WWUTT 1273 We Have Received Adoption (Romans 8:15-17)

We have received adoption into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ and we've gone from being enemies of God to fellow heirs.

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Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you Becky. We come back to our study of the book of Romans chapter 8 is where we've been.

I'm going to pick up the section that we read yesterday and then we'll continue where we left off.

Romans 8 starting in verse 12 the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. 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.

Now we're picking up today in verse 15 and I said what I wanted to save for today was talking about this doctrine of adoption.

So in verse 15 again we read it 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 we are able to call upon God as our heavenly father.

Because of the adoption that we have received by faith in Jesus Christ and becoming servants of God through Jesus we have not become slaves unto sin.

We do not listen or obey the temptations or the passions of our flesh but we resist those things and cling to God our father through our

Lord Jesus Christ. So we do not have the spirit of slavery the spirit of slavery if you are enslaved to your sin leads you to fall back into fear.

The fear that we had before we came to Christ that fear that was a fear of judgment. The fear that had us clamoring in darkness we did not want to come into the light afraid that our deeds would be exposed.

That's what Jesus says to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 but the one who loves the light comes into the light so it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.

Those who are not in Christ know that their deeds do not measure up to the holiness and righteous standard of God so they continue about in darkness.

The apostle Paul said that it is a shame to even speak about those things that those who clamor about in darkness do in secret.

Now as our western world morality and ethics continue in decline those things that used to be done in secret are now coming out in the open.

People are parading those things openly but there's still heinous evils going on behind closed doors.

Like I think of the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein and what all of that has uncovered. A lot of things continue to come out about that which we're not going to talk about because it is a shame to even discuss those things that are being done in secret.

It's a shame to discuss some of the stuff they do openly. There's a song out in pop music right now just came out what was it last week.

It is awful awful awful song and it's even being pushed upon teenagers as vile as this particular song is.

Anyway so continuing on from here the point being that now in Christ we are not in that kind of depravity that's going to lead to the judgment of God against such things the wrath of God is coming.

As it says in Colossians 3 6 and we have nothing to fear of that for perfect love casts out fear.

As it says in 1 John fear has to do with punishment has to do with judgment. So we have received an adoption as sons.

We are not slaves were servants of God but we haven't received a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.

But you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry

Abba father. Now this past Sunday I preached on the golden rule out of Matthew chapter 7.

That's a sermon that I haven't gotten uploaded yet and I apologize for that. I was exhausted on Sunday.

So I just never got around to editing that sermon and getting it online. I'll try to get it up sometime later this week.

But in in Matthew chapter 7 starting in verse 7 Jesus says this ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Or which one of you if his son asks him for bread will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish will give him a serpent.

Jesus is being hyperbolic here but the picture would be like a kid coming to his dad and saying hey dad can

I have something to eat. Can I have a loaf of bread and dad goes yeah sure here you go and he puts a stone on his plate.

And the kids kind of looking at it and going well can I have a fish. And dad takes a serpent and says yeah sure here and puts a poisonous deadly serpent on his plate.

What's the kid going to do with that he's got a stone and a serpent. And Jesus says if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

See like even even secularists know treating your children like that is appalling. That would be a bad dad if that's how he tries to feed his kids with a rock and a serpent.

So you know what it means to treat a child well. Even our secular society they have some pretty twisted views on parenting.

But there's still a general sense or an understanding of this kind of behavior is bad fatherly behavior.

If a if a dad will not be faithful to his wife if he will not be faithful to his children if he abandons his kids.

Our culture is secular and as depraved as it is still knows a deadbeat dad is a bad dad.

And he's not getting he's not getting love from our culture from anybody. So if you then who are evil

Jesus says know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him.

We don't have to meet some sort of standard of qualifications to receive love from God.

We can't you can't do anything to earn the love and favor of God. You cannot merit

God's favor. We have it through Christ and we've been adopted as his children through faith in Jesus Christ.

We've received this adoption through the blood of Christ. We're now children of God through Christ's blood.

And he is our father in heaven who loves us as I said to you yesterday. God's expression on his face toward you is nothing but a smile.

He loves you and wants to give you good things and whoever asks will receive and the one who seeks will find and to the one who knocks knocking on the door of the kingdom knocking on the house of God that we may have fellowship with God to the one who knocks it will be open.

