Series Big Idea: "The gospel of Jesus Christ gives believers a new way of life - abundant life through the Holy Spirit"

Sermon Big Idea: "The Holy Spirit assures believers they will always be God's children"

Key Scripture (Romans 8:15-17)

(Romans 8:15-17)

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 

Today we continue to make our way through what has been said to be one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. Most definitely chapter 8 is the pinnacle of the book of Romans. Remember, this chapter continues the logic or theme of eternal security for the believer that Paul began in earnest in chapter 5. As believers, Paul has said that there is no more condemnation for us because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. We have positionally been set in Christ. We have been given His righteousness. Although we still live in a world of sin, God’s Holy Spirit works in us to free us from the craving for sin by convicting and convincing us to live holy lives. He gives us the desire and ability to do this. Paul says this will assure us we are sons of God. But how do we become a son of God? Through adoption by the Spirit.

What is adoption? It is not universalism in which we are all in the world as God’s children. It is the legal act of God by which He confers on us, as believers, the status of an adult son. This means that He places us into a family to which we did not naturally belong (Romans 5:12-21). We were in the family of Adam but now we have been adopted into the family of God. Paul is probably using the Roman culture and customs as an illustration to explain this.

He frees us from our past. In the Roman culture when a son was adopted his past was put to death. Spiritually for the believer, the same thing happens. Think about all the debts, obligations, and demands sin used to make on us. Those are no more! We are free! This adoption gives us immediate rights in the here and now but also in the future. One of the most incredible rights we have is that we now have a Father that we can go to. A Father who cares for us loves us and meets our needs. He gives us a future into which we will enter later but right now we are legally the sons of God, and we have privileges right now.

Then Paul continues this idea of the work of the Spirit. “By whom we cry out, Abba, Father!” The verb “cry” in classical Greek is referred to as the cry of a raven. “Cry” is always deeply emotional or stirred up. So, by the Spirit, we cry (emotional release) “Abba Father.” There is a man by the name of James Barr who wrote an article in 1988 titled “Abba is not daddy.” What he indicates is that “Abba” was not a form of address of a small child to his father, but was a solemn, responsible, adult address to his father. He indicates that the small child address denotes an irreverent address.

Conclusion

So, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we want to be like Christ, we want to get rid of sin and demonstrate our gratitude that God has saved us. Remember, that when we have this attitude, this is an indication of the Spirit’s work in our life. We cry “Abba, Father” because the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, we are a child of God.

There is a sense that His Spirit is convincing us. Thomas Goodwin put it kind of like this. We are experiencing now just a little taste of what the saints in heaven are experiencing. I want to end with the third verse of “Come Thou Almighty King.”

“Come, Holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour; Thou who almighty art, now rule in every heart, and ne’er from us depart, Spirit of power.”

Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:

Holman Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version Bible

King James Version Bible

Christian Standard Bible

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Victor Books, 1985.

Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. Electronic ed., Victor Books, 1991.

Jamieson, Robert, et al. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

Blum, Edwin A., and Trevin Wax, editors. CSB Study Bible: Notes. Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988.

Barry, John D., et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Dockery, David S., editor. Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.

Water, Mark. Key Word Commentary: Thoughts on Every Chapter of the Bible. AMG Publishers, 2003.

Brannan, Rick, and Israel Loken. The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible. Lexham Press, 2014.

Barton, Bruce, et al. Life Application New Testament Commentary. Tyndale, 2001.

MacArthur, John F., Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006.

Radmacher, Earl D., et al. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. T. Nelson Publishers, 1999.

Smith, Jerome H. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: The Most Complete Listing of Cross References Available Anywhere- Every Verse, Every Theme, Every Important Word. Thomas Nelson, 1992.

Kruse, Colin G. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Edited by D. A. Carson, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2012.

Boa, Kenneth, and William Kruidenier. Romans. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.

Moo, Douglas J. Romans. Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.

Mounce, Robert H. Romans. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995.

MacGorman, J.W. Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Romans, 1 Corinthians. Copyright 1980 Broadman Press, Print

Pate, C. Marvin. Romans. Edited by Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Baker Books, 2013.

Newell, William R. Romans Verse-by-Verse. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d.

Brooks, Keith. Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament. Logos Bible Software, 2009.

Hughes, Robert B., and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

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