Freedom From The Past Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Have you ever been told by another that the past is the past? Is that a true statement?

• What about you cannot change the past, let us focus on the present or the future.

• How easy is that to do?

• Today we will continue with our examination of the freedoms we enjoy in Christ.

• The world has the perception that when you become a Christian, that your life is over.

• The fun is done, you get in implant that blocks the fun gene and FORCES you to go to church every time the doors are open, and it makes you give up some of the old god MONEY!

• Well, it really does not work that way. In Christ we have true freedom.

• When you look at the supposed freedom that the world thinks it possesses; when those freedoms are exercised they leave heartache and pain their wake.

• Last week we looked at the fact we can enjoy freedom from condemnation, we do not have to be chained to the guilt from the past.

• Today we are going to build on that thought a bit by spending our time together getting a better understanding as to why we can enjoy freedom from the past and why we do not have to be shackled to the past.

• Let’s turn to Romans 8:12-15 together.

• SLIDE #2

• Romans 8:12–15 (ESV) 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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!”

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

We can enjoy freedom from the past because…

I. Christians are adopted children of God. (12-15)

• We will hit verse 15 in the next observation, but I want us to focus in a bit on what verse 15 tells us.

• SLIDE #4

• Romans 8:15 (ESV) 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!”

• Verse 15 reminds us that we are adopted into God’s family.

• This is important for us to remember. Paul is drawing on the thought from the Romans world of adoption.

• 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.

• 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.

• Let’s dig into verse 12-13.

• SLIDE #5

• Romans 8:12–13 (ESV)12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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.

• Lesson one is…

• SLIDE #6

A. Christians have no obligation to the flesh. (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.