Sermon Tone Analysis

| *Family Obligations*!

Romans 8:12-17

January 7, 2007 (New International Version) 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship (adoption).

And by him we cry, /“Abba,/ Father.”

16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

17Now 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.

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) Intro:How many of you would say that we, as Christians are obligated to obey the law?

How many would say that we are obligated to obey God’s law?

How many would say that we are obligated to obey God’s Word?

How many would say we are obligated to obey God?

How many would say that we have an obligation to live according to the Spirit? 1.

A New Obligation2.

A New Family 1.

A New Obligation (vv.

12-13)(New International Version) 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, *Key term:*F    */Obligation/**opheileteôs* – debtor – an /ower/, that is, a person /indebted/; figuratively a /delinquent/; morally a /transgressor/ (against God):—debtor, which owed, sinner.

(Strongs)“Therefore…” – What precedes this verse?Because you are now controlled by the Spirit rather than the sinful nature…Because you have the Spirit of God living in you…Therefore you have an obligation…*Key Question*: *Does the Spirit of God live in you?**We have a debt we cannot pay.

**     He paid a debt He did not owe.*1

Cor.

6:19-20 – You are not your own; you were bought at a price.*Question:*

Are we */obligated/*, as believers, to obey God?*Answer: Yes*, in the sense that He has every right to command us and we have every reason to obey His commands.

He IS *Lord* to all who are truly born again – to those who are family /(more on that shortly)./*Luke

6*:46-49 (NIV)  *46**“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say…?

*47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.

48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.

When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.

The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”Obedience

to the revealed will of God in our lives is a key to being in a right relationship with Him here and now, NOT because His love for us changes, but because OUR love for Him is STRONGLY affected by our obedience, or lack thereof…….

On the other hand, we could say,*No.*

We are NOT */obligated/* to obey God… in the sense that our obedience, or lack thereof, does not determine our standing with God.We must understand that we are not sinners because we sin….

And we are not acceptable to God because we are in some way GOOD enough.

*Titus 3:5* – He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.*Ephesians

2:8-9* – 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast.

*Ephesians 2:10* – For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.We, who name the Name of Jesus, *do* have an obligation, a debt to Jesus that does not leave us the option of disobedience.When we do disobey, we need to understand that this builds a wall between us and God…V.

12 (NLT): “You have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.”*Key term:*F    */Sinful nature/* – the flesh – our old nature – that part of us which seeks our */own/* glory and our */own/* comfort.13

(NIV) For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.This is a re-hashing of what we studied back in August when we looked at chapter 6:11-14(New Century Version) 11You should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus.

|   | 12 So, do not let sin control your life here on earth so that you do what your sinful self wants to do.

13Do not offer the parts of your body to serve sin, as things to be used in doing evil.

Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have died and now live.

Offer the parts of your body to God to be used in doing good.

14Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law but under God’s grace.In other words, if we are followers of Jesus Christ we should live on the basis of what really is the case, namely that, in Christ, we are new creatures.

That which WAS true before we embraced Jesus…As we mentioned last week, the distinction here is between CHRISTIANS and NON-Christians, between those who live according to the Spirit and those who do not.

This morning we are also seeing that this is the distinction between two families, one which we were born into and the other which we have born again into.

2.

A New Family (vv.

14-16)14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship (adoption).

And by him we cry, /“Abba,/ Father.”

16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

17Now 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.*Implication*:

Some of us are, and some are NOT sons of God.*Key term:*F    */Adoption/* – */uihothesia/* (/hwee-oth-es-ee'-ah/)From two words: /uios/ – son and /theo/ – to placethat is, /adoption/ – NIV: /sonship/There is a sense in which we are all sons of God…There is another sense, however, which distinguishes between those who are and those who are not.*Q:

What makes a person a member of a family?*Ø

*Birth* – sharing the same blood-line – Or Ø  *Adoption* – sharing the same nameØ  *(/Marriage/)*Ben HurTeacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family.

One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than the other family members.

One child suggested that he was adopted and a little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted.""What

does it mean to be adopted?"

asked another child.

"It means," said Jocelynn, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."Genetics

~/ Environment ~/ becoming like our mother or father…*Spiritual – birth:**John 3:1-8* - No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.*John

8:31-47* – “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33They

answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.

How can you say that we shall be set free?”34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever….

38I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”39“Abraham is our father,” they answered.“If

you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did….

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested.

“The only Father we have is God himself.”42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me….

47The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.*Spiritual Adoption */(more next week):/An act of God’s grace by which he brings men into the number of his redeemed family, and makes them partakers of all the blessings he has provided for them.

What makes a person a member of a family?Ø  *Birth* – sharing the same blood-line – Or Ø  *Adoption* – sharing the same nameØ  *(Marriage)*Genetics ~/ Environment ~/ becoming like our Father… Summary ~/ Review:Because we are now controlled by the Spirit rather than the sinful nature…Because we have the Spirit of God living in us…Therefore we have an obligation, we are DEEPLY in debt to our Lord and Savior.*Key

Question*: *Does the Spirit of God live in you?*Obedience to the revealed will of God in our lives is a key to being in a right relationship with Him here and now, NOT because His love for us changes, but because OUR love for Him is STRONGLY affected by our obedience, or lack thereof…The other side of this is the question of whether or not we are members of God’s family.

If we are, then we should increasingly exhibit family characteristics.

We represent our family, and in particular our Father.Two questions for us here this morning:Have you accepted God’s invitation to join His family?

If you have accepted this invitation and are confident that you are one of God’s children by virtue of His adoption and His choice of you, then are you living as His child?

Are you seeking Him first and His righteousness?

A Truth to Remember: Being a part of God’s family is a matter means being purchased by God at a price we could never repay.A Challenge to consider: Since we are so deeply indebted to God, are we filled with gratitude and desire to obey Him? |