We're going to have the Bible reading now.
So this morning we are reading from Romans chapter 8, verses 12 to 17.
Romans 8 and verse 12.
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.
Good morning, my name's Dave. I'm one of the pastors here.
I just need to get something out of the way, otherwise Simon and Matt won't listen to a word of this sermon.
Yes, I've got a new polo shirt.
They say I've got a preaching shirt. It's $15.
Now these guys can listen. That's great.
All right. Why don't we pray as we come to God's word.
Lord, as we just sung, my prayer is that for each one of us,
you would increase our vision of you.
We need spiritual eyes to see you as you are.
Lord, we spend our days trying to prove ourselves to others and even to you.
I pray that you would show us the folly of that and how we don't need to do that.
And Lord, other times, and for some, this is a daily battle where we're just barely hanging on,
thinking you can't be pleased with us.
Lord, I pray that you would deeply assure us of your love today through your word.
I know my words are weak, but I pray that your powerful word would speak to each one of us.
Give us ears to hear.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Well, I'm going to try and remind us of what we've seen in Romans 8 so far with a scenario.
It's not real, but imagine you lived in a time and place that wasn't in a democracy,
but under an absolute monarch, a king who is good and powerful.
But you've spent your days murmuring against this king, his right to rule you,
just murmuring, publicly breaking his laws.
You've spent your days inciting others and applauding others who break his laws.
You've spent your days harming his citizens.
You're a real bad egg.
And one day you're caught, and this good and powerful king has all authority
to send you to be hanged for permanent, solitary confinement.
You've got no excuse.
You've got no defense.
There's no path to appeal.
He is the Supreme Court.
Tomorrow you've got to face him to give an account.
I doubt you'd get much sleep, would you?
Your only plan is to plead for a second chance.
Give me a second chance to prove myself that I can be a law-abiding citizen.
The charges are read out against you, and you forget some of the things you've done,
and they're read out.
Some of the horrible words and deeds, and finally the king says,
no, I won't give you a second chance to prove yourself.
As of that moment, as of this moment, I forgive all your crimes.
I will pay any debt myself.
Before all my kingdom, I declare you innocent.
No one is to harm you.
I will never condemn you.
Now that's something.
I know this is a pretty poor illustration, but that's something of the picture of our justification.
It's a pure gift.
Now this king is so good and so powerful, he can even change your heart,
the seat of your deepest desires, your will, your hopes.
In place of your rebellious spirit, I give you my very own spirit.
He will empower you to freely choose, freely choose, to walk in my ways.
That's something of our sanctification.
We are under this new influence in our lives.
We don't have to fear being on the wrong side of the law again,
because the law is helping us.
The one in charge is with us, empowering us.
A new way of thinking.
Now if that's all the king had done for you,
you would spend your days owing him your love, your devotion, your gratitude.
You would have so much reason to tell anyone about the mercy of this king.
You'd have every reason to praise him.
But he's got more to say.
I don't want you to only be a loyal, law-abiding citizen.
Today I adopt you.
Where'd that come from?
I adopt you.
You have every legal right and privilege,
including my inheritance as my heir.
Treat my palace as your home.
You are always welcome to come speak to me day or night.
My entire kingdom I share with you.
Go, live, work, representing me as a son.
We come today to the most wonderful reward that Jesus' death and resurrection has purchased for us.
Our adoption.
It is from this status of being adopted,
which we receive any and all privileges and blessings from God.
It is the best gift and it's the gift that we get everything else with and through.
So those who live according to the Spirit,
set their mind on the things of the Spirit,
and the Spirit changes how we think.
And what we're going to see today,
the Spirit changes how we think about ourself,
our old life,
our old fleshly life.
And the Spirit changes how we think about God.
The Spirit leads you to be killing your flesh
and the Spirit assures you
that the Father has adopted you.
You share the Son's life.
Now I believe
the first happens by the second.
We're going to come to this.
But leading us to kill the flesh,
I think happens by the assurance
that we really are children of God.
I hope you've got your Bibles open, by the way.
