Romans 8:15...

12 "So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 "because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 "For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 "You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 "The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 "and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” ()

From vv1-17 is a description of life through the Spirit of God.

The Spirit bring life to people who are dead because of sin.

Applying the benefits of Christ’s death on our behalf "What the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,” ()

The Spirit gives us life now by liberating us from the power of sin and death (v. 2), and He is also instrumental in giving us life in the future,

when our bodies are raised from the dead (v. 11).

The Spirit conquers the flesh, setting believers on a new path that conforms to the will of God (vv. 4–9).

Yet believers must not be inactive: they must put into effect the power of the Spirit if they expect to experience eternal life (vv. 12–13).

And by the Spirit’s power, believers become children of God, with all the benefits the status of “adoption” (v. 15) brings them.

14 "For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 "You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 "The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 "and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” ()

So a theme that had not turned up anywhere before in Romans is now mentioned in every verse of this unit.

It’s clearly the new focus, and it’s something that we need to see and rejoice in, as part of our glorious salvation.

What Paul is doing here is telling us Christians about ourselves and who we are and who God is in relation to us.

And he is telling us how we can know this about ourselves and what it implies about our experience.

Here’s the MAIN IDEA: God’s Spirit is poured out into our hearts to confirm and make real our adoption.

Spirit is poured out into our hearts to confirm and make real our adoption.

How does he do that according to verse 15?

He does it by replacing the fear of a slave toward a master

with the love of a son toward a father.

Now relate that to t

Let’s look carefully at v15, let’s read it again. "You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”” ()

In this verse is a two fold work of God’s Spirit.

See first of all THE PRE-CONVERSION work of God’s Spirit.

"You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.

The first part of the Holy Spirit’s work is to strike the fear of the Lord into you.

Listen carefully to "“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...” ()

True wisdom happens when a person first begins to fear the Lord! Then you have Jesus’s words from , "...because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 "When he comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:” ()

The work of God’s Spirit, the Counselor will be prove, convince, to manifest, to convict a person of their sin.

What do we find in the first three chapter’s of the book of Romans? "For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,” ()

Paul is showing that the Gentiles had utterly breached the first table of the law of God.

20 "For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 "For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 "Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 "and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.” ()

20 "For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 "For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 "Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 "and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.” ()

They worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator who is blessed forever and ever!

24 "Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.” ()

Then Paul goes over into chapter two and into a good part of chapter three he spends on the Jews.

They bragged of many excellent privileges they had above the Gentiles; as to

having the law,

circumcision;

to be teachers of others;

Sibbes, R. (1864). The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 7, p. 368). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; W. Robertson.

to have God among them; and

therefore despised the Gentiles.

The apostle reproves them, showing, that in

condemning the Gentiles

they condemned themselves.

Because the church attender, who hears God’s Word,

having a greater light of knowledge than those

who don’t hear God’s Word;

which should lead them to the true and

sincere practice of what they are instructed in.

This is their sin! God’s Spirit convicts of sin.

Then the Spirit of God convicts of righteousness and judgment. Look back to ...

Why want’s Paul ashamed of the gospel? 16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. [and look at what’s revealed in the gospel] 17 "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.” ()

God’s righteousness is revealed in the gospel. And so is His judgment.

1 "Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 "We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 "Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 "Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 "Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.” ()

15 "They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them 16 "on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.” ()

Look at chapter 3 where we find the two themes again God’s righteousness and His judgment.

19 "Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.” () 21 "But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 "The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.” 23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 "They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 "God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 "God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.” ()

So in the gospel, when a person is saved, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, as Paul shows us in his layout of the gospel.

23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 "They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 "God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 "God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.” ()

He drives home to our hearts (initially) that we are dreadful sinners, condemned to be judged for our sin by a righteous and holy God!

This is a terrifying thought!

Go back to chapter 8 again. 15 "You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.

Now that you’re in Christ Jesus, who

paid the penalty for your sin,

taking upon Himself the wrath of God and has

brought you out of that state of dreaded fear of being cast away into outer darkness in hell fire!!

Your status has had a change.

We now look at THE POST-CONVERSION work of God’s Spirit.

You went from being a child of the devil to becoming a child of God!

Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”” ()

Now we’re introduced to the doctrine of adoption.

This is part of the spiritual blessed we receive in Christ Jesus. Listen for it...

3 "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 "For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 "He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 "to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.” ()

This adoption is the truth that we have been taken into the number, and enjoy {did I say “enjoy”?)

the liberties or freedoms and privileges of the children of God.

