This is seen in the next verse…
8: 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Being sons of God means that we act in line with our family values. Being led by the Spirit of God means that you are under His direction and enablement. Being led, means that He leads. He enables. How does He do that? He does it by the God-given means. Being the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17), and the Inspirer of God’s Word (2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Tim 3:16,17) we must learn to listen to His still small voice as it comes to us through the Word of God. For this you need a regular quiet time. “How can you expect God to speak in that gentle and inward voice which melts the soul, when you are making so much noise with your rapid reflections? Be silent and God will speak again.”[2]
Do you read your Bible with a quiet heart and with listening ears? This is the Word of Truth which the Holy Spirit inspired. By this book He warns you of the dangers of sin- the very thing that will get between you and your God.
He convicts you of sin.
As your Sanctifier He will lead you through whatever you have to learn under the sun – even your God given trials and sufferings (8:17,18). In this He gives perspective and comfort. He provides, protects through it all. All this is true because you are a child of God.
This leads us into the doctrine of adoption.
8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Here is the doctrine of adoption in full flower. Formerly you were of your father the devil, kept in the spirit of slavery, kept in the bondage of sin, and unable to escape from its clutches. But now,
“you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11)…
The Holy Spirit has
freed you from Satan’s prison of fear. He is the Spirit of adoption, who imprints upon your heart the fact that you
belong to your Heavenly Father and His heavenly family – the ekklesia- the church of God – all the
adopted children of God . And your response is that of childlike joy – you
run into His arms and you cry “Abba –
Hebr. ‘daddy’ – Father!” (see also Gal.4:4-7). There is your safe place!
Your Father’s house!
8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
This is so thrilling! Paul says that there is
an internal witness, an inner assurance in you, produced by the Holy Spirit. He
bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God.
This is not simply a feeling although that is undoubtedly included. But it cannot be subjective, because our feelings come and go. They are unreliable witnesses. Your Father loves you, even when you do not feel His presence or nearness.
This is more than a feeling.
It is not grounded in our subjective experience, which may be here today and not there tomorrow.
It is rooted in the fact that God has done something in me that nothing external can unsettle (see the conclusion of Rom. 8:37-39).
His presence is with His child even though they walk through the
shadows and sorrows of life. Job knew God
would redeem Him, even if he did feel the love and presence of God in his
trials. He knew even in the midst of his darkest hours that God had not
forsaken Him (see Job 19:25-27 - I know that my Redeemer lives…).
8:17 “…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
The fact that Christians are God’s adopted children has profound implications: Our status as God’s legally adopted children means that we become heirs. Ours are the riches of
- his glorious inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:18).
- We will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3) – I don’t think that we can know the extent of what that means. Eye has not seen and ear has not heard what God has prepared for them that love Him (1 Cor 2:9).
BUT please note this - "provided we suffer with him...". The Christian life means taking up your cross (Matt 16:24-26)-
I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.
The
world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back, no turning back.
The fact that we are children of God does not mean that we’re not going to suffer.
In fact, our suffering for the sake of Christ, and for the sake of righteousness, is yet another level of assurance, bearing witness to the fact that we are the children of God. We follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
The glorious truth is that this is only half
of the story. We suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with
Him! It is essential that we always keep
looking forward to the glory - finish line, when we shall receive our promised inheritance - our glorification. That
is the final link in the golden chain of salvation.
Dear Christian, “look to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame….” (Hebr. 12:2). Look to Him. He stands at the finish line and cheers you on.
The
Holy Spirit Himself, who is in you and with you, will give you endurance. Lean
on Him. Keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25)
Let the doctrine of adoption comfort you.
Let love and gratitude for God, for bringing you into His family, motivate you.
Let the Spirit of adoption help you to rest (find assurance) in your Father's promises in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
[1] THE
ORDO SALUTIS ( ORDER OF SALVATION)
1.
Election (begins in
eternity)
2.
Calling (comes in time)
3.
Regeneration ( Being born again)
4.
Conversion ( Faith and
repentance)
5.
Justification ( Right legal standing - not guilty)
6.
Adoption ( membership into God’s
family)
7.
Sanctification ( right conduct of life)
8.
Perseverance ( remaining a
Christian)
9.
Death ( going to be
with the Lord)
10.
Glorification
( receiving a resurrection body)
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