Free At Last,...i'm Free From Sin Series

Mortify means cut it off, put it to death. Living the Christian life is serious business.

The severity of the responsibility is seen again in Paul’s language in Galatians 5:24. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

1. Are you absolutely sure about your relationship with Christ?

2. Is your mind set on the flesh, or the Spirit? One way you will know for sure is by examining the fruit of your mind set. If your mind is set on the flesh you will reap the works of the flesh. If you are focusing on the Spirit–controlled mind set you will produce the fruit of the Spirit.

v15 Adoption was the legal action by which a person takes into his family a child not his own with the purpose of treating him as and giving him all the privileges of his own natural child. An adopted child was legally entitled to all rights and privileges of a natural-born child.

In the Old Testament God adopted the people of Israel as His own peculiar people. They enjoyed a special relationship as the chosen people of God. They were God’s people by adoption.

Why did God choose Israel and not Babylon, Egypt or Assyria? They were much larger and more powerful than Israel. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 tells us it was an act of God’s grace.

When the Apostle Paul speaks of our spiritual adoption by God he uses the word huiosthesia - (huios - a son) (thesis - a placing), to place as a son, the place given to one to whom it does not belong. A believer under grace is placed as an adopted son in the family of God. Galatians 3:26 says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” He is an adult son of God. This spiritual adoption takes place at the time one is saved and thus becomes a child of God.

Jesus told Nicodemus a Jewish religious leader, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” There are no exceptions. We all must be born into the family of God.

What does adoption teach us? God, in His mercy, has brought us into His absolute possession.

This relationship with God gives us freedom. We are no longer slaves. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (v. 15).

The Holy Spirit delivers the believer from the bondage of fear. How? By adoption, by actually adopting the believer as a son (child) of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are the children of God. The Holy Spirit quickens our hearts with the perfect knowledge and the complete confidence that we are children of God.

God’s love for the adopted Child is as great as God’s sovereign power. God will do everything for the believer who is His adopted child.

There is assurance for the believer event though he is called upon to suffer for His Lord.

· There is assurance in the fact that we have received the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, 11).

· We are being led by the Spirit (v. 14).