Spiritual Adoption
Romans 8:12-17
I want to tell you a story today about a little fellow named Jason. The circumstances that Jason was born into not entirely clear. What we do know is that his birth parents, for what ever reason, decided not to care for him or could not care for him. Instead they decided to place him up for adoption. Jason remained in the care of the hospital and social services for 10 days. At which time a couple came from a distant community to adopt Jason. Jason became part of their family and was given a new name. Two years later the couple adopted a baby girl and she too became part of this new family unit. Jason grew up in this new family unit. He grew into an incredibly smart and good looking individual. I am guessing you know who I am talking about now. The new name given to him was Timothy Benjamin Enns. This person in me, Pastor Tim!
Today I want to look at adoption on a whole bigger scale. I am talking about our spiritual adoption into the family of God. Pastor Mel looked at it during his message series on the book of Ephesians.
Over the years I have been working through who I am in Christ and what is my view of God. I have drawn comparisons between my childhood adoption and my spiritual adoption. I want to share today some of my thoughts and comparisons with you.
I have often said that the two greatest events that have shaped my life is first and foremost of all my adoption into God’s family and secondly my earthly adoption.
Let’s read Romans 8:12-17
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. (The King James and NASB both use the word adoption here instead of sonship) And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
William Barclay said in this passage Paul is using a metaphor to describe the new relationship that Christians have to God. Paul speaks of the Christian being adopted into the family of God.
We need to understand how serious a Roman adoption was to really understand the meaning and significance of this passage.
There were four main significances of Roman adoption
First, the adopted person lost all their rights in their old family. On the other hand they gained those same rights in their new family. They received a new name and a new family.
When I was adopted I received the name Timothy Benjamin Enns. Timothy was my given name, Benjamin indicated that I was the first born son of my dad and Enns was the name given to me to signify my belonging to a new bigger family unit. A new unit with a dad and mom and many uncles, aunts, cousins and many other relatives.
When we are adopted into the family of God at the time of our conversion we received a new family and technically a new name. We received the name child of God and the family we became apart of is made up of all those that have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Verse 14 states: “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
God becomes our heavenly father. So often it is hard to grasp that picture of God as our Father. Naturally many of us have a tendency to compare or understand God father relationship with us in relationship to our own relationship with our own fathers. Often this can help us picture God as father.
However, the problem is that none of our fathers could ever come close to measuring up to God. No matter how good a natural father is they still have short comings.
So what does scripture say our heavenly father is like
Psalm 68:5 states: that God is a father to the fatherless
Isaiah 64:8 says: that God is the potter and that we are the work of His hand (God created us and he continues to mould us)
Matthew 6:9 , the Lord ’s Prayer – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (Our heavenly father is holy, He is perfect)
Matthew 7:11 – If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (He cares and listens to our cries and desires)
1 Peter 1:17 states: Since you call on a father that judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in revenant fear. (We do not always like this one, but God also judges our thoughts and deeds.
Kind of like my dad, he said: “If you get a spanking at school I’ll give you one when you get home to make sure it was done right”.
I think my favourite “God the Father” verse comes from our passage today
Romans 8:15: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
What does it mean to cry our Abba Father?
The name “Abba” is an Aramaic word which is an intimate family term for father. Every language has such a word for father in the intimate sense.
In Medieval Latin that word was papa
In french its dada
And we have derived daddy from the French roots for our use today
Through the spirit of adoption we come into intimate fellowship with God the Father. Through faith we are introduced into the circle of divine fellowship.
The Jews never use such an intimate tern for God as Abba.
We see through Paul’s writings and the Lord ’s Prayer that we have that intimate relationship with our heavenly father. That we can call him Abba Father, daddy Father.
The second significance to Roman adoption was the adopted child became heir to the father’s estate. Even if there were children born naturally to the Father after, the adopted son rights of heir were not affected in any way. He was equally a joint heir with those siblings.
Verse Romans 8:16 states: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
When I was adopted I was with out a doubt my parent’s son. I did not have to earn that right over time. I became a 100% son at the date of adoption. When my dad passed away 6 ½ years ago, I received his ring as an inheritance and a symbol of the father son relationship which we had.
