Daddy.
Daddy is a powerful word.
It has power for good.
It has power to bring up painful memories.
For some of us, it is a word with rich, warm, wonderful connotations of home and safety and security.
And for others, it does not.
I remember my dad.
He passed away in 2004.
He was not always the most affectionate, coming from a stodgy New England family where children were to be seen, not heard.
And so, but he was always a cheerleader.
He provided well.
At his funeral, I shared about perhaps the most poignant image that I have of my father.
And that is this.
When we were kids, we would often have vociferous and boisterous conversation at our dinner table.
I don't know if your dinner table is like that or not.
But we would get into loud conversations.
And surprisingly, maybe to some of you, I was the quiet one.
And I would try to insinuate my thoughts or opinions into the conversation.
And often find myself increasingly frustrated as I was talked over, dominated, shut out, denied.
And at times I would just lose it.
And in frustration and tears, I would slam my chair back from the table and run away to my room.
My dad would be the one who would come to get me.
Mom was probably more the one I would process my everyday trials with.
But my dad would always come to get me.
Not a lot of discussion, not a lot of words.
He would say, hey, why don't you come back?
Why don't you come back to the table?
What's your relationship with your father like?
What have you experienced?
You know, one of the things that I think is often true is that we project our human earthly relationships with our father
onto our understanding of God as father as well.
For some of you, your earthly relationships have been full of pain or fear or trauma.
And so when you hear the word God the father, it doesn't seem like a good thing to you.
Maybe some of you, it does.
My hope is that this morning, as we continue in our series in the book of Romans,
and as we look at a glorious passage about God and his relationship to us,
as he is our Abba Father and we are his children,
that God will redeem and renew and restore and refresh in you a sense of awe and wonder
at God as our father.
So if you want to turn with me in your Bibles,
if you're looking in the Pew Bibles, it's page 944.
Therefore, we're in the book of Romans.
We're going to be looking at verses 14 through 17 this morning,
but I'm going to read the passage leading up to it so that we get a bit of the context.
So let's read together Romans chapter 8.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do,
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin.
He condemns sin in the flesh.
In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.
But those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
To set the mind on the flesh is death.
But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law.
Indeed, it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.
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.
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.
Let's pray together.
Lord, we thank You for this glorious word and this glorious truth.
And Lord, we ask for Your help this morning.
Lord, for we acknowledge that it touches us deeply,
and for some of us that will be a painful place for us to go.
But Lord, we pray that You would bring a healing and restoring.
Lord, and bring awe and wonder.
Lord, bring a sense of security and belonging,
of hope and of love to our hearts.
Lord, I pray for Your help this morning.
Lord, that I might preach Your word clearly,
and that You might, through me, speak to all of us.
Lord, we pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, as we're looking at verses 14 through 17 this morning,
there is only one big idea.
And that is this.
That we are sons of God if we are in Christ Jesus.
Paul, in leading up to this, he's been talking about,
if you were here last week,
Pastor Greg talked about this incredible thing that God has done.
He has made us now debtors,
not to the flesh,
not to our sinful nature,
to continue living in rebellion against God,
and in the ways that lead to death in our lives.
But instead, God has given us His Spirit,
so that now we might actually live a new way
in His power,
by putting to death those deadly things in our lives,
and instead living the life that God has won for us
in His Son, Jesus Christ.
And so Paul says,
for all who are led by the Spirit of God,
and part of what he means by that is,
all who are now putting to death the deeds of the flesh,
all who are walking in this new identity,
this new pattern of life that we have.
It's partly why I read 1 through 12,
as well as the passage that we're looking at this morning,
because I wanted you to see,
Paul is building this argument.
You are now in Christ.
There is no condemnation.
God has set you free from the law of sin and death.
God has now done what you could not do,
so that you can now do what God calls you to.
He has given you a life,
and a life in His Spirit,
free from condemnation,
regenerated with a new life.
And now,
for all who are in Christ,
for all who have placed their faith in Christ,
He gives this incredible word.
Lord,
you are sons of God.
This is a remarkable thing.
But we maybe need to clear the brush a little bit,
because some of you are sitting here thinking,
I'm not a son.
I'm a daughter.
Can't make it there.
Can't get to the son thing.
How do we do that?
And this is important for us to think through,
because Paul,
as you see further on,
he goes to children.
Verse 16,
he changes the image from son to children,
and he could have done that from the very beginning.
Why did he not do it?
Well,
because
he is pulling on
a first century vision
of what it meant to be a son
that was contextualized in the era.
