Rom 8-Abba Father

| Abba Father – Part 1The Process of Adoption! Romans 8:12-17

January 14, 2007 (New Living Translation) 12So, dear brothers and sisters,  you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.15So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family—calling him “Father, dear Father.” 16For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. 17And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. PRAY Scripture Memory:You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 () Intro:What is a family? – Hilary Clinton – It Takes a Village…to raise childrenThe family is the most fundamental building block of any healthy society.last week: What makes a person a member of a family?Ø  Birth – sharing the same blood-line – Or Ø  Adoption – sharing the same nameØ  (Marriage) – sharing the same life Implication: Some of us are, and some of us are NOT in the family of God. Preliminary Clarifications:☞ From The Christian’s Reasonable Service by Wilhelmus à Brakel – a Dutch pastor and theologian from the late 18th C. – taken from Romans 12:1☞ NOTE regarding Scripture quotes:☞ Adoption implies Sonship. Sonship is used generically. This morning: the first of four sermons on Adoption1. The Process of Adoption2. The Marks of Sonship3. The Privileges of Sonship4. The Obligations of Sonship This morning: The Process of Adoption – or an overview of Adoption “Adoption is the act of God’s free grace by which we become His sons with all the rights and privileges of being His.” WCF Chapter 12All those who are justified God graciously guarantees to make partakers of the grace of adoption in and for His only Son, Jesus Christ. By this act they are taken into the number of God’s children and enjoy the liberties and privileges of that relationship; they are given His name; they receive the spirit of adoption; they have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are they are enabled to cry, “Abba, Father.” Like a father, God has compassion on, protects, provides for, and chastens them; yet they will never be cast off, but are sealed to the day of redemption; and will inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.  1. The Glory of  Spiritual Adoption2. The Manner of Our Spiritual Adoption:3. The Analogy between Natural and Spiritual Sonship: 1. The Glory of  Spiritual Adoption>  In how our adoption came to beIn Paul’s world, adoption was ordinarily of young adult males of good character to become heirs and maintain the family name of the childless rich.In our case we are adopted DESPITE our character.In natural adoption, the choice is made without knowledge of how the child will turn out.We are adopted DESPITE the fact that God knows us intimately. – Do you rest secure in the Father’s love for you? What is the basis of that security? >  In what adoption brings to its recipientsRoman adoption—which could take place at any age—canceled all previous debts and relationships, defining the new son wholly in terms of his new relationship to his father, whose heir he thus became. In any adoption, the adopted child becomes both the heir and the responsibility of their new parents.In Spiritual adoption, we come under the care of God as our Father, and we become co-heirs with His Son, our Lord, Jesus.Ø   When we are adopted by God all of our spiritual debts are cancelled.He pays off all the debts we have incurred by our sin and our failures in this life… Ø   When we are adopted by God He give us His NameIn any adoption, the child takes the name of the one adopting them. That name is a part of the inheritance every child receives from their parents.To be a child of a king is a great thing in this world. What, then, must it be to be a child of God Himself? What greater honor, what greater heritage could anyone ask for? – And yet, so often we are embarrassed to tell people… Ø   When we are adopted by God we come to share His Nature (2 Peter 1:4)In natural adoption, the child is certainly affected by the environment he/she now lives in. However, in spiritual adoption we actually receive a whole new nature which works in us from the inside out!>  To be a child of God is to be a saint“A godly beggar is a thousand times more exalted and glorious than the greatest monarch who has ever been in the world.” (à Brakel)  The process of adoption reminds us that we are not natural children. By nature we were deeply indebted because of our sin and our failures. By adoption we have become heirs of all the riches in heavenly places. (Romans 8:17; Eph. 1:3)By nature we were children of wrath, justly condemed. By adoption we are now children of the King, with all the rights and privileges that go with it. (Eph. 2:2-3)By nature we are children of the devil. By adoption we have become children of God (John 8:44; 1:12-13)  2. The Manner of Our Spiritual Adoption:>  Spiritual birth is supernatural. (John 1:12-13)It cannot be obtained by wisdom or by courage. It cannot be purchased with any amount of money. It cannot be earned by personal effort or goodness.>  Spiritual birth is by God’s eternal decree (Eph. 1:5). He knew us before the world was even made. Our names were written in His book before we were even born. (Romans 8:29; Rev. 17:8)>  Spiritual birth connects us to God by regeneration (Titus 3:5). We actually become new people, with new hearts and new spirits. |   | >  Spiritual birth connects us to God by adoption (Gal. 4:5). It is a legal transaction. It is final.