God saying come on in fellowship with me. And we have access the the gate into the presence of God is our

Lord Jesus Christ. I am the door to the sheep Jesus says in John chapter 10.

So anyway it was in light of this Matthew 7 7 through 11 that I then went into the golden rule as I was preaching this on Sunday.

Verse 12 so whatever you wish that others would do to you do also to them for this is the law and the prophets.

This is in light of the statement that was made just before that about the love that God shows to us and he is active in showing love to us.

There are many ethical statements that exist throughout the history of philosophical thought in which many philosophers have said something to the effect of what you do not want others to do to you don't do it to them.

But Jesus takes all of those various sayings that exist in multiple different cultures over centuries and he takes their version of the golden rule and turns it on its head and he says so whatever you wish that others would do to you do to them.

So you're not it's like in other words. Don't go punch your neighbor whom you really like to punch out if you don't want him to punch you out.

Okay, that's the majority of philosophical thought across the centuries.

Jesus says what you wish your neighbor to do to you go do it to him actively seek and find ways to show love to others because we're following the godly example of our heavenly father who showed love to us by sending his son.

See that the the forgiveness of sins that we have is not merely God not punishing us for our sins.

It's not like God is just saying well, I won't punish you then we've received so much more.

We have received adoption. So it's not it's not just that God is not going to pour out his wrath on us by faith in Jesus Christ.

We have been transformed from enemies of the kingdom of God into heirs of the kingdom of God. We've gone from being enemies of God into his adopted sons and daughters of God.

We have received so much more. So in light of what God is poured out upon us by his grace through faith in Christ.

So we should be as active in showing love to one another our idea of love should not be predicated upon.

Well, I didn't do something bad to somebody else rather our idea and our notion of love should be active and pursuing as God has pursued us sending his son to die for our sins that all who believe in him will have this fellowship with God.

We have adoption. We become fellow heirs of the kingdom. So this is the doctrine of adoption that we have right here in Romans 8 15.

We've received the spirit of adoption as sons. So now we can call upon God as Abba father.

Now all that means the two names Abba father. It's not that one name is like saying daddy and the other one is like a proper name for father.

That's sometimes how that gets translated rather. This is the Eric Aramaic word for father and the

Greek word for father potter. So it's Abba the Aramaic word and father potter, which is the

Greek word. This is Paul demonstrating through this title that both

Jews and Greeks have the same father through Jesus Christ. We have the same father

Abba to the Jews. That was the Hebrew word for it father to the

Greeks translated from potter. So in English, it comes out Abba father really in English. It comes out father father, but this is the way that we've translated it to show that once again, it is both

Jews and Greeks who are adopted into the family of God and we have the same God as our father.

Remember back to Romans 1 16 our thesis statement to the book of Romans Paul saying

I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the

Jew first and also to the Greek. So through the hearing of the gospel, we have become sons and daughters of God that we may call upon God as Abba father to the

Jew first and also to the Greek. The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

That's verse 16. Now, you probably know that here in Romans chapter 8, we have what is called the order of Saludis, the order of salvation, the golden chain of redemption.

And that's most often understood to be Romans chapter 8 verse 30. Let me start in Romans 8 28.

We'll go to verse 30 and you probably remember this. You probably know some of this off the top of your head. And we know that for those who love

God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined, he also called those whom he called. He also justified and those whom he justified.

He also glorified. So it's there in verses 29 and 30 that you have that that golden chain of redemption, the order of salvation.

That's called the order of Saludis. First, we have predestination. We're predestined for salvation.

Then we have the effectual calling. So the hearing of the gospel, understanding it, conviction of sin, desiring to repent, to put faith in Jesus Christ.

You have that effectual calling, those whom he called, and then those whom he has effectually called.

He has regenerated and brought to faith in Christ. He is also justified.

Now we stand before God justified by faith. Our sins washed clean.

We're declared righteous in the presence of God by the righteousness of Christ that we have received.

And then those whom he justified, he also glorified. And that's not even spoken about in a future sense.

We have a glorification now, which hasn't come to its ultimate consummation, which doesn't happen until Christ returns.

But for the present, we enjoy a seal of approval.

We have the seal of the Holy Spirit upon us. Paul talks about that in Ephesians chapter one. So we're sealed for the day of redemption.

No one can snatch them out of my hand. And Jesus says in John chapter 10, we have this seal upon us that we are guaranteed for that day.