If you were a son,
you were,
then,
the carrier of the family line.
You held all the privilege,
all the position,
and,
particularly if you were the first son,
all of the inheritance,
maybe not all,
but the lion's share of the inheritance
would actually come to you
as the son.
And what Paul is referring to here
is not a gendered position,
but a social position.
The ESV helpfully puts in,
this word could be translated,
sons and daughters.
It is clearly inclusive
of all people,
but he uses sonship
because a son has a particular position
in the first century
of all of this privilege.
privilege.
And here's the remarkable thing.
What Paul is saying,
given the flow of this argument,
is if you are in Christ,
if you've been set free
from the law of sin and death,
if the Spirit of God dwells in you,
if you are led by the Spirit of God,
then all of you,
men and women,
are sons of God.
Did you see the all in verse 14?
Look at it again.
All of you are sons of God.
He's saying all of you are able
to step into this privileged position.
What a wonderful thing this is.
And Paul is saying this is true.
This is true of all men and all women,
which was revolutionary at that time.
He's saying it is true
for those who are slaves
and those who are free.
You are all members of God's family.
When the social divisions of the day
would have separated those out
and said, no, they have to be kept
differentiated.
And even religiously,
Jews and Gentiles,
you are all brought in
to God's family
and able to be sons of God.
When for those from the Jewish background
in that time,
they would have seen those outside
as unable to be brought in
unless they actually became Jewish.
So Paul is saying something revolutionary here
as he says,
you are all in Christ
sons of God.
Then he spends the next three verses
explaining that
and unpacking that more.
And that's what we're gonna look at
for the next couple of minutes together.
First of all,
look with me at verse 15.
You do 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.
So the first thing Paul wants to do
is to clarify,
for some,
sonship before God
might be this fearsome thing.
Right?
To approach a holy God
to say that you are his son
and to be a part of his family,
that might be terrifying
because he might destroy you.
You know that God is a righteous judge.
You know that God is a holy God
who cannot tolerate evil in his presence.
Paul says,
no,
becoming a son
doesn't come
with that kind of fear.
It doesn't come
with the slavery
of trying to please God
and the despair
of knowing that you're unable to do that.
It doesn't come
from the fear of rejection.
What if I blow it?
Is God gonna throw me out
of his family?
In Romans 6,
Paul has already said
that when we were slaves to sin,
we were unable
to do what is right before God.
And if we are in that state,
what a fearsome thing it is then
to be called part of God's family.
We're just gonna be constantly in time out
the whole life.
But the Christian life
is not a dutiful one
because there is now,
therefore,
no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Because Christ has done for us
what we could not do
so that we might be accepted.
And so,
Paul spins his own
and said,
this is not,
sonship does not have this fear
that God is going to continue
to command us to perform
and therefore justify ourselves
by our perfection.
He says,
no,
you have now
received a spirit
of adoption.
Adoption
as sons.
And he says this amazing
and incredible thing
as he does this.
Because as we've talked about,
being adopted as a son
means that we have
all the rights
and privileges
of sonship
in a family
that we do not,
by nature,
belong to.
In the Roman culture
in the first century,
a person who didn't have
an actual son
might adopt a servant,
a slave,
an orphan,
to bring him in
and say,
you are now my son
and you are going
to take this role
with all of the rights
and the privileges
and the responsibilities
of sonship.
And Paul is saying,
that's what God
has done for us.
And as that son
is adopted
into a Roman family,
all the past debts
would have been paid out.
All the past
outstanding requirements
would have been solved.
And that son now
is brought in
and he gets a new identity.
He gets a new name.
He gets a new standing
in society.
He has a new inheritance
of things that
were not his
before.
And friends,
this is what adoption
does for us.
It brings us
from a place
of alienation
to a place
of belonging
in God's family.
adoption
brings us
from lostness
and loneliness
to being
in a place
of being loved
by the creator
of the world.
But friends,
it's more than that
because it's not
just being made right
and it's not just
being put
in a good standing.
But he finishes
by saying,
by whom we cry,
Abba,
Father.
Daddy.
The first word
is Aramaic.
The second one
is Greek.
They mean the same
thing.
Paul repeats it
so that we get it.
Friends,
God has described
as many things
throughout the scripture.
He is the sovereign
creator
of the whole world.
He is the ruler
and the king
over all things.
He is the judge
to whom all
are accountable.
But remarkably,
in the New Testament,
Father becomes
the most important,
maybe,
certainly the most central
image
of how we relate
to God.
God.
What a wonderful
thing this is.
