Good morning, please take your copy of God's Word, which I hope that you have with you this morning, and join me in Romans chapter 8.
To continue our study of Romans 8, Lord willing, we will finish the chapter on Christmas Eve morning. That's the plan as it stands.
We will, of course, still take some time and turn our attention to the coming of Christ and all that that entails, which certainly includes what Paul's teaching us in Romans 8.
I want you to know that these decisions are made prayerfully and thoughtfully with the aim of best ministering to your souls.
So we do hope that you'll be well served, that you don't miss too much those Advent-themed sermons as we continue with chapter 8.
Now this morning we have further opportunity to consider the ministry of the Spirit.
Last week we saw in verses 5-13 that the Spirit, number one, gives us life.
Herein we find the doctrine of regeneration.
That is to say that those who are in Christ Jesus were once dead spiritually, but are now alive spiritually.
Those who are in Christ have been born again.
Secondly, we saw that the Spirit empowers us to live like Christ.
The third person of our Trinitarian God sets us free from bondage to sin and works in us to bring about holiness.
Our justification guarantees our sanctification or gradual growing in holiness.
Now before we press in today's text, I want to briefly address the closing phrase of it at the outset,
a phrase that we will consider, Lord willing, at greater length next week.
And that's this phrase, in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
You'll see that there at the end of verse 17.
And here we find the goal for the Christian life.
I think that John most succinctly sums up this idea of us being glorified with Christ
in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 2, where he says,
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared,
but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is.
When we are glorified, we will be like the perfect, sinless Son of God.
God accomplishes this saving work in our lives by the power of the Spirit.
I'm aiming us there as we're thinking about these ministries of the Spirit together.
Let me draw your attention just briefly to the names used for the Spirit in Romans so far.
Paul's doing this inspiration very carefully to help us understand something of the Spirit's work in our lives.
We see Him called just the Spirit in chapter 8, verse 4, verse 5, verse 6, verse 9, verse 10, verse 11, and verse 13.
We see Him back in chapter 1 and verse 4 called the Spirit of holiness.
We see Him in chapter 8 and verse 2 called the Spirit of life.
In chapter 8, verse 9, and in today's text, verse 14, we see Him called the Spirit of God.
And then we also see Him called the Spirit of Christ in chapter 8 and verse 9.
So the Spirit brings about life and holiness, emanates from God, is part of the triune God, and works to magnify Christ.
Paul says in Colossians chapter 1, verse 27,
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The hope that we will one day be glorified.
Christ indwelling by the Spirit in us.
So with this in mind, let's look at Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 14.
Let me remind you before I read it, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and for our good, and so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For 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.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
And if children, then heirs.
Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.
Provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
I want to show you from our text four ways that the Spirit ministers to us.
I am not suggesting that the Spirit's ministry is delimited by these four things, but I do believe that they are the primary ministries of the Spirit.
They are as follows.
Number one, because of the Spirit, we are led.
Number two, because of the Spirit, we are accepted.
Number three, because of the Spirit, we are confident.
And number four, because of the Spirit, we are rewarded.
So firstly, because of the Spirit, we are led.
Each of these points begins with that because, because verse 14 starts with a four.
Recall that when we see this word, it shows us what Paul is saying is a continuation of what he has previously said.
This is not a disjointed thought.
He is following a logical flow, and so we do well to remember the context as we consider what it means to be led by the Spirit.
The Spirit does give us inclinations about the everyday details of our lives, but this is not what Paul is talking about here.
I don't want to limit that, that there are things we think perhaps we should say that are led by the Spirit,
but that's not what Paul is saying in this text.
text.
So, for or because what?
We're immediately proceeding.
Verse 14 is verse 13.
I love how that numbering helps us.
Romans 8.13 says this,
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die.
But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
It's just after that that he says,
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Paul is specifically teaching that the Spirit empowers putting to death sin in our lives.
The Spirit leads us away from wickedness,
but not away from wickedness just to a position of neutrality,
but also toward holiness.
If you move up the chapter a little more to verse 4,
there we see,
In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
So at the beginning, do not be confused.
Paul is not talking about subjective inclinations here,
but about objective holiness.
If we are led by the Spirit of God,
we are being led to obey the good commands of God.
That's here what he is talking about.
I also want to talk a little bit about the word all.