And if you're on your phone
and some notifications are popping up,
shut it off.
Listen to God's Word.
Listen to God.
There's a scene in the movie
The Best of Enemies,
which I just found really confronting.
I don't know what the word is.
But The Best of Enemies,
it's based on a true story.
North Carolina in America in the 70s.
So racism was rife.
And after the Ku Klux Klan leader
speaks against,
in this public meeting,
speaks against a proposal
to let black children
integrate into white schools,
an African-American man
stands up
and says,
brother.
Now everyone is shocked
that he called him brother.
And the African-Americans in the room
are enraged.
How dare you call this man
who hunts and persecutes his brother?
Now,
I think there's something of,
when Paul says in verse 12,
so then brothers.
Like he's a Jew
speaking to Jews and Gentile Christians.
And the division between Jew and Gentile
was as heavy a hostility
as we're seeing in Israel, Palestine.
There was utter hatred.
So Paul,
let's just,
I don't want to skip over the word brother.
It's not a filler word.
There are no filler words in scripture.
He means it.
He uses brother
every time he addresses his readers
in this letter,
19 times.
It's a very serious
and wonderful word.
So this part of God's word,
it's addressed to brothers and sisters.
If you love Jesus
as your life,
your hope,
this word,
and I'm going to be speaking
this sermon to you.
But I just want to say
at this point,
if you're still searching for God,
can I just invite you
to please listen?
Listen,
I think
this passage
will show you
the heart of God.
He hates religion.
The heart of God,
he wants to give his life
as a pure gift,
all his life.
So I invite you to listen.
So brothers,
sisters,
the Christian life
is a supernatural one.
It's a supernatural experience,
24-7.
It doesn't feel like it
all the time, does it?
It feels pretty ordinary.
What we're doing now
feels pretty ordinary.
Our sufferings feel like
we're being ground
into the dirt.
But the Christian life
is a transcendent life,
24-7.
The third person
of the triune God
dwells in you.
You are in him.
It is a supernatural life.
As I've seen,
the spirit creates
a new mindset,
a new way of thinking.
And it results
in a new lifestyle
that actually produces
real love.
Not an imitation love.
It's not us
pretending to be God
because it's God
actually producing it in us.
It's real love.
It's not full yet.
We want it to be.
It's partial.
But it's real.
It actually fulfills
his law.
The Christian life
is a supernatural experience.
And it doesn't often
feel that way
and we don't automatically
think that way
which is I think
why Paul starts
with a warning.
So then,
brothers,
we're debtors.
We've got an obligation.
It's not to the flesh.
It's not.
It's not to the flesh.
Our flesh makes us feel like
we have to obey it
to be satisfied,
to be who we are.
But we've got no obligation there.
It's the Spirit
who sets us free from sin.
The Spirit indwelling us.
Setting our minds
on spiritual things,
real things.
Enabling us
to fulfill the law of love.
It's the Spirit
who leads us.
It's the Spirit
who puts to death
the deeds of the body
so that we live.
It's the Spirit
who will one day
resurrect our physical bodies.
It's the Spirit
who testifies to our adoption.
Our life
is in the Spirit.
Our obligation
is in the Holy Spirit.
That's where life is.
Life and peace.
Flesh,
no obligation.
Only leads to death.
Now, flesh,
I don't think it's about
physical bodies
per se,
although
the body
is like a diseased
body
where sin is
in it
and we need
a new body.
But it's
a deeper concept
than that.
Paul seems to use it
that
the flesh
is more to do
with a universal
human nature,
a disposition
where we're hostile
to God
as we saw
in previous verses.
We can't submit
to God.
His law comes
and it incites
us the more sin.
So the body
isn't
bad.
God created
the body good.
We're told in chapter 6
to offer our members,
offer your mind,
offer your eyes,
offer your hands
as instruments
for righteousness.
So it's not,
we've got to be clear,
the body isn't bad.
So this flesh
is more about
being hostile
to God.
Now I think
when we think
about hostility
to God,
I think there's
two ways
this can
show itself.
