The Delights of the Spirit Life

Romans 8:14-17

As we are going verse by verse through Romans, Chapter eight tells us of the life we live through the Holy Spirit.

When we live yielded to the Holy spirit we see our deliverance from the Sentence of Sin, the Slavery of Sin and the Susceptibility of Sin.

When We yield to the Holy Spirit we see the Difference this new life makes in us.

There is a difference in the mind of the believer, the method the believer uses and the actions of the believers members.

Today we are looking at verses 14-17, and we want to look at the Delights of the Spirit life.

I have known a number of people who were adopted as children.

Some were removed from very bad homes.

Homes where they were not cared for, sometimes homes that just could not take care of them.

Sometimes from a foreign country where compared to the families in America their birth family was extremely poor.

Imagine being in a family where you were abused, mistreated, had no hope for a future.

Then imagine what it would be like if a family came and adopted you and moved you into (comparatively) a mansion, and gave you all the food you could eat, all the toys you could desire, and set you up with a college fund, and a prospect for a good future.

We as Christians, have much more.

We have been adopted by God, we have every thing we could need available to us, we have the promise of the best future.

As Paul goes further into the eighth chapter he is illustrating how much better the Spirit life is from the Old life.

We have been brought into the family of God.

What are the delights of the Spirit Life?

I. The Delight of Our Adoption

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

A. We Have a New Family

Verse 14 says, we are “the sons of God.”

We have been removed from the family of Adam, and have been placed into the family of God.

We are His children.

1 John 3:1–3 KJV

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

One day we will be like our new Father, Pure even as He is pure!

verse 14 tells us if we are led by the Spirit of God, we are the sons of God.

This isn’t a condition, it is just saying when you are in the family you begin to act like the family.

Many children grow up to look and sound just like their parents.

They word things similarly, they develop some of the same traits.

Throughout my life I have known quite a few large families.

It’s amazing to me how you can spot one of those family members and tell they are one of that family by their physical characteristics and mannerisms.

The same is true for us Christians.

When we are led by the Spirit, we begin to act like the Father.

The Holy Spirit does a work in our lives, the work of Sanctification.

He works on our character and our mannerisms and changes them to be more like Christ.

So we have a new family, which of course means...

B. We Have a New Father

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

We have been delivered from bondage and we have been adopted by our Father.

We are not second class children, although the only begotten of the Father is high and lifted up.

But the Father does not love us any less.

My brother tried to convince me that I was adopted at times, as a way of saying I wasn’t as important.

I think most older siblings try this.

Adopted reminds us in our society that they were not born into the family.

But things were very different in ancient Rome.

To be adopted was a great privilege.

In the ancient world the family was based on a Roman law called “patria postestas” or the father’s power.

The law gave the father of the family absolute authority over his children so long as the father lived.

He could work them, enslave them, sell them, and even pronounce the death penalty over them.

It didn’t matter how old the child was, the father held all power over the child’s person and property.

So adoption was a serious matter.

But it was very important to make sure that a family name would not go extinct, in case no heir could be made in the family.

When a child was adopted, three legal steps were taken:

1. The adopted son was adopted permanently.

He could never be disinherited.

He became a son of the father forever.

He was eternally secure as a son.

2. The adopted Son immediately had all the rights of a legitimate son in the new family.

3. The adopted son completely lost all rights in his old family.

The adopted son was looked upon as a new person.

This even meant old debts or obligations connected to his old family were made as though they never existed.

We have been taken out of the family of Adam and adopted into Jesus.

We now have a new family, which means we have a new Father, Then also...

C. We Have a New Freedom

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

As the children of God we have been delivered from the bondage and influence of the flesh.

We no longer have to be driven by Satan or this World.

We are to be led by the Spirit of God.

We have been delivered from the authority of our previous family, to the authority of our new.

With this comes new freedom, and a new relationship

We are so close that we can address our Father as Abba, Daddy.