This is why
when Jesus
teaches his disciples
to pray,
he begins
not with,
O great God
or O sovereign,
but Father,
our Father.
Holy be your name.
And so forth.
So as J.I. Packer
reads,
by the way,
J.I. Packer
in his book
Knowing God
has a beautiful
chapter on adoption,
being adopted
as God's child.
If you
are looking
for more reading,
I highly recommend it.
In Knowing God,
he writes this,
Adoption is a family
idea conceived
in terms of love
and viewing God
as Father.
In adoption,
God takes us
into his family
and fellowship.
He establishes us
as his children
and heirs.
Looseness,
affection,
and generosity
are at the heart
of this relationship.
To be right
with God
the judge
is a great thing,
but to be loved
and cared for
by God
the Father
is even
greater.
And so friends,
this says
for all who
are in Christ
Jesus,
we now have
a relationship
with God
that includes
both
intimacy
and authority.
We have
a relationship
with a God
who is at once
imminent
and transcendent.
He is both
sovereign over all
and yet
he is
the one
that we can
run to
when we fall
and skin our knee
and need to be held.
He is the holy
one who cannot
tolerate evil
and yet
also he is
the God
of love.
Behold
how great
the Father's love
that we should be
called children
of God.
Friends,
think about this.
if you'll
excuse me
I want to
translate it
out of the
human realm
for a minute.
If you had a dog
who had a master
and every time
he did something
wrong
he was beaten
he was starved
he was deprived
when that man
walked through the door
at the end of the day
what do you think
the dog would do?
run
hide
cower
at best
not care
and stay away.
But if that master
is a loving
master
who showers
his dog
not only with
provision
of a safe place
to live
and food
and exercise
but showers
that dog
with affection
and love
and companionship.
I grew up
with golden retrievers
I know what they do.
They jump on you
they turn around
in circles
they chase their tail
they slobber
all over you
but they rejoice
and they come
running to you.
Friends,
if this is true
of a dog
how much more
is it true?
in our human
relationships
we have a heavenly
father
who loves us
so much
and we are able
to come to him
and cry
Abba Father
to him.
Friends,
Paul goes on
not only do we have
this intimacy
rather than slavery
but verse 16
being a child
of God
is an experiential
as well as
a positional
relationship
with God.
Let me explain
those terms
so you understand.
A positional
relationship
is what we are
declared.
This happens
whenever an adoption
happens.
There is a day
when the papers
are signed
and that child
becomes
legally
and relationally
connected
to the adopted
parents
in a positional
way.
They are now
parent and child
father and son
mother,
daughter.
They are now
brought into that
family.
There is a position
that is true.
Verse 16
says
there is more
than just position.
the spirit
himself
bears witness
with our spirit
that we
are children
of God.
Commentators
argue a little
about what
exactly this
means
but
in my
understanding
the most
clear way
that this
makes sense
is that God
has given us
his Holy Spirit
to live
within us
so that the
Holy Spirit
might remind
us
that is
bear witness
or testify
to our own
spirits
about
who we
now are
as children
of God.
The British
preacher
Martin Lloyd
Jones
quotes an
old Puritan
from a couple
of centuries
ago
named Thomas
Goodwin
explaining it
in this way.
Picture
a man
walking along
the road
with his
little boy
holding hands
father and
son,
son and
father.
The boy
knows that
the man
is his
father
and that
his father
loves him
but all
of a sudden
the man
sweeps
the boy
up into
his arms
embraces
him and
kisses him.
Now the
boy is
actually no
more of a
son when
he is being
embraced and
kissed than
he was
before.
The father's
action has
not changed
the status
of the
son but
oh the
difference in
the enjoyment
of the
status.
That son
walking along
next to
his father
knows he's
a son but
when his
father scoops
him up and
showers him
with that
love and
affection it
becomes not
just a
positional
relationship but
an experiential
one.
And friends
what Paul
tells us is
that for all
who are in
Christ Jesus
if you are
truly a son
of God
then the
Holy Spirit
is now
telling you
and reminding
you on a
daily basis
that you
are
loved by
God
accepted
by him
welcomed
by him
embraced
by him.
Friends this
is the tragic
end of the
parable
of the
prodigal son.
The prodigal
son goes away
abandons his
father
lives his
own selfish
life
finally
realizes
how foolish
he's been
comes back
knowing he
has no
right to
reclaim
a position
of sonship.