One is
the more obvious
kind of
self-reliant
way.
I think
it's summed up
pretty well
by the song
you hear
at a lot
of funerals,
Frank Sinatra.
I did it
my way.
Regrets?
I've had a few,
but then again,
too few
to mention.
Really?
Too few?
Are you talking
about yesterday
or are you talking
about a lifetime?
Too few to,
anyway,
sorry.
Maybe your life
is a lot
better than mine.
For what is a man?
What has he got?
If not himself,
then he has
naught.
Let the record
show
I took all
the blows
and did it
my way.
Okay,
there's that spirit.
There's that
hostile to God.
But I think
hostility
toward God
has to also
include
Paul's
religious
zeal
that he
wants
to
prove
himself.
I think
it's hostile
because if
God says
you need
his son's
blood
and you
throw that
in his face
and say,
I've got
this,
I think
that's
hostility.
I think
Colossians 2,
at the end
of Colossians 2,
it's a really
amazing verse
where it
just goes,
you think
religion
can make
you good?
All these
rules,
do not
taste,
do not
touch,
and then it
finishes with
this verse,
these have
indeed an
appearance,
an appearance
of wisdom
in promoting
self-made
religion
and the
severity
of the
body,
but they
are of
no value
in stopping
the indulgence
of the
flesh.
That's
incredible.
All these
rules,
no value
in stopping
the flesh.
You might
not commit
adultery,
but the
fantasies
and the
lusts of
your thoughts
you might
not yell
and use
swear words,
but it's
bitter
resentment
against
another
image-bearer
of God
in your
heart,
filling
your soul.
So I
think there's
a religious
hostility,
self-reliance,
and the
more obvious
just get
rid of
God,
self-reliance.
self-reliance,
self-ratifying,
self-protecting
flesh,
and it
feels like
we must
satisfy its
desires to
be content.
But
brothers and
sisters,
however strong
the demands
feel,
we owe
nothing to
it.
It only
leads in
death,
leads to
death,
verse 13.
As John
Owen famously
put it,
be killing
sin,
or sin
will be
killing you.
Be killing
sin,
or sin
will be
killing you.
Now do you
find verse 13
terrifying?
How on earth
does this
condition,
based on what
you do or
don't do,
in order to
get life,
which in
context here,
I think has
to mean
eternal life,
how does that
fit with the
assurance of
verse 1?
There is
therefore now
no condemnation
for those who
are in
Christ Jesus.
Now if
you're
overwhelmed by
fear at
this point,
whenever you
hear a
warning in
scripture,
can I
encourage you,
don't try
and handle
that by
moving away.
I think the
answer is go
further into
the passage,
make sure you
understand it
in its
detail.
Look at
those little
words for
in verses
14 and
15,
they are
giving the
reasons,
why?
So for
all who
are led by
the Spirit
of God
are sons
of God.
And sons
here,
just think
firstborn
inheritance,
so that
captures sons
and daughters.
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.
The Spirit
given to us
is not like
living under
the covenant
of law,
based on
what you
do,
you live
or die.
It's one
of assurance
and security.
So however
you read
verse 13,
it can't
be to
incite
that kind
of fear.
So we're
going to
ask,
how does
the logic
work?
I don't
think it's
immediately
apparent how
verse 13
fits with
verse 14.
all who
are led
by the
Spirit
of God
are sons
of God.
And I
think we
get ourselves
into trouble,
maybe we
have false
assurance if
we give our
own definition
of led
here.
What does
being led
by the
Spirit
mean?
I think
we just
insert our
own definition
rather than
letting Scripture
tell us.
Some look to
supernatural gifts
like speaking
in tongues,
others might
think of
led as
in guidance,
the Spirit
is telling
me to
call so
and so
this afternoon.
Now the
Spirit
might,
he might
do that,
but is
that what
the definition
of led
is here?
The Spirit
is guiding
me to
marry this
person,
to invest
in this
whatever.
The most
obvious
definition
of led
is the
preceding
verse,
verse 13.