It says,
For all who are led by the Spirit of God.
And this little word needs some attention.
I will say simply,
Those who belong to God are led by the Spirit.
If a person is in Christ Jesus,
then they are filled with the Spirit of Christ,
and the only objective observable marker of the state of their souls
is obedience to God's law.
There's a lot of confusion about that in our day.
If you are in Christ,
then you have His Spirit,
and it evidences itself in obedience to God's Word.
Don't let somebody tell you that you have to laugh uncontrollably
in order to be filled with the Spirit.
It's not in the text.
You can't find it in the text.
What are we to do?
We are to obey God's Word.
But all who are sons of God
are led by the Spirit of God.
Now we also have to spend some time on this verb,
led.
What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?
Perhaps you will tolerate me a little Greek nerdiness for a moment,
and maybe you'll even enjoy it.
I hope that you will.
The verb led is in the indicative mood,
which describes something as actual,
not theoretical or merely possible.
So, actually led.
It's in the present tense,
which describes something happening
with no reference to its completion.
So, it's happening and happening and happening and happening.
In actuality, going on all the time.
Not momentarily,
not in little spurts,
but all the time going on.
And it's in the passive voice,
which describes an action,
where the action is happening
to the subject of the sentence or phrase,
regardless of the participation of the object.
So, it's happening necessarily to.
You see, Paul is stating
that the leading of the Spirit
is a thing that necessarily
is always happening to the Christian.
If you are a son of God,
then you are led by the Spirit of God.
We don't always follow the leading of the Spirit
in our lives, to be clear.
But you are being led
if you are in Christ.
Christ is in you.
In fact, another way to translate
the Greek verb here translated,
led, is to take hold of.
If we belong to Him,
then by the Spirit,
He has taken hold of us.
And He is aiming us in a direction,
which I mentioned previously,
which is that final glory
that we await.
So, if we are led by the Spirit,
then we are sons of God.
Those led by the Spirit of God,
the Spirit was sent by God the Father
and God the Son
to show that we are sons of God.
The gift that God had given us
proves that we belong to Him.
Here we see the contrast
of two categories of people
and a pressing question.
We see that those who are part of God's family
and by implication,
those who are not.
You are either led by the Spirit
and a son of God
or you are not led by the Spirit
and not a son of God.
To which family do you belong this morning?
Most important question about you.
Are you led by the Spirit of God
to put to death sin in your life
and be obedient?
Do you hate your sin
and possess an innate desire
to obey God's good commands?
Or are you looking for every possible excuse,
any potential justification,
to live your life on your terms?
I want you to keep Romans chapter 8 marked with me
and turn with me to John chapter 8.
It is altogether possible
for somebody to profess faith in Jesus Christ
and not be in Him.
This is addressed all throughout the Bible
and I want to show you
where Jesus addresses it specifically.
John 8 beginning in verse 31.
Verse 31 reads,
So Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed in Him.
Verse 30 says that a number of Jews
had come to believe in Him.
Who had believed in Him.
Now listen,
these are people who have professed belief.
We read that and we go,
of course, they're Christians.
They've become Christians.
Jesus is addressing this very thing with them.
Those who have professed faith in Him.
He says,
If you abide in My Word,
you are truly My disciples.
And you will know the truth
and the truth will set you free.
Now listen to how they respond.
They answered Him,
We are offspring of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How is it that you say
you will become free?
Jesus answered them.
Verse 34,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
everyone who practices sin
is a slave to sin.
Had they been regenerate,
they would already be aware
of this reality.
Verse 35,
The slave does not remain in the house forever.
The son remains forever.
So, if the son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are offspring of Abraham,
yet you seek to kill Me
because My Word finds no place in you.
Like, full stop,
are these people believers in Jesus Christ?
Jesus says otherwise.
Right?
I speak of what I have seen with My Father,
and you do what you have heard
from your father.
Two different families.
They answered Him,
Abraham is our father.
Jesus said to them,
If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works
Abraham did,
works of faith.
But now you seek to kill Me,
a man who has told you the truth
that I heard from God.
This is not what Abraham did.
You are doing the works
your father did.
They said to Him,
We were not born of sexual immorality.
We have one father,
even God.
Jesus said to them,
If God were your father,
you would love Me.
For I came from God,
and I am here.
I am not of My own accord,
but He sent Me.