Yet when
the father
sees him
coming down
the road
he runs
in a most
undignified
manner he
runs
to embrace
his son
and he
gives
them
all
he
restores
to him
all the
full
privileges
of the
robe
and the
ring
and the
sandals
and he
throws
the party
for that
son to
know how
much he
is loved
and yet
the son
who's been
there the
whole time
is out
in the
fields
bitter
and angry
and won't
come in
to the
party
and to
the
father
because he's
not experiencing
this
because he
doesn't know
this
his position
friends the
holy spirit
for all who are
in christ
jesus is
nudging
and reminding
and whispering
and maybe
shouting
to your
hurting
stubborn
hard
heart
i love
you
are my
child
this is the
most wonderful
thing about
adoption
isn't it
when we're
born into a
family you feel
like yeah
nobody got to
pick me
i just
just happened
for good or
for bad
but when
you're adopted
someone looks
at you and
they say i
choose you
and god
looks at his
children he
says i chose
you and
you i
chose you
to be
mine
not because
you are
worthy not
because you
have to
perform to
keep it
up not
because of
any of
those things
but because
i loved
you
friends i
wonder this
morning if
you were
listening to
the spirit
i wonder if
some of you
are here this
morning and
you haven't
put your
faith in
christ if
you haven't
experienced the
father's love
for you if
if you're
still wondering
whether god
could accept
you
well friends
this is what
the good news
of the gospel
is all about
that in
jesus god
has done
everything
necessary for
you to be
accepted by
him and
his call for
you is to
turn from
all your
other ways
of trying to
be right
before god
on your
own to
say i
can't do
it i'm a
sinner and
a failure
to acknowledge
your helplessness
and then throw
your trust on
god and as
he calls you
to do that
he will meet
you and
embrace you
and then you
will know the
whispering of
the holy spirit
saying you are
my child and i
love you
not only does
being a child
of god
mean
intimacy
rather than
slavery
not only does
it mean an
experiential as
well as a
positional
relationship
but verse 17
it means we
are joined with
christ in all
things
look with me
at verse 17
again i want
you to look for
the preposition
with
if the spirit
nope that's a
wrong verse i'm
looking here
verse 17
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
so friends
this is the
most amazing
thing of all
we are now
heirs with god
we've talked
about this
already
this is part
of the
the reality
is that
when god
brings us
into his
family he
brings us
into the
family of
god who
owns and
rules everything
and specifically
then he says
in hebrews 1
2 that
he has made
god
or made
christ
jesus christ
the heir
of all
things
and so we
are now
brought into
a family
where we
have
everything
in god's
kingdom
everything
in the
world
is
going to
be ours
one day
we are
brought
into
this
incredible
privilege
and this
incredible
position
all the
riches of
knowing god
and being
found in
him
all the
wealth
of participating
in his
perfect
kingdom
all the
benefit
of living
under
his
loving
rule
and one
day
ruling
with him
over
a redeemed
creation
where there
will be
no more
sin
and no
more
sorrow
no more
sickness
and no
more
death
there will
be no
more
strife
because the
victory
will have
been won
and we
will
be with
him
and just
like the
pevensees
experience
the fullness
of life
in Narnia
as kings
and queens
as sons
and daughters
of Adam
redeemed
by Aslan
we too
will experience
that richness
and that
fullness
all the
love
all the
privilege
all the
status
and all
the wealth
that our
hearts
truly yearn
for
not the
passing
fleeting
treasures
of this
world
but the
things that
our hearts
truly long
for
we have
all of
that
in Christ
we have
all we
ever need
and what
we will
find
in eternity
is that
the thing
we most
need
is God
himself
and when
we have
him
it almost
doesn't
matter
everything
else
will fade
because we
have
God
himself
as our
father
and we
are living
with him
as he
reigns over
his new
creation
and that
will be
enough
for us
friends I
wonder though
if you
hear that
and you
think well
that sounds
really nice
but that's
not life
right now
is it
Paul knows
that
that's
exactly
what the
rest of
this verse
tells us
see this
is the
interesting
thing
of what
Paul is
telling us
is that
when we
are joined
with Christ
we are joined
with Christ
in all
of who
Christ is
and what
he's doing
we are not
called to be
the redeemer
in the same
way that he
is but we
are called
to live in
the pattern
of his
life and
being joined
with him
in this
incredible
position
as joint
heirs
with him
we then
walk
the road
that he
walked
for us
as we
follow him
and so
we have
this
surprising
thing
because
I
think
that
maybe
you
have
experienced
this
to hear
the message
you are
beloved