The Spirit
leads us
to put
the deeds
of the
body
to death.
So whenever
our minds
and our
eyes and
our tongue
are about
to be
offered to
sin,
the Spirit
leads us
in violence.
Violence
against
ourselves.
If you
want eternal
life,
you must
be violent.
That's a
weird thing
to say,
isn't it?
You must
be violent.
Not
against
other
people.
If you're
online,
slandering
people in
the name
of Jesus,
like,
no,
don't say
the Spirit's
leading you
to do
that.
Not
against
other
people.
Not
violent
against
society
and the
world
at large.
Some
fundamentalist
churches
just want
to cut
themselves
off.
Oh,
society
is the
problem.
No.
The leading
here is you
get violent
against
yourself.
The Spirit
influences you
to be
violent
against
yourself,
to have a
wartime
sensitivity
that you
hear yourself
cough and
you're ready
to pull the
trigger.
Your
attitudes,
your words
that are
about to
leave your
mouth,
where your
eyes are
going.
You're
gouging
out
eyes,
you're
cutting
off
hands.
Like
this
world,
we would
have so
much more
peace if
people were
more violent
against their
violence.
If we
were critical
against our
critical spirit
of others,
we need
to get
mean
against
our
meanness
towards
others.
The
tense of
the verb
here of
putting to
death is
it's present.
It's not
past tense.
It's saying
putting to
death.
It's
assuming an
ongoing
present
war.
It's not
saying you
have done
it, you've
completed this.
And there's
nothing here
saying how
much progress
you need to
make within
a week or
a month or
a decade.
We can
say I'm
nowhere near
where I
want to
be, but
I look
back on
the years
of being
a Christian,
I'm not
where I
was.
Nowhere
near where
I want
to be, but
I'm not
where I
was.
It doesn't
say how
much progress
you need to
make.
The important
thing is you're
fulfilling this
verse if you
hate your sin
because of
Jesus' sake.
You can hate
your sin for
social disadvantage
reasons.
That's still
fleshly thinking.
But if you
hate it for
Jesus' sake,
you can
know you're
fulfilling
verse 13.
He's leading
you to
violence
against the
flesh.
So let me
summarize.
Here's how I
think the logic
between 13 and
14 works.
If you hate
that old,
self-obsessed,
hostile to God
self that you
feel as though
you're just in
this constant
war with it,
that's not
evidence that
you're not in
Jesus.
That's evidence
you're being led
by the Spirit.
And if God
is at work in
you to make
war on that
old self,
you're a
son.
And if
you're a
son, God's
children live
because of
Jesus.
how does
verse 13
fit with
verse 1?
You must
be fighting
to put the
flesh to
death.
If you're
in Jesus,
if the
Spirit's in
you, he
will ensure
you will.
You've just
got a totally
different mindset
now.
Is it
total?
No, it's
not.
But it is
different.
And you
can only
get the
victory if
you are
trusting in
the full
assurance of
verse 1.
I really
love how
John Piper
puts it.
The only
sin you
can kill
is a
forgiven
sin.
I think
that's
wonderful.
It's forgiven.
That's the only
one you can
conquer.
The only way
you can
fulfill
verse 13
is if you
believe
verse 1.
Whatever sin
I'm tempted
or doing
right now
is forgiven.
Then
you can
fight.
Well, what
does by the
Spirit mean?
Is that
some spiritual
method or
steps?
of changing
your habits?
There's
heaps of
worldly
advice on
how to
change
your
habits.
There's
self-help
videos,
there's
programs,
there's
silver
bullets,
but they're
all based
on rules.
They're all
based on
what you
do.
The
Christian
war is
different.
It's one
of utter
dependence.
It's by
the Spirit.
We're
active in
it.
It's us
doing it.
But it's
one of
in
myself,
I'm
helpless.
I can't
do it.
But with
you I
can.
It's that
kind of
attitude.
So what
does it
mean?
What does
by the
Spirit mean?
I'm surprised
Paul doesn't
define it for
us.
I really
want him
to.
Come on,
this is so
important,
Paul.
