A Child Of The King Series

INTRODUCTION

• One of the great things that happens to us when we give our lives to Jesus is that we become a part of the family of God. We become an adopted child of God.

• In the Romans world from which the letter to the Romans comes from, adoption totally changed a person’s life.

• Many times adoptions were done for a sonless father.

• There was a ceremony performed where the adoptive father takes the clothing off his newly adopted son and puts new ones on him. This was to symbolize transference to a new family.

• In the Romans society, the father of the house literally held absolute power over the children, even the power of life and death.

• The newly adopted son lost all rights and privileges of his old family, he became an heir to his new family, the old life was completely wiped out and he was a considered a blood son to the new father.

• When we give our lives to Jesus the same thing happens. We belong to a new Father! We are a child of the king.

• This would be like seeing some of the children we see on television who are close to starving to death. Then picture Bill Gates coming to them and adopting them. They go from the out house to the penthouse.

• I remember when I was a young boy my father stressing to me the importance of not doing anything to shame the family name.

• When we belong to the King, there are some things we need to understand about our new life in Christ. Something that will help us not to bring shame on the name which we now bear.

• Today we are going to look at a few of the implications of belonging to Jesus!

• Turn with me to Romans 8:12-17.

SERMON

I. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD ARE OBLIGATED TO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT (12-13)

• I believe that most of us had standards by which our families expected us to live by when we were living with our parents. As parents, I hope we have set standards by which we expect our children to live by.

• We have spoken at length about the fact when we give our lives to Jesus; we are supposed to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

• Verse 12 reminds us of this, but the verse goes one step further.

• Verse 12 says we are not under obligation to live in the flesh, but we have an obligation to live according to the Spirit. The Christian owes nothing to the Devil. There is no valid obligation to live for the Devil.

• It is a contradiction for the Christian, a son of God, to live like a son of the Devil. Remember we have been delivered from the law of sin and death.

• The word “obligation” denotes one who owes a moral debt. It is a debt imposed from within a person. Duty would be a something imposed by an outside authority.

• We owe God a moral debt for all He has done for us in giving us our salvation.

• If we are living by the Spirit, we will be putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

• This is something that takes place on a daily basis.

• READ Colossians 3:5-10

• If we continue to put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will continue to live.

• When I lived under my father’s roof, I had a moral obligation to obey him. My parents provided me with everything I had, my food, clothing, shelter, and emotional support.

• All this is true about Jesus also. All we have is because of Him. That alone should help motivate us to live for Him.

• The more we obey sin, the more we erode our Spiritual growth.

II. ADOPTED SONS OF GOD ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT (14)

• One of the reasons we can put the deeds of the flesh to death in our lives it the fact we are led by the Spirit of God.

• When we are “being led” by the Spirit, it is a continual leading. A person who is habitually led by the Spirit allows the Spirit to influence and lead them.

• When a child is adopted by a family, they are lead by that new family. When we are adopted by God, the Holy Spirit is given to us to lead us. Just as with an earthly family, we do not have to allow the Spirit to lead us, we can resist, but it would not be good for us.

• The indwelling of the Holy Spirit helps us to conquer the lusts and desires that are not good for us.