When we are adopted into God’s family, we became heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ.
Verse 17 states: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Our inheritance make us a beneficiary of goods in which we would other wise be deprived. Through our faith in Christ we become joint heirs with Christ and will as a result, we will be glorified together with Christ.
However the second part of verse 17 says that the co-heirs with Christ will share in his suffering. Beacon commentary says – There is no sharing in Christ’s glory unless there is sharing in his suffering
Often in our earthly families we share in good times and bad times
As believers, we are apart of a big family that is called to take the message of love and forgiveness to the world. In this there will be struggles, but there will also be victory.
The third significant part of Roman adoption was that the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out, they were regarded a new person entering a new life which the past had nothing to do with.
Who I was before I came into my new family had no affect on my new identity. I inherited a history of grand parents and great grand parents and a family history.
According to my hospital birth papers I was of Ukrainian decent. My parents did not dress me up in Ukrainian clothes and make me paint Easter eggs. I took on their heritage and learned to like their food and their culture. I tried to get them to give me 12 gifts for the twelve days of Ukrainian Christmas, ya that did not go over. My new parents were from a Russian Mennonite heritage and that is how I was raised and that is who I am!
When we are adopted into God’s family through the saving work of Christ on the Cross, our sins and past are forgotten. We are a new person entering into a family with a clean slate. Our past is forgotten and we are a new person with a new name in a new family.
William Barclay puts it this way: “It was Paul’s picture that when a man became a Christian he entered into the very family of God. He did nothing to deserve it; God the great Father in his amazing love and mercy, has taken the lost, helpless, poverty-stricken, debt –laden sinner and adopted him into his own family, so that the debts are cancelled and the glory inherited.
The final significant part of Roman adoption was in the eyes of the law the adopted child was seen as an absolute child of the new father.
There was probably times when my father and mother were quite disappointed in me as a son, but they did not desire to give me back or wish me gone. I was their son. Sandra was their daughter. That could not be taken away.
I remember as an 11 year old boy I lived with my family in a small southern town in Saskatchewan. There were only a few small treed areas around town and I managed to start one of these on fire. We had started a fire to warm up our fort we built and ended up causing a lot of damage.
Although my dad was disappointed in me, he still loved me and forgave me for my trouble. However, I still had to go and ask forgiveness from the property owner and make retribution.
My dad loved me, but I also needed to see there were consequences for my actions
After my school years I wondered from my values and started drinking quite heavily, Once again my parents were concerned for me and prayed for me. They were not happy with my choices and turning my back on my faith, but they never gave up, they still loved me!
My heavenly father was not happy with my choices, but he never gave up on me either. I turned from Him, walked away, but the Holy Spirit was constantly calling to me. When I was straying the Holy Spirit’s voice was constantly calling me back to repentance.
These were four significant facts about ancient Roman adoption
There are also four major truths applications in the passage in Romans
First, verse 13 states: For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
We need to put to death the sin in our lives and live by the spirit.
Hebrews 12:1&2 states: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Also you may be here today and know that you have never put your faith in Christ and seek out the Lord’s forgiveness. There is no greater time than now to be adopted into the greatest family ever.
Secondly, we need to seek out our identity in Christ. We need to be in the Word. Thinking back to Pastor Mel’s series on discipleship, we need to be actively allowing others to disciple us in this area, but also helping others realize who they are in Christ and who they are in God’s big big family.
Thirdly, we need to see our role in our family. What role do we have in God’s family. Once again we need to be building into others, loving those that are hurting, helping those in need.
When we see ourselves in the relationship of this family, with God as our Father and Christ as our Brother, we can’t help but to view our fellow family members in a different light. I believe if we even began to grasp the reality of our situation the family of God would look a lot different.
Lastly, we need to press on toward our reward. We are going to share in the glory with Christ. That should play out in our every day life and in our witness.
We are family
I got all my [brothers and] sisters with me
We are family
Get up everybody and sing
We are family
I got all my [brothers and] sisters with me
We are family
Get up everybody and sing
(The Pointer Sisters)