Why didn't
you give
us the
definition?
Now some
look to
Ephesians 6
where you've
got the
picture of
the armour
of God
and the
sword of
the Spirit
is the
word of
God.
Now that's
helpful because
how do you
fight lies?
With truth,
with God's
word.
So that's
helpful.
I think
you'll get a
long way if
you're convinced
of that
definition.
Now I
think there's
actually
something that's
true,
something that
fits that
and more,
something even
deeper and
closer to
Romans 8.
You don't
have to jump
to another
book of
the Bible.
I think
it's not
fighting by
a particular
method but
fighting with
your new
identity.
Not a
method but
identity.
Now I'm
going to give
you an
illustration and
then I'm
going to
try and
show you,
try and
convince you
that it is
actually here
in the
text.
So our
family, we've
had a bit
of sickness,
I'm feeling
well, just
to put people
at ease.
And there's
temperatures in
the house.
I heard
recently from
a researcher,
they described
the body's
immune system.
Now I'm
going to leave
it to use
science types
and medicos
to actually
understand how
that works.
That's beyond
me.
But I was
fascinated by
the paradigm
he used.
he was
saying the
immune system
when it
attacks
dangerous
cells,
it doesn't
look at
a cell
and go,
is this
good and
I'll let
it live or
is it bad
and I'll
attack it
and kill
it.
It doesn't
evaluate good
and bad.
It goes,
is this
cell foreign?
It sees it
and goes,
that's not
me.
I'm going
to attack
it and
kill it
because it's
not me.
That cell
is me
and helps
me live.
I won't
attack that.
This cell
is not
me.
Attack,
kill.
I think
that's
closer to
something of
what Paul
is getting
at here,
of what
by the
spirit is.
It's
saying be
who you
are now.
Kill
who you
are not
now.
How do
you know
who you
are?
Not
letting
society's
value tell
you who
you are
and who
you're
not.
It's
letting
the gospel
tell you
who you
are.
Now,
okay,
I've
got to
don't be
persuaded by
an illustration.
You've got to
be persuaded by
God's word.
Where am I
getting this
from?
I think
it's from
how Paul
is arguing
in verses
14 to
17.
He doesn't
give us a
particular method.
He doesn't
say pray
like this,
quote this
verse,
follow these
steps.
He gives
us identity.
You're
adopted,
your sons,
your children
of God,
your heirs.
So I
think it's
how Paul
thinks,
how he
argues.
Or look
at this
wonderful
chapter,
which is
all about
life in
the spirit,
chapter 8.
How does
it begin
and end?
Verse 1,
those who
are in
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Verse 39,
nothing can
separate us
from God's
love for
those in
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Look at
chapters 5 to
8 of
Romans.
And I've
put the
verses in
the outline.
I'm not
going to go
through them
all.
But in
Jesus,
through
Jesus,
in Jesus,
through
Jesus,
just throughout
these chapters,
it's teaching
us to think,
my life is
bound up in
Jesus.
What's
true of
him is
true of
me.
So I
think,
like the
immune system,
the spirit
helps us
identify anything
that isn't
Christ in
us and
makes war
on it.
Who I am
now in
Christ changes
our view of
ourselves.
We hate
that old
flesh now.
It also
changes our
view of
God and
I think
our view
of God
is the
power to
hate our
old self.
No longer
fear of
his
abandonment,
but assured.
So
verses 15
to 17.
To
appreciate
this
doctrine of
adoption,
we need
to remember
the
precondition
for our
adoption.
There is
deep
personal
trauma
before there
is assurance.
I got in
my inbox
this week,
I didn't
take it as
coincidence,
thank you for
helping with the
sermon again
this week,
an article on
adoption by
an American
lady named
Melinda
Just.
Now,
Americans
just celebrated
Thanksgiving,
so it's in
that context,
and she
starts the
article like
this.
What do
I have to
be thankful
for?
My own
dad
didn't want
me.