Why do you not understand what I say?
It is because you cannot bear
to hear My Word.
You are of your father,
the devil,
and your will is to do
your father's desires.
He was a murderer
from the beginning
and does not stand in the truth
because there is no truth in Him.
When He lies,
He speaks out of His own character,
for He is a liar
and the father of lies.
But because I tell you the truth,
you do not believe Me.
Which one of you convicts Me of sin?
If I tell the truth,
why do you not believe Me?
Whoever is of God
hears the words of God.
The reason why you do not hear them
is that you are not of God.
So it is possible, right,
to profess faith
and not belong to God.
What does He say?
If you abide in My Word,
then you are truly My disciples.
Now, if you are in this latter category,
this professing,
but not truly being saved,
it is our prayer for you this morning
that you would repent of your sin
and place your hope in Christ.
Without Him,
there is no hope
for this life
or the life to come.
Would you respond in faith
to the invitation
of the good news
of Jesus' life,
His death and resurrection
on your behalf?
Would you be born again
this morning?
We read a statement together.
It's from our confession of faith,
which originates from
the New Hampshire Confession
of 1833.
We ask the question,
what do we believe about grace
in regeneration?
And I love this succinct
and well-packed answer
that says,
we believe that in order to be saved,
sinners must be regenerated
or born again.
That regeneration consists
in giving a holy disposition
to the mind,
that it is affected
in a manner above our comprehension
by the power of the Holy Spirit
in connection with divine truth
so as to secure
our voluntary obedience
to the gospel
and that its proper evidence
appears in the holy fruits
of repentance
and faith
and newness of life.
Those found in Christ
will be turning
by divine power
from their sin
by faith
to Christ
and obedience
to His Word.
If we are sons of God,
then we are led
by the Spirit.
And I just want to emphasize,
don't turn this into
an experiential,
feeling-oriented thing.
Are you being turned
from disobedience
to obedience
regularly?
Do you desire
to live in a way
that is pleasing
to our God?
Do you,
in a growing sense,
despise your sin?
Do you feel the conviction
of the Spirit
in your life
when you do things
that you ought not do?
If you don't,
I am worried
for your soul.
Repent
and believe.
Place your faith
in Christ.
Because of the Spirit,
we are led.
Secondly,
because of the Spirit,
we are accepted.
Paul says,
verse 15,
chapter 8,
for 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.
I listened to
a sermon this week
by Steve Lawson.
If you guys know Steve Lawson,
you can appreciate him.
You know his voice.
You may hear his voice
in his head.
And he kept saying,
Abba,
and that may be the way
you pronounce it,
but it drove me crazy.
So I'm going to say,
Abba,
the rest of the morning.
Paul here,
with verse 15,
with another four,
elaborates on the idea
of being sons of God
with a denial
and then an affirmation.
He's such a good teacher.
He constantly says,
not this,
but this instead.
He first says,
you did not receive
the Spirit of slavery
to fall back
into fear.
You did not receive
condemnation.
You did not receive
the guilt
that accompanies
your sin,
which rightly
causes you to tremble
before God.
Whether it is present
in your conscience
or not,
if you are not in Christ,
you at your very core
know that one day
you will stand
before your Maker
and you will be judged
for your sin.
If you are in Christ,
then you did not receive
condemnation.
Chapter 8,
verse 1.
But have been delivered
from slavery to sin
and the just punishment
that is due it.
Rather,
you have received
the spirit
of adoption
as sons.
Now,
a small note
about the idea
of being adopted
as sons
for the women
of our church.
You want this
to be true
of you
because in Paul's day
it was sons
who received
the inheritance
of their fathers.
Just a little
historical context
helps us understand.
Today,
inheritances
are most typically
divided equally,
but not so then.
So,
just embrace the term.
We should all
want to be
sons in the sun.
This is a good thing
that we would be
adopted
sons
of the Most High.
So,
if you are
led by the Spirit
of God,
you are a son
of God
and you have
received the spirit
of adoption
as a son.
Paul is the only
Bible writer
that uses
the word
adoption.
He only uses it
five total times
and three of those
usages are found
in Romans.
And so,
this language
demands our attention.
Why adoption?
Why this
particular
word?
Elsewhere in the Bible,
our regeneration
has been described
using the metaphor
of new birth.
made new,
made alive
by this
new birth
which brings us
to spiritual
life.
