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Romans 8:12-18
Bruce Goetshe, pastor of Union Church in La Harpe, Illinois has written:
As believers in Jesus Christ we are children of God. In verse 15 we are told, "those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God". The word the NIV translates "sons" is really a richer term that means "adopted as sons".
In Roman culture adoption was an elaborate process where several things happened. First, the person adopted became part of a new family. His old relationship ended and he became a legitimate son in the new family. Second, as a member of this family, he became a full heir in the Father's estate. Third, all his debts from the past were cancelled. He was seen as a new person.
The idea of adoption is a rich picture for believers. Through Christ we are made a part of the Father's family; we are freed from our old sin nature; and the debt of our sinful past is erased.
The fact that we are made a part of the family of God by faith in Christ carries with it several implications.
I. We Wear God's Name and Must Reflect the Glory of that Name
The first result of our relationship with God as His son or daughter is a change in our behavior.
A. This is our obligation, Rom8:12.
(Rom 8:12 NIV) Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
We are told that we should not live according to the sinful nature because that is not what sons of God do. God wants us to understand that with our new position in Christ, there is a new responsibility to honor our Father in Heaven. We wear His name. What we do reflects on Him. If we truly love Him, we will honor Him in the way we live. Christians are held to a higher standard.
If we keep this in mind, it will give us the added strength we need to be obedient. When we face a sinful choice, it helps to remember that we belong to the Lord. We are children of the King. What we do, reflects on Him. When we face a moral or ethical choice it will help us to remember that our actions speak louder than our words.
B. This is our path to life, Rom 8:13.
(Rom 8:13 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.
There is recognition in this passage that it is the Spirit that enables us to live lives that lead to an abundant life and fulfilling life that carries on after death. The natural thing for man is to be ruled by the flesh (his sinful nature) and that will lead to a destructive and empty life at its terminal point.
II. We Bear the Spirit of Sonship, Not Slaves.
(Rom 8:15 NIV) For 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."
This means we have no need to fear the intentions of our guardian. He is our "Abba", not our overbearing slave-master.
A. He has given us granted us boldness, power, love, and self-discipline by His Spirit to replace any reason we might have to fear.
(2 Tim 1:7-8 NIV) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. {8} So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Robert L. Thomas who wrote the commentary on 1 Timothy in the Expositor's Bible Commentary and observed the following.
This is a significant combination [boldness, power, love, and self-discipline]. The effective Christian worker must have the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8). But that power must be expressed in a loving spirit, or it may do damage. And often the deciding factor between success and failure is the matter of self-discipline.
B. He has granted us the presence of His Son, Jesus, Who has been where we have been, or are, or will ever be, and victoriously.
That is why when we pray in the midst of our weaknesses, we are bound to find God's mercy and grace to help us through.
(Heb 4:15-16 NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. {16} Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
C. He has all the power of the universe to do what needs to be done to bring us to victory.
(Col 1:10-11 NIV) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, {11} being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
D. He has all-knowledge of our needs so that when we don't even know what to pray for, the Spirit does and prays for us.
(Rom 8:26 NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
E. We have God's promises.
(Heb 13:5-6 NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {6} So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
(Rom 8:28 NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
III. We Share a Mutual Acknowledgement with God that We Belong to Him.
A. We know it in our spirit because the Spirit reveals it.
(Rom 8:16 NIV) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
B. We have obtained this position by believing in Jesus' name.
(John 1:12 NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
C. We have received this position due to the overflowing love of God
(1 John 3:1 NIV) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
D. We will be proudly announced as sons and daughters before God in heaven by Christ.
(Mat 10:32 NIV) "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
(Rev 3:5 NIV) He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
IV. We Share a Rich Inheritance with Christ.
(Rom 8:17-18 NIV) Now 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. {18} I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Dr. James Boice has noted three things that are part of our inheritance.
A. A heavenly home
(John 14:1-3 NIV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
This world is not our home. We are mere pilgrims. There is a place that is being prepared for us in Heaven.
B. A heavenly banquet
We will be presented in heaven as the bride of Christ.
(Rev 19:7-9 NIV) Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. {8} Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) {9} Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
C. A heavenly rulership with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12).
(2 Tim 2:11-12 NIV) Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; {12} if we endure, we will also reign with him.
Things will not always go the way we would like while we live on earth. The hope of our heavenly inheritance should be able to sustain us through our darkest and most painful times. Jesus has promised that we shall come through them all into His presence.
During World War II, the Germans forced many twelve- and thirteen-year-old boys into the Junior Gestapo. These boys were treated very harshly and given inhumane jobs to perform. When the war ended, most had lost track of their families and wandered without food or shelter. As part of an aid program to post-war Germany, many of these youths were placed in tent cities. Here doctors and psychologists worked with the boys in an attempt to restore their mental and physical health. They found that many of the boys would awaken in the middle of the night, screaming in terror. One doctor had an idea for handling that fear. After feeding the boys a large meal, he put them to bed with a piece of bread in their hands, which they were told to save until morning. The boys then slept soundly because, after so many years of hunger, they finally had the assurance of food for the next day.[1]
Applications
1. Because we wear God's Name, we must respect that Name and live our lives in a holy and reverent manner so as not to bring reproach on His Name.
2. Because we bear the Spirit of sonship and not slaves, we can be assured of God's watch and care over us. We have nothing to fear.
3. Because we share a mutual acknowledgement with God that we belong to Him, we have no need to fear that He will ever disown us.
4. Because we share a rich inheritance with Christ, we can endure our sufferings and hardships until we receive it in full.