That's
brutal,
isn't it?
she
later says,
to be
able to
view
adoption
as
beautiful,
she's
talking
about
a human
adoption,
I
needed to
become
comfortable
with
understanding
how much
of my
life and
my
worldview
was
shaped
by the
trauma
of
abandonment.
So I
think for
all of us
spiritually,
if we
want to
see the
beauty of
adoption,
we need
to face
our
trauma.
I once
did not
belong to
God's
family,
though made
in his
image,
I belong
to Adam's
family tree,
and in
his hostility
to God,
not because
God's the
kind of God
who leaves,
but I
deserve him
to abandon
me.
I deserve
it.
forever.
And
it's on
that dark
backdrop
that verse
15 is
just,
this whole
section
really,
but it's
a wonderful
truth.
You did
not receive
the Spirit,
this is
talking about
the Holy
Spirit,
the nature
of the Holy
Spirit,
not our
Spirit.
You did
not receive
the Spirit
of slavery
to fall
back into
fear.
You've
received the
Spirit of
adoption of
sons by
whom we
cry,
Abba,
Father.
the Spirit
Himself bears
witness with
our
spirit that
we are
children of
God.
Melinda goes
on to say
of her
earthly dad,
I was old
enough for
him to look
at me and
say,
no way.
But he
didn't.
He picked
me.
He gave
me his
name.
He claimed
me.
It took
me 30
years to
fully understand
and claim the
enormity of
my forever
dad's decision
to bring me
into his
home, his
heart and
his life.
We might
be tempted
to think that
adoption is
somehow second
class children.
That is
wrong.
In the
Roman world,
an adopted
son had all
the social
privileges as
an heir,
as a
natural
born.
More
importantly,
in the
Old Testament
context,
Israel was
God's son,
sons.
But what
should have
been Israel's
is now
true of
those with
faith in
the son.
Paul is
transferring
that title to
believers.
But most
important is
that these
are Jesus'
own words.
things.
We can
cry.
Now, I
think cry
isn't so
much about
being really
loud or
crying with
tears, but
we might do
both.
There's times to
do both.
This is more
about we can
cry.
It comes up
from the
depth of our
being.
We can cry.
And what
can we
cry?
The
eternal
son who
used this
little Aramaic
word,
Abba.
Now, Jews
did not use
this about
God.
It is way
too emotional.
It's too
personal.
It's too
intimate.
It wasn't
reverent enough.
This is the
eternal son's
word,
Abba.
father.
We share
the son's
relationship
with the
father.
Not second
class.
We have
his relationship
to the
father.
We share
the son's
inheritance.
We're heirs
of God.
Now, I
think that
means we're
heirs of
all God's
promises.
Maybe it
also includes
God himself
is the
greatest
inheritance.
Jesus,
that's his
inheritance.
He was
obedient.
He deserves
that reward.
But it's
all ours.
Only
legitimate
children
get the
inheritance.
And we
are, by
faith,
legitimate
children.
A guy
called
Tim
Challey
is a
blogger.
He says,
a few
weeks ago
I stood
in the
humblest
of villages
in the
distant
reaches of
rural
Cambodia.
This is a
village that
has not
yet been
reached by
electricity or
running water.
I love
electricity and
running water.
This place
hasn't been
reached by
that.
Yet, it
has been
reached by
the gospel.
They wear the
disguise of
farmers, but
even though their
homes are
tiny and
unadorned,
and even
though they
wear no
crowns or
own no
robes,
they are
most truly
princes and
princesses who
simply await
their full
inheritance.
I wonder if
we see
believers that
way, see
ourselves that
way.
We share the
son's relationship
to the
father, we
share his
inheritance, and
we share the
son's sufferings.
We share in
his life
fully.
Now, what
does this
mean?
Because
unbelievers
suffer.
Let's not
kid ourselves.
It's not
like we've
got a
monopoly on
suffering.
The rest of
Romans 8, I
think, teaches
us more about
this Christian
suffering, so
we'll say more
in future
weeks.
But notice
here that a
key phrase,
we're glorified
with him, but
we also suffer
with him.