So therefore, with that seal, we are glorified. We're glorified in Christ Jesus.

We will enter into glory and we will reach our ultimately our final glorified state.

But in the presence, we have that guarantee of glorification. Even now, we're being prepared for glory is what's happening at the present.

So we've received justification. Now, you probably know sanctification would be in there, too. Right. So we've been justified.

We've been completely justified, but we're not yet fully sanctified. So now there's that growing in holiness, desiring to be more like God, and then ultimately entering into the presence of God.

The apostle Paul saying to the Philippians, I am confident that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it at the day of Christ.

Now, something that we don't have here in Romans 830, but it is definitely in Romans eight.

There's another doctrine in here. And even in the order of what's presented, the doctrine isn't stated.

So it's out of order. But the doctrine is still in Romans chapter eight. And that is the doctrine of adoption.

So we have predestination. We have effectual calling.

We have justification. Then adoption. Then sanctification.

Then glorification. And this is the order that it's put in in the London Baptist confession.

Sixteen eighty nine. It talks about this very thing. We have the effectual calling. That's chapter ten.

Chapter eleven of the of the Baptist faith is justification. Chapter twelve is adoption.

Chapter thirteen is sanctification. Let me just read to you here what the Baptist confession of faith has on adoption.

All those that are justified, God vouchsafed. That's not a word that we commonly use.

But it simply means that God condescended himself to come to us and save us, to give us this salvation.

We are undeserving of it. But God condescended himself to give it to us as a demonstration of his love and his affection for us.

All those that are justified, God vouchsafed in and for the sake of his only son,

Jesus Christ. Talked about that yesterday, about how we are Christ's inheritance.

To make partakers of the grace of adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God.

Have his name put on them. Receive the spirit of adoption. Have access to the throne of grace with boldness.

Are enabled to cry, Abba, Father. Are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by him as by a father.

Yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.

And every single word of that definition of the doctrine of adoption there dripping with scriptural content.

In fact, if you go to the London Baptist Confession 1689, there's a whole list of scriptures that solidifies each point laying out that doctrine of adoption.

We are sons and daughters of God adopted into this family through Jesus Christ, our

Lord. Under the Baptist Confession and Catechism, we have at question number 37, what is adoption?

Answer adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

As we read in John chapter one to all who believed on his name, he gave the right to become the children of God.

And that is what we are. First John three, one, see what kind of love the father has given to us that we should be called children of God.

And so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God's children now. And what we will be has not yet appeared.

Talking about our glorified state. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is.

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

So coming back again here to Romans chapter eight verse, let me read verse 15 again.

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 the 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 be glorified with him.

We may also be glorified with him. Suffering with Christ means that in anything and everything that we go through in this life, we give glory to God.

For Jesus entrusted himself to him who judges justly. When we go through persecutions and sufferings, when we go through the trials of this life, we go through hardships and difficulties.

We look to God. We give him glory even in the midst of our of our deepest, darkest, most stressful, painful undertakings that we go through in this life.

Yet we cling to Christ even in our temptation. See, you suffer through temptation, resisting temptation, clinging to Christ, Jesus himself, who was tempted as we are yet without sin, as it says in the book of Hebrews.

So we have one who is able to sympathize with us in our weaknesses.

As it said there, we turn to Christ and cling to him. We have him as our example.

We have him as our justification and our sanctification. And all of these things, a part of the benefits, the privileges that we receive as sons and daughters of God, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Suffering in the way that Jesus suffered, not a death on the cross, but we suffer in this life and yet still cling to God, demonstrates that we are children of God.

Let's finish there. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this adoption. We thank you for calling us out of the world where we wandered around in darkness, where we were heading to destruction.

We were sons of about the worst father that anyone could ever have.

Sons of the devil, sons and daughters of Satan. Following after that way, children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

And you have called us out of that sordid orphanage.

And you have given to us the heavenly kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

We have this kingdom now. We are heirs of this kingdom. And the day will come when our faith shall be sight.

We will see you as you are, for we will be made to be like you. And we will dwell in your kingdom forever with our heavenly father and Jesus, our elder brother, who has died on the cross for our sakes.

And through faith in him, we have the spirit of adoption through the spirit that is within us.

We cry to you as Abba Father, and may we not neglect that wonderful opportunity to call upon you as our father in heaven who loves us.

May we be reminded of your presence this day. Be with us. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a

New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book. On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers.