Rom 8-Abba Father-3-privileges-1

| Abba Father – Part 3Some Privileges of Sonship! Romans 8:14-17

January 28, 2007  (New Century Version) 14The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, “Father.” 16And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children. 17If we are God’s children, we will receive blessings from God together with Christ. (English Standard Version) 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For 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!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.  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 (NIV) Clarification:☞ Adoption implies Sonship. Sonship is used generically.Intro:“Membership has its privileges.”Family ties have their privileges –       When we visit our folks–       When we need help or advice–       When we need a place to stay, etc. We are Sons and Daughters of GOD! (v. 16)God cherishes us as a father and a mother does their child. God, who is love, sets His infinite love in motion to cherish with love such persons who in themselves are hateful, despicable, and condemnable. This love is not generated by the desirability of the object, but it originates within Himself, being desirous to love and to love specific individuals.  (Wilhelmus à Brakel)3The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jer. 31:3 – NIV)3Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ  (Eph. 2:3-4 – NIV) 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.  Shorter Catechism Question 36: “What benefits in this life go with or come from justification, adoption, and sanctification?Answer: The benefits that in this life go with or come from justification, adoption, and sanctification are: The Assurance of God’s love, Peace of Conscience, Joy in the Holy Spirit And growing and persevering in grace to the end of our lives. This week:1. How God is like our human fathers2. How the Holy Spirit impacts God’s children Next Week:3. The difference it makes when one is a child of God 1. How God is like our human fathersJust like a father to his children, God:☞   He has compassion on usPsalm 103:13-14 – 13As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. What does that mean? ☞   He protects us, God watches over His children, as a Father, to protect them from evil. (Ps. 121:3-8 NIV)3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. A father has a special concern for his children…God will not let our foot slip…He never sleeps…There is NOTHING anyone can do to us that is not for our good and for God’s glory. ☞   He Provides for us all that we needMatthew 6:25-33 – (NCV) 25“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 26Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 27You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.28“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 31Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. How many of you, who are parents, would give your children everything they want (assuming that it was not harmful to them?)Teens, how many of you when you baby sit would give the kids you are watching everything they want?But if it was within our power, we would certainly give them something that was a matter of life and death.  |   | Luke 11:11-13 (NIV) 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Brief testimony of God’s abundant provision for us over the years… ☞   He Disciplines (WCF: chastens) us; It pleases the Lord to lead His children to heaven through many adversities and tribulations, in order that they may thus learn to know and feel their sins, be kept humble, be weaned from the world, be stirred up to prayer, be motivated to trust in Him, attentively acknowledge His help and His preceding grace, give all things into His hands and be satisfied with His government. He Disciplines us so that we might:Ø  Learn to know and feel our sins, Ø  be kept humble, Ø  be weaned from the world, Ø  be stirred up to prayer, Ø  be motivated to trust in Him, Ø  attentively acknowledge His help and His preceding grace, Ø   give all things into His hands and be satisfied with His rule over us.2. How the Holy Spirit impacts God’s childrenThrough His Spirit:☞   He leads us (v. 14)(NCV) The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.Explain… ☞ His Spirit assures us that we are His (v. 16) (The Assurance of God’s love)(NCV) the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children.Note: this comes over time, and He brings this assurance primarily through three things:Ø  His WordØ  His PeopleØ  Changed lives ☞ He Gives us Peace of Conscience,1 John 3:19-20 – (NCV) This is the way we know that we belong to the way of truth. When our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God. Not because WE are good… ☞ He Gives us Joy in the Holy SpiritThe ability to be joyful in the midst of great pain…The ability to be joyful in the midst of great uncertainty ☞ He Causes us to grow and to persevere in grace to the end of our lives.The operative word: GRACEJust as we can look back and see the hand of God in bringing us to Himself in the past (or in the present?)… Summary / Review:When we are adopted by God into His family, His fatherhood to us can be seen in many ways through the patterns of loving parents in our present experience.NOTE: the best of human parents is sinful. The best human parent has mixed motives in their love for their children. The best of human parents lacks wisdom in some areas.However, God does not have those limitations.Parents, do you desire the best for your children?So also, you can be sure that God desires the best for His.Do you attempt to do what is best for your children, even if they do not understand or like what you are doing?So also, God, who does not make mistakes, does what is best for His children, which is often not what we might choose or understand.Do you give to your children generously, well beyond what they have earned, or at times, deserve?So also, God delights to give good things to His children.Do you, at times, wish you had more resources so that you could give even more to your children?God’s resources are limitless. The only limit to what God gives His children is His love for them.Do you protect your children from harm, both from their own foolishness as well as from others?Do you think that God would do less for you?Do you hurt when your children are hurting? There are only two times that God, in the Person of the Lord Jesus, wept: for the hardness of people’s hearts and for the sorrow of dealing with death…And yet, don’t you intentionally inflict pain on them at times in corrective discipline?Do you think God would do any less?Children, do you believe that your parents love you?You need to understand that even though your parents struggle, at times with wrong motives or with lack of wisdom, God’s motives are always pure and he always knows what is best.And the neat thing about all this is that, not only are all of these things true for those of us who know Him as Father, He also fills us with Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit! Think of it… He is ALWAYS with us. He NEVER leaves us! A Truth to Remember: God is a PERFECT Father to all those who have been adopted into His family.A Challenge to Consider: Is there an area of your life right now that you are struggling with? Are you willing to trust God to guide you and to provide for you? |