It's not
suffer like
him, it's
with him.
When you're
a son of
God, how
you see
suffering, it
changes.
It changes.
It is now
with him.
With him, we
trust that he's
working all
things for good,
for those who
love God, to
be conformed to
the son's
character.
With him, if
we're persecuted
because we bear
his name, we're
honoured.
We're with
him.
If we're with
him, we
choose to lay
down our lives
so that people
hear this
gospel to be
saved.
We choose
suffering, not
just accept it.
with him.
We look
forward to
being with
him and
like him.
We're going
to be free
from this
weak, fleshly
struggle with
our sin.
In that
hope, we
push through
and keep on
fighting this
fight, which
is a form of
suffering.
I think that
phrase, with
him, is a
beautiful phrase.
And nothing
shows the
depths of our
adoption if
while he slays
us, we still
trust.
Father, I know
you love me.
Wow.
We cry, Abba,
Father, with
him.
So whenever
you don't feel
like you can
see God as
Father, maybe
you're hearing
all this and
it's wonderful,
but it's not
for you and
you just don't
feel it.
And I
encourage you,
look back at
the objective
truth, to
remind you
that you've
got nothing
to prove
here.
There is
therefore now
no condemnation
in Christ
Jesus.
Melinda,
going back to
Melinda, she
says,
just like my
earthly adoption,
my spiritual
adoption is a
gift.
I didn't
earn it.
It is pure
grace upon
grace.
I often catch
myself trying to
prove my
worth.
But my God
reminds me that
his grace is
sufficient in
my lack.
At times I
still struggle to
understand God
as a father,
but he doesn't
push me away.
He continues to
press his gift
into my hand.
love.
He continues to
love.
He continues to
love.
He continues to
love.
He continues to
love.
He continues to
love.
The father gives
you his
unconditional,
maximal love.
And the
triune God will
keep pressing his
gift of adoption
into our hands.
Instead of looking
at you and
saying,
no way.
his only son was
abandoned.
To claim you,
to give you his
name, to share his
home, his heart,
his life.
And the rest of
Romans 8 assures us
he will never
abandon us.
The son went to
the cross so that he
might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
Hebrews tells us he
is not ashamed to
call us brothers.
The son of God is
not ashamed to
think of you,
say of you,
brother,
sister.
And the spirit we
have received is
not one of fear.
Fear of measuring
up and if we don't
we're going to be
abandoned.
It's not that
spirit.
Spirit is the
spirit of adoption.
Unconditional.
Maximal love.
So I want to
finish by asking a
very quick question.
How are you
trying to prove
your worth?
How are you
currently trying to
prove your worth?
In the world's
eyes?
How are you
trying to prove
your worth in
your family?
How are you
trying to prove
your worth in
this church?
You've got
nothing to
prove.
In fact,
efforts of
trying to
prove yourself,
once you've got
spiritual eyes to
see,
it's pretty
pathetic.
let the
spirit of
adoption lead
you to be
violent against
that sort of
thinking that you
need to prove
yourself.
That self-reliant,
proving,
unworthy of
love,
let the spirit of
adoption lead you
to fight that
and kill it.
That's not me
because I
belong to
Jesus.
I am a
son.
I am
adopted.
We are
brothers.
We share
the same
cry.
Abba.
Will you pray
with me?
Let's pray.
Holy God,
Father,
Son and
Holy Spirit,
how we
struggle
to
believe
that
you
invite us
into
your
eternal
life.
Lord,
we're so
used to
people in
this world
treating
us
based on
what we
can offer
them.
We're so
used to
our own
pride,
wanting
to earn
our way.
Lord,
I pray that
you'd press
this gift
of adoption
more deeply
into each
of our
hearts and
minds
so that
we might
return the
great love
you've given
us,
that we
might have
great security
in who we
are,
so that we
might treat
one another
in the
church in
a way that
reflects this
gospel,
and so that
we might
fight the
flesh
flesh,
that isn't
me anymore,
so that we
might enjoy
this gift
of being
your sons
and daughters
more.
I pray this
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.