But here,
as adoption.
And I just think
this is a particular
note,
especially
to where
Paul's case
is headed
as we'll see
in coming
weeks.
I believe
that Paul
means to highlight
the choosing
work of God
in saving us.
Adopted children
are chosen
children.
All of us
love our kids,
our biological kids.
We don't
not want them,
but they were
given to us.
They were
granted
to us.
Adopted
kids
are chosen.
The emphasis
here is on
compassion
and intimacy
and grace
and love.
We'll see this
through the end
of chapter
eight.
Paul
is saying to us
that God
is lavish
in the calling
of a people
for his praise.
Paul presses
with the word
adoption
that we were
once so evidently
not a part
of God's family,
but we have
now been made
a part
of his family.
It places
the work
squarely in
God's hands
and leaves
no room
for boasting
on our part,
but only
reveling
in the saving
work of God
on our behalf.
as Paul
unpacks
the ministry
of the Spirit,
perhaps he
has the words
of Jesus
in John
chapter 14
verse 16
through 18
on his mind.
There Jesus
said,
I will ask
the Father
and he will
give you another
helper to be
with you
forever.
Even the
Spirit of Truth
whom the world
cannot receive
because it
neither sees
him
nor knows
him.
You know
him for
he dwells
with you
and will
be in
you.
Then verse
18 says,
I will not
leave you
as orphans.
I will
come
to you.
There,
the acting
work
of God
the Son,
working in
conjunction
with God
the Father,
by the power
of God
the Spirit
to be with
us
forever.
The doctrine
of adoption
is a
precious,
precious
doctrine.
Paul says,
you have
received the
Spirit of
adoption
as sons
by whom
we cry,
Abba,
Father.
Now,
Abba is
the informal
Aramaic
term
for Father.
He steps
out of
Koine Greek
for a moment
and uses
an Aramaic
word.
Perhaps
a modern
English equivalent
would be
daddy.
It's a term
of affection.
It connotes
tenderness,
intimacy,
dependency,
and a
total
lack of
fear.
We can
boldly
approach
God
because
He is
our
adopted
dad.
Because
of the
Spirit,
we are
accepted.
We deserve
to be
God's
enemy.
But because
of our
regenerating
work in
our lives,
He has
granted to
us the
righteousness
of Christ
and now
we are
welcomed,
open-armed,
!
rise out,
Abba,
Father.
This should
grab our
attention.
I'm going to
tell you,
but can you
think for a
moment where
else you
see this
combination of
Aramaic and
Greek?
Abba,
Father.
When Jesus
is in agony
in the garden
of Gethsemane,
the night
before His
crucifixion,
He prays to
God the
Father in
this way.
Mark 14
and verse
36,
He says,
Abba,
Father,
all things
are possible
for You.
Remove this
cup from
me,
yet not
what I
will,
but what
You will.
I think
that what
Paul is doing
here is he
has in mind
this text
and he
employs this
language in
chapter 8
to help us
think about
the suffering
we'll have to
share in
with Christ.
In verse
16,
he begins
introducing
this very
idea and
the waiting
for and
the longing
for glory
and the way
in which God's
working all
things for
good.
Paul is
beginning to
set us up
to understand
that because
we are
accepted by
God,
we can
endure all
things because
we have an
internal
inheritance in
Him.
come what
may,
Romans 8 is
going to
say to
us,
if God
is for
us,
who can
be against
us?
And he's
drawing our
minds back,
I think,
to these
words of
Christ on
the cross.
These
deeply
intimate
ways of
referring to
God as
our Father.
Now,
you may
have a
difficult time
thinking of
God as
your Abba
Father,
because perhaps
your earthly
father was
unkind or
harsh or
maybe only
extended love
to you
conditionally.
But this
is not so
of your
heavenly
Father.
Praise God
for fathers
that we can
look to,
that are an
example of
what our
heavenly
father is
like,
although
imperfectly.
But if
your father
was not
this,
look to
the text,
your father
is not
God.
Look to
the text,
what does
the Bible
say is
true of
our
heavenly
father.
J.I.
Packer
once wrote
in a book
called Knowing
God,
which I
commend
strongly to
you.
He said
this,
quote,
you sum up
the whole
of New
Testament
religion if
you describe
it as the
knowledge of
God as
one's
holy
father.
