Heir ing things out

Together again

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Cross reference

 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Then it appears if we are called joint heirs with Christ, we legally and strictly have no inheritance apart from him

Spurgeon, C. H. (1861). The Joint Heirs and Their Divine Portion. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 7, p. 436). London: Passmore & Alabaster.

This is not something we can earn or gain by our own morality, as if we are good enough to gain God’s favor; it is purely the work of God’s grace. We are adopted as the Spirit applies the work of Jesus on our behalf.

Jesus was abandoned on the cross so you could be and would be adopted. As a past act we are now children of God with the same standing as Jesus Christ because of what he has done for us. We are no longer slaves to the fear of God’s judgment as orphans, children of wrath ().

We are accepted and loved in the same way and with the same love God has for his only unique Son, Jesus Christ (). So God the Father thinks and feels the same way about you as he does his own unique Son Jesus. What he said of Jesus he says of you, “this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased ()” because of what Jesus secured for you.

This also means that you are as safe and secure in your status before God as Jesus’s status before God. His love for you is not the result of you believing him; his love for you was before time began when he set his affections on you and chose to love you not because you were cute but because of the extravagant nature of his love. Not only that be he also destined us to be adopted, He predestined, giving us a destiny as his children (). This is why every human being has a desire for greatness, for purpose, why we are looking for identity, and struggle with self esteem. But none of it will come by looking at yourself or within. Paul’s praised is based upon his understanding God’s sovereignty in adoption. This is the implication, to the extent that you understand God’s sovereignty in your adoption is to the extent that you will respond in worship and thanks to God.

Our adoption also brings with it a new intimacy (15). “In whom we cry Abba Father,” is the language Jesus used when calling out to his Father in prayer (). When you are struggling or frustrated or feeling insecure, and cry out daddy, Father, it is empowered by the Spirit. This is the language of a child crying out daddy. He develops this idea further, “by whom, the Spirit,” it is not just you crying out but the Spirit in you, crying out. Paul is saying, what I mean is that the Spirit himself (person) bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Paul uses the same language as Jesus because our relationship with God echoes or reflects Jesus’ relationship to God his Father. This language is the language of awareness that we are children of God but also the language of assurance that we are children of God, not based upon what we have done but what Christ has done and applied to us by the Spirit.

And lastly, we have a new inheritance (17). In Peru, the orphans are released from the orphanage when they reach their teenage years, to live on the streets. So leaving the orphanage, with no family to rely on, they have no hope for a better future but only a worse one outside the orphanage. “If we are children then we are heirs and fellow heirs with Christ (17). We get all that Christ has obtained for us, secure in Christ. Central to this inheritance is God himself when get to spend eternity in the presence of God in the new creation. When the effects of sin will be completely removed and we receive the fulfillment of our adoption (23).