Sons / Servants
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Romans 8:12-17
Romans 8:12-17
INTRO
INTRO
What’s up Youth!
This summer, we are going to be in a series called Letters of Paul
All our sermons will simply be teachings from the Bible that are letters in the NT written by Paul
Here are the books in the Bible that were written by Paul
Some are disputed whether or not he wrote them, but all of these are probable
This is not the order that they are in your Bible, but this is the order that they were written!
Some letters were to cities/churches, some were specific people like Philemon, Timothy, and Titus
Who was Paul? (maybe ask the crowd)
His name was actually Saul, and he lived in the time right after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended to heaven.
He was a Jew, a Pharisee, teacher of the Law
These people did not believe Jesus was who He claimed to be, and they did whatever they could to stop Christianity from spreading
This included sending Christians to prison and sometimes even killing Christians.
The first Christian to be killed for his faith was named Stephen
Saul was there when they killed Stephen:
Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Saul’s conversion:
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Jesus met him, and he was forever changed.
His whole identity changed, literally his name
& he went from persecuting Christians to planting churches and writing books of the Bible!
Today I want to speak out of the book of Romans - my favorite book that Paul wrote!
Romans was written to Christians that lived in Rome
You’ve probably heard of Rome & the Roman empire - it was a huge deal in the time that this was written
BODY
BODY
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.
WHAT DEFINES YOU?
what gives you worth? what is your identity in?
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
if you have receied Christ and experienced salvation - you are a child of God!
Being a child of God defines you!
this is good news, but there’s some problems.
being a child means you have parents, and if our earthly parents aren’t perfect (which they’re not), it may be hard for us to know what it means to be child who has a perfect Father (God)
so today, we are going to see what it looks like to be God’s child in Romans 8
1. Children of God aren’t led by their flesh (v. 12-14)
1. Children of God aren’t led by their flesh (v. 12-14)
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
“debtors” - owing something to somebody
unbelievers are debtors to their flesh
whatever their flesh wants, they do! examples
Flesh vs. Spirit
believers don’t owe anything to the flesh, instead to the Spirit!
we aren’t led by our flesh, we are led by the Holy Spirit
When you are saved, God gives you His Holy Spirit.
“marked and confirmed by the Holy Spirit” -
We just had our daughter 3 weeks ago, Joy.
this week, I received her social security card and Birth Certificate!
I don’t know, if that seems like a big deal - but when I got those it really hit me: I have a daughter!
When you become a child of God, God seals you with his Holy Spirit. It becomes official!
and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
This is a theme in the NT - will a person be led by their flesh or the HS.
For you:
are you led by your flesh (desires/feelings) or the Holy Spirit
PUT TO DEATH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH
bc God’s children are led by the Spirit, not their flesh.
next point:
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!”
2. Children of God aren’t a slave to fear (v. 15)
2. Children of God aren’t a slave to fear (v. 15)
someone who is unsaved, who is not a child of God, has plenty reason to fear!
fear of death - “where am I going to go when I do / what happens when I die?” they don’t know, and there’s no way of knowing!
fear/worries of tomorrow - “I wonder if i’m going to be okay/healthy/have enough?”
fear of failure - they have performance-based worth. “I must do good and make something of myself!”
but a child of God does not have to fear:
assurance of eternal life: 1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
assurance of provision: Matthew 10:29–30 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
worth is based on who God says we are, so we don’t have to fear failure.
ultimately, God’s children know how everything ends. So no matter how bad things get, they do not have to fear.
This chapter talks more about this (great verse):
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Spencer’s version: the pain that you’re feeling can’t compare to the joy that’s coming!
other times Paul wrote about not being a slave to fear:
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
next point:
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!”
adoption - important NT word Paul uses 5 times in his letters.
it means “to be placed as an adult child”
this means we are expected to be adults!
3. Children of God have to grow up (v. 15b)
3. Children of God have to grow up (v. 15b)
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
question: how long have you been a Christian?
how have you grown since you first got saved?
are you still struggling with the same things?
how does your time with God look?
Galatians 4:1–7 “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
** read this in NLT!
when we grow up, we become an heir:
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.
4. Children of God have an inheritance (v. 16-17)
4. Children of God have an inheritance (v. 16-17)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
STUDY —
STUDY —
Romans 8:12–17 “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.”
words:
debtors - owe, obliged to owe something to someone
led - most often translated “brought”
senses: to bring, to lead (guide), to be led (directed)
my thoughts: (themes/ideas)
debtors — we do not owe our flesh anything! you can say no to your feelings & desires.
fear — the spirit of adoption removes the bondage of fear. why? a perfect father is perfectly loving. perfect love casts out fear.
children = heir — we can expect a portion. what is this portion?
suffer — grow up - Gal 4