If you
want to
judge how
well a
person
understands
Christianity,
find out
how much
he makes
of the
thought of
being God's
child and
having God
as his
father.
If this
is not
the thought
that prompts
and controls
his worship
and prayers
and his
whole outlook
on life,
it means
that he
does not
understand
Christianity
very well
at all.
For
everything
that
Christ
taught,
everything
that
makes
the
New
Testament
new
and
better
than
the
old,
everything
that
is
distinctively
Christian
as opposed
to merely
Jewish,
is summed
up in
the
knowledge
of the
fatherhood
of God.
Father
is the
Christian
name
for God.
Our
understanding
of
Christianity
cannot
be better
than our
grasp
of
adoption.
So
because of
the
Spirit,
we are
led
because of
the Spirit,
we are
accepted.
We belong.
We are
rejoined
with our
Creator.
Thirdly,
because of
the Spirit,
we are
confident.
Verse 16
says,
the Spirit
himself bears
witness with
our spirit
that we
are children
of God.
Our
growing
obedience
to God's
good
commands
gives
outward
witness
that we
are children
of God.
There is
observable
obedience.
But there is
also an
inner
testimony.
But this
is not
just an
inner
small
voice.
You don't
ask yourself
the question
and the
sound out
of the
void
says,
yes,
you are
in fact
saved.
That
inner
voice
in our
heads
may be
fickle
and
easily
swayed.
It
is
rather
the
inner
work
of the
Spirit
to
illuminate
God's
Word
to us,
to
sanctify
our
thoughts
and our
passions,
and to
compel
relationship
with God.
We can
take up
and read
and God
speaks to
us by
His
Spirit
through
His
Word.
Gives
us
conviction
of our
sin,
puts
desires
in us
to change
from one
degree of
glory
to another
that we
might
have
loving
communion
with
God.
Granting
to the
believer
assurance
is a
ministry
of the
Spirit,
but some
people
really
labor
over the
assurance
of their
salvation,
and I
want you
to know
that I'm
with you
in that.
I understand
where you're
coming from.
I think
most often
though,
this is
due to
doctrinal
confusion.
Somewhere
along the
way,
you've
misread
or been
mistaught
what the
Christian
life is
to look
like.
This is
why I
will not
tire of
teaching
the
doctrines
of
grace.
I
will
hammer
them
until
the
day
I
die,
come
what
may,
with
all
their
beauty
and
all
their
complexity.
This is
why I
will not
tire of
teaching
the
relationship
between
the
law
and
the
gospel.
It's
important
that we
understand
the
way
in
which
the
!
law
is
meant
to
convict
us
of
sin
and
drive
us
to
the
gospel
and
then
once
we've
been
set
free
from
the
bondage
of
sin
the
way
that
law
is
meant
to be
employed
in
our
lives
to
give
evidence
of
our
saving
faith.
Now
when I
was a
young
teenager
I
believe
I
was
converted
at a
very
young
age
and
I
when
we
moved
to
Georgia
I
went
to
a
church
that
was
a
rather
a
large
church
that
in
many
ways
was
trying
to
manufacture
revival
many
years
later
I
can
look
back
on
it
with
some
clear
minded
scrutiny
but
there
were
times
I
sat
and
I
just
wasn't
sure
am
I
a
Christian
I
didn't
have
assurance
in
those
days
and
what
was
often
told
to
me
you
all
have
heard
this
the
pastor
there
would
say
if
you
ever
doubt
that
you're
a
Christian
he
would
say
turn
to
the
front
of
your
Bible
to
the
place
where
you
wrote
down
the
date
that
you
walked
the
aisle
and
have
assurance
this
was
really
problematic
for me
because
I
hadn't
written
a
date
down
in
the
front
of
my
Bible
I
turned
to
the
front
of
it
and
there
was
no
my
handwriting
in
the
front
of
my
Bible
and
frankly
I'm
glad
there
wasn't
because
it
would
have
been
a
very
paltry
place
to
put
my
assurance
I
didn't
need
pragmatic
decisionism
I
didn't
need
him
to
say
you
did
this
one
thing
one
time
therefore
you're
a
Christian
I
needed
biblical
instruction
in
assurance
I
needed
him
to
say
have
you
ever
doubted
that
you're
a
Christian
let
me
take
you
to
the
word
let
me
show
you
how
you
can
know
that
you're
in
Christ
just
one
example
and
I
want
to
exposit
this
whole
thing
but
I
don't
have
time
for
it
I
wish
he
had
taken
me
to
a
text
like
1
John
chapter
5
verses
1
through
5
there
the
apostle
John
writes
everyone
who
believes
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ
has
been
born
of
God
and
everyone
who
loves
the
father
loves
whoever
has
been
born
of
him
right
I'm
sitting
there
going
I
believe
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ
and
what
am
I
supposed
to
do
with
that
information
love
the
church
I
do
love
the
church
I
love
!