The name implies and intimacy and dependence and a complete lack of fear.

It is the delight of our Adoption.

II. The Delight of Our Assurance

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Not only has He given us a new family, but we have been given the assurance that we are His by the Work of the Holy Spirit.

We see this through...

A. Our Communion with the Spirit

The child of God has the wonder and privilege to commune with the very Spirit of God.

John 14:16–18 KJV

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 16:13–15 KJV

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

What a privilege and delight to be able to commune with the Holy Spirit daily.

The Spirit of God leads us, guides us teaches us helps us to live our life to the glory of the Father.

But not only is our Communion with the Spirit, but also we see

B. Our Confidence In the Spirit

When we commune with the Spirit of God, it gives us the confidence and the assurance that we are the Sons of God.

We have been genuinely saved.

He speaks to your heart.

He tells you of the things of God

He guides you in the way of life.

He warns you when we stray

He convicts us when we sin

He feeds us through His Word.

He comforts us when we hurt

He teaches us the truth, and applies it to our needs.

If you do not see any of this in your life…you need to examine your salvation.

What a Delight it is to know, that we know, that we know that we are the Child of God!

We see the Delight of Our Adoption

We see the Delight of Our Assurance

III. The Delight of Our Affluence

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are heirs, heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ.

Notice what this verse teaches us about our standing in Christ:

A. Our Privilege

We are heirs of God.

Everything the Father has is at our disposal, upon His approval!

Psalm 50:10–12 KJV

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: And the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

He loves us and doesn’t want things to ruin us, so he will only give us what we need, but he does spoil us a little, doesn’t he…at least from time to time.

But we have this great resource available to us because we are the heirs of God.

Philippians 4:19 KJV

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Our Father is able to meet our need far greater than we could ever know…no matter how big the need seems.

God is greater!

Luke 12:32 KJV

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

My Father is rich in houses and land, He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands! Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

Refrain: I’m a child of the King, A child of the King, With Jesus my Savior, I’m a child of the King.

We see our privilege

Secondly,

B. Our Portion

Not only we heirs of God, but we are joint-heirs with Christ.

Literally means an equal share.

joint heirs is a compound Greek word, synkleronomos.

Syn - meaning equal or same.

How could it be possible that we could be seen as the child of God just the same as The Only Begotten of the Father?

Oh Jesus is different, don’t get me wrong...

Philippians 2:9 KJV

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

But we have been saved - declared to be the sons of God- and given a standing before God as His son, the same as Jesus is.

Oh What a Privilege, and what a portion is ours!

Thirdly see the delight of

C. Our Promise

“if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

As we go through life we will go through a number of difficult trials.

It will feel as though the Father has forsaken us, it did for Christ.

Matthew 27:46 KJV

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

But the Father is there, there was a purpose for Jesus feeling the absence of God…or so it seemed.

But Psalm 22, the great messianic Psalm that foretold of Christ’s words on the cross that I just read, also says,

Psalm 22:24 KJV

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither hath he hid his face from him; But when he cried unto him, he heard.

But there are times we will feel alone, when we cry out, God hears us…but there are times that withholds his help so that we may grow.

A baby who is learning to walk is guided by the parent holding on to their fingers.

But there comes a time when the child looks around and the father is not right there to guide, the child doesn’t feel the hands of the father.

But in these times the child grows and takes his first steps on his own.

Growth often happens in silence.

But we are never alone.

We are never forsaken even when we’re alone!

The fullness of what these verse speak of as our inheritance will not be seen until we reach our new home in heaven.

We will see then just how rich we are!

Listen as I read from Revelation and picture, if you can, our inheritance.

Revelation 21:1–22:5

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

What an inheritance!

Oh the delights of the Spirit Life!

The delight of Adoption

we are His!

The Delight of Assurance

If you do not have this assurance from the Holy Spirit, talk to the Father today!

The Delight of Our Affluence

Every need He will Provide!