>  Spiritual birth connects us to God by way of spiritual marriage (Hosea 2:19). We become one with Christ, who is clearly God’s eternal Son.>  Spiritual birth connects us to God by connecting us to the body of His Son (Eph. 1:23). The connection to the head is through connection to the body. 3. The Analogy between Natural and Spiritual Sonship:Between parents and children there is a love which the Greek called στοργή ( storgı); this is a word which we can only translate properly by way of description. It is an innate love, an inner inclination, which spontaneously issues forth from the heart; it can only exist between parents and children, and cannot go forth toward others. This love unites parents and their children with a sense of belonging, mutual concern, and a desire to bless.E  Children delight to be with their parents. A small child, when seeing the mother leave, will cry after her. If he/she misses the mother, he will look for her; if he doesn’t find her, he’ll cry. When he sees the mother again, he’ll run to her and climb into her lap with much joy. If something frighten him, he’ll run to his mother, climb into her lap, and forget his fear. >   A child of God desires the continual presence of God. (Psalm 73:28)>   If God’s Presence seems to be absent, the child of God feels a sense of loss. (Psalm 30:7; 42:2). >   When sin creates a barrier between us & God, we are not at peace until it is dealt with, and then we are filled with praise and rejoicing.  (Isa. 12:1–2). A litmus test: Do you struggle with sin in your life? Do you long to know God and to at peace with Him? E  Children trust their parents implicitly for the necessities of life.>   He is not concerned about food or clothing, but expects this from the parents. Even if the child has very little at home, he would rather have dry bread at home than to enjoy all sorts of treats with strangers in the absence of his mother. >   Likewise children of God trust God for their food and clothing and realize that all good gifts such as that are from their loving hand of their heavenly Father (Matthew 6:25-34; James 1:16-17)A litmus test: Do you find yourself growing in your desire for the bread of heaven? E  Children delight to help their mother. >   They find great joy in their parents pleasure towards them. >   Likewise children of God desire to do God’s will. (Psalm 40:8)A litmus test: Do you find joy in seeing your life used for the glory of God? E  Children implicitly do not want to anger their parents. >   If they have been naughty and the parents maintain somewhat of a distance, the child won’t like this. He won’t stop pursuing them until he has a sense of restoration. >   Likewise the child of God cannot be at peace when they are walking in disobedience. (Ps. 32:3-5)A litmus test: Do you find yourself deeply troubled by your sin? E  Older children are offended when someone makes a disparaging remark about their parents. “Ah, yer mother wears army boots!”>   Likewise the child of God takes offense when God’s Name is slandered. (Ps. 119:32; 139:21-22)A litmus test: Do you find yourself offended when you hear others take the Name of the Lord your God in vain? E  There is a natural connection between siblings, in most cases. A child finds joy in being with them, whereas he is often very uncomfortable with strangers. We can fight intensely with family and yet still be family.>   Likewise the child of God loves other children of God. (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:14)>   They can often sense the difference between a child of God and a child of the world.>   They don’t love each other because we are so lovable, or easy to be with, but rather we love each other because we recognize that God’s children love Jesus and that Jesus loves them.>   They have a common bond with other children of God because they have the same Father, and because they have a common basis for their standing in His family…>   They would rather suffer with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of this world. (Heb. 11:25-26)A litmus test: Are you growing in your love for and enjoyment of God’s people? Do you find yourself getting excited when you cross paths with another child of God at unexpected times? Summary / Review:If we have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then we have been adopted by God and are now His children, co-heirs with Jesus Christ. We bear His Name and share His nature. In Him we are new creatures.He paid all the costs and finalized all the transactions. As such, if we are truly His, we will increasingly see a growing analogy between our relationship with Him as Father and the relationship between a child and his/her parent. A Truth to Remember: God adopted us in full knowledge of all our shortcomings and sins. He has fully cancelled all our debts, past, present and future, and is in the process of conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. A Challenge to Consider: Can you see evidence in your heart and life of the transforming work of the Spirit in your desires and affections? |