Adoption

The word for the night is adoption.

What does it mean to be adopted?

So what does it mean to be adopted as God’s children?

Tonight we are going to look at a passage that unpacks how we know we’ve been adopted into God’s family.

Romans 8:12–17 LEB

So then, brothers, we are obligated not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For 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. For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him.

Lets walk through the passage

Verse 12-13-

Christ has justified us freeing us from our guilt, he has also restored our hearts, and he has redeemed us from our slavery to sin.

Because of this we are no longer obligated to live as slaves to sin.

There are 2 key things to notice here:

First if you live according to the flesh you will die.

Second, if by the Spirit you are putting to death your sins you will live.

Basically, when we are saved it will show itself by us consistently becoming more and more like Jesus. We will want to leave sin behind us.

Verse 14-

Only people who are led by the Spirit are children of God.

To be led by the Spirit means we are growing in our knowledge of scripture and God, and we are living more and more for Jesus.

So what does it mean to be a child of God?

Verse 15-

Paul is distinguishing between people who are and are not saved.

He describes a slave relationship in which we live in fear, specifically fear of death. This is not the relationship God brings us in.

Instead we are brought in as loved children of God. We don’t have to fear being pleasing enough to God, instead we welcomes us in when we are ugly and disobedient and promises to change us.

And not only does He adopt us, He gives us His Holy Spirit who attests to the fact that we belong to Him.

Verse 16-17

This assurance comes in the form of an overwhelming confidence that we are God’s children and makes us look at God as our Father.

But the great thing is if we are children of God, we are also heirs with Christ, if we indeed suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him.