child of
God
and he
has given
you
everything
that you
need
you have
this
incredible
identity
and position
and inheritance
and God
is looking
out for you
and you
think
then why
is my
life
so hard
if my
life is
this hard
how could
it be
that God
actually
loves me
and is my
heavenly
father
because
wouldn't
a father
stop
these
things
from
happening
and Paul
says no
Paul says
that a
loving
father
loves us
so much
that he
wants us
to walk
the path
that Christ
walked
and to
know what
that means
because
if by
our logic
God
would
prevent
those
things
from
happening
do you
know
what
would
have
happened
to us
Christ
never
would
have
died
on the
cross
the
injustice
and the
suffering
that he
experienced
for us
never
would have
happened
if he
had been
a heavenly
father
like that
but in
fact his
love was
so great
for us
that he
allowed
those things
to happen
in fact he
planned for
them to
happen
for our
redemption
Jesus
who did
not count
equality
with God
something to
be grasped
but humbled
himself
took on
the form
of a
servant
suffered
in his
incarnate
form
tiredness
and hunger
but more
than that
as he
identified
with us
he then
went to
the cross
and took
upon
himself
our
sin
and the
wrath
of God
against
that
evil
that
dwells
in the
hearts
of all
of us
apart
from
God
Jesus
walked
this
incredible
path
of
suffering
and he
did it
for our
redemption
so that
by dying
in our
place
and rising
again
to new
life
he would
be able
to defeat
sin
and death
and so
to capture
us up
with him
in glory
for he
has been
exalted
to the
right hand
of the
father
he has
a name
which is
greater than
any name
in heaven
or earth
and the
Christian life
now is
not one
that does
not suffer
but one
that in
suffering
finds
fellowship
with the
one who
suffered
for our
redemption
and in
walking
through that
believing
that God
is doing
a greater
work of
redemption
in our
lives
in the
lives of
those around
us and
in this
world
than we
could ever
imagine
and as we
are identified
with Christ
and being a
son of the
father
we know
that this
will be a
part of
what our
lives will
look like
but friends
we know
it is all
worth it
because as
we hang
on through
those hard
things and
as God
gives us
the patient
endurance
in our
fight against
sin
in our
fight
as we
experience
injustice
and fallenness
in the
world
it will all
be worth it
because not
only are we
going to be
with Christ
in our
sufferings
but we
will be
with him
in glory
we will
be raised
with him
to a new
and eternal
life
where there
will be
no more
sickness
and sorrow
and death
and no more
suffering
we will be
raised with him
to this
exalted
position
where we
will sit
and reign
with him
and we
will know
the father's
love
without pain
without
trial
our sin
will be
done away
with
perfectly
and what
a glorious
glorious
thing
it is
and so
in fact
friends
what Paul
is telling
us here
is not
only is
that the
path
but in
fact it
is a
sign
if you
are a
child of
God
if you
are a
son of
God
you will
suffer
it is
an unpleasant
truth
to our
ears
and yet
it is
a consistent
witness
of the
scriptures
we will
suffer
in this
world
but it
is in
fact
a sign
that we
are
sons
of
God
when we
suffer
with
Christ
and so
anticipate
and look
forward
to the
glory
that will
be
with
him
and so
we say
with
Paul
we count
all things
as lost
for the
sake of
knowing
Christ
that we
may know
him
and the
power of
his
resurrection
that we
may share
in his
sufferings
becoming
like him
in his
death
so that
by any
means
possible
we might
attain
resurrection
from the
dead
and glory
and this
is our
greatest
hope
that our
sonship
that our
being a
child of
God
is not
just for
this life
but it
is for
eternity
that we
will be
with him
Lord what a
great hope
this is
for some
of you
this message
this morning
is a
reminder
a needed
reminder
of something
maybe you've
lost sight
of
about who
God is
and who
you are
in relationship
to him
for some
of you
this may
be a
revolutionary
revelation
I've never
heard of
this before
God could
really be
like that
to me
for some
of you
it may
still feel
like a
fairy tale
too good
to be
true
my prayer
is that you
may know
the love
of God
the Father
today
that you
may know
his calling
on all
in Christ
to be
his sons
and daughters
his children
let's pray
behold what
manner of
love the
Father has
bestowed on
us that we
should be
called
children of
God
Lord may
by your
spirit
you
help us
this morning
to know
these things
are true
Lord to
convict our
hearts when
we are
doubtful
when we
find ourselves
rejecting
these truths
Lord will
you help
us when
we find
that this
is painful
and we
need your
help and
your healing
to consider
you as
our Father
Lord will
you
affirm
and deepen
our
understanding
of these
things
for your
glory we
pray
in Jesus
name
Amen
to
the
a
manure