12 "But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,” ()

We now bear His name upon us as we receive this Spirit of adoption!

We gain access to the throne of grace with boldness to find mercy grace to help us in our time of need.

12 "In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.” ()

Look over to .

1 "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 "We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 "And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 "endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 "This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” ()

We are PITIED 13 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” ()

PROTECTED. says that "His children have a refuge.”

PROVIDED FOR 30 "If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?” () 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” ()

7 "casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” ()

DISCIPLINED by Him as a father... "for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.” ()

yet we’re never cast off! (too many verses to quote)

But we’re actually sealed to the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)

where we’ll inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation!

14 "Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?” ()

3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 "and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” ()

And with all these heaps and heaps of blessing

we set out in our regenerated hearts,

to not grieve the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us!

These are some of the richness of God’s grace towards us!

The overarching privilege can best be summarized as heirship!

Folks may have many children yet only one is an heir!

All the children of God are heirs!

And the purpose of God’s Spirit revealing this to you isn’t to kick back and take it easy in the Christian life!

It’s revealed to grow you up!

A Child-like love to God would be grown.

Part of the design of the gospel is that the love of God would be revealed to us!

There’s a revelation of that love to us!

There’s also a recovery of our love towards God as Father.

So the work of the Spirit is to reveal the love and mercy of God to sinners.

He reveals the way of reconciliation to God by Christ!

May God open up this door of hope for someone today!

As God reveals His love to you as a sinner and that His love, “...has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” ()

It is great love that God will so freely pass by our many offences, and

adopt and take us into His family;

Such that, we no longer fly from Him as a condemning Judge, but have refuge in Him as a pardoning God!

2. A Child-like obedience.

A wonderful privilege that children have is to love, please, and honor their father and mother!

God, as our Father now stands in relation to us in this same way as His children!

God asks this question in , “…if I am a father, where is my honor?”

He does all that can be expected from a father, and therefore we must do all that a child does in honoring their father!

For instance: 14 "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 "But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;” ()

1 "Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 "and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” ()

And as the benefits we have from God’s fatherly love are the best, and greatest, and surest;

In response is calls for the best of returns, in terms of our thankfulness and obedience;

The privileges of our adoption, creates the sweetest and strongest bonds...

which creates the greatest and most joyous need to our responsibilities

that can be laid upon us;

Making it a must that our responsibilities be done in a free and child-like way.

3. A Child-like hope and dependence, not only for joy in this world but mainly for the world to come!

3. A Child-like hope and dependence, not only for joy in this world but mainly for the world to come!

Will out Father withhold any thing good for our body or for our souls?

No He cares for us and meets our needs, as best as He sees fit to prepare us for the world to come!

With regard to earthly things, Jesus says, "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” ()

But God goes way beyond that for the good of His children!

17 "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” ()

1 "For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. 2 "Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 "since, when we have taken it off, we will not be found naked. 4 "Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 "Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.” ()

God’s Spirit creates a longing in our souls for the world to come!!!

23 "Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” ()

This reality, is what holds us and gives us courage in the face of adversity and grace in the midst of trials and difficulties.

This creates joy, even as we fight against sin, the world, and Satan!

8 "Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 "because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” ()

Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014) The Spirit-Led are the Sons of God

The Spirit is poured out into our hearts to confirm and make real our adoption.

How does he do that according to verse 15? He does it by replacing the fear of a slave toward a master with the love of a son toward a father.

So, the Spirit is poured out into our hearts to confirm and make real our adoption.

How does he do that according to verse 15?

He does it by replacing the fear of a slave toward a master

with the love of a son toward a father.

Now relate that to the leading of the Spirit in verse 14.

This is the other question I said Paul is answering in verse 15:

How does the Spirit lead? “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

How does he lead? How does He move us and enable us to put to death the deeds of the body—to kill sin?

Answer: "You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”” ()

The Spirit does not lead by stirring up slavish fear.

He leads by stirring up family affection.

He does not get you to kill sin by making you a slave who acts out of fear.

But by making you a son who acts out of faith and affection.

The Spirit does not lead by stirring up slavish fear. He leads by stirring up family affection. He does not get you to kill sin by making you a slave who acts out of fear. But by making you a son who acts out of faith and affection.

God’s Spirit works by bringing God’s fatherly love home to our hearts and

in bringing our childlike affections for God!

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.