these
people
who
are
professing
faith
in
Christ
verse
2
by
this
we
know
that
we
love
the
children
of
God
when
we
love
God
and
we
obey
his
commandments
I
don't
obey
his
commandments
perfectly
but
I
want
to
obey
his
commandments
I
find
in
me
that
I
am
obeying
imperfectly
but
some
of
those
commandments
I
see
a
desire
and
a
growing
ability
to
do
so
verse
3
for
this
is
the
love
of
God
are
not
burdensome
for
everyone
who's
been
born
of
God
overcomes
the
world
and
this
is
the
victory
that
has
overcome
the
world
our
faith
who
is
it
that
overcomes
the
world
except
the
one
who
believes
that
Jesus
is
the
Son
of
God
man
I
needed
to
sit
on
this
and
think
about
it
and
he
wouldn't
have
read
it
to
me
and
I
wouldn't
have
gone
hey
assurance
but
I
need
help
in
this
process
I
need
to
be
reminded
that
if
I
belonged
to
Christ
then
there
was
nothing
I
could
do
to
stop
that
if
he
justified
me
he
would
sanctify
me
Thomas
Brooks
once
said
Puritan
pastor
this
is
on
the
back
of
your
bulletin
Christ
is
to
be
answerable
for
all
those
that
are
given
to
him
at
the
last
day
and
therefore
we
need
not
doubt
but
that
he
will
certainly
employ
all
the
power
of
his
Godhead
to
secure
and
save
all
those
that
he
must
be
accountable
for
if
you
belong
to
Christ
he
will
see
you
to
the
end
that
is
the
instruction
that
I
needed
because
of the
spirit
I
want
you
to
know
this
morning
beloved
we
are
confident
we
can
be
confident
you
need
to
be
taught
how
to
be
confident
how
to
be
assured
in
Christ
so
we
are
led
we
are
accepted
we
are
confident
and
lastly
and
briefly
we
are
rewarded
and
if
children
then
heirs
of
God
and
fellow
heirs
with
Christ
provided
we
suffer
with
him
in
order
that
we
may
also
be
glorified
with
him
so
briefly
as
we
will
pick
this
up
Lord
willing
again
next
week
if
we
are
children
then
we
are
heirs
of
God
we
have
an
inheritance
that
awaits
us
and
it
is
a
great
inheritance
because
that
inheritance
is
God
himself
if
your
eternal
mindset
stops
at
streets
of
gold
and
mansions
then
it
stops
too
low
we
will
have
God
and
we
will
have
God
forever
and
there
is
no
greater
inheritance
that
he
can
grant
us
than
himself
just
listen
briefly
to
the
testimony
of
a
number
of
Bible
writers
the
testimony
of
Asaph
in
Psalm
73
and
verse
25
there
he
says
to
God
whom
have
I
in
heaven
but
you
and
there
is
nothing
on
earth
that
I
desire
besides
you
and
Jeremiah
and
lamentations
chapter
3
and
verse
24
he
says
the
Lord
is
my
portion
which
means
satisfaction
therefore
I
will
hope
in
him
and
the
apostle
John
in
Revelation
chapter
21
and
verse
3
records
for
us
that
he
heard
a
loud
voice
from
the
throne
saying
behold
the
dwelling
place
of
God
is
with
man
he
will
dwell
with
them
and
they
will
be
his
people
and
God
himself
will
be
with
them
as
their
God
himself
is the
greatest
and highest
good
and our
restoration
to him
forever
is the
very point
of the
gospel
and the
ministry
of the
spirit
so because
of the
spirit
we are
led
we are
accepted
we are
confident
and we
are
rewarded
let's
pray
together