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.
• Verse 12 reminds us of this, but the verse goes one step further.
• Verse 12 says we are debtors, not to live in the flesh, but instead to live according to the Spirit. The Christian owes nothing to the Devil. There is no valid obligation to live for the Devil.
• Many versions use the word OBLIGATION, it means the same thing as the ESV but the ESV catches the flavor of the meaning a bit better.
• The word “debtor” 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• SLIDE #7
• Colossians 3:5–10 (ESV) 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
• 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. Look at verse 14.
• SLIDE #8
• Romans 8:14 (ESV) 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
• SLIDE #9
B. Christians are called to be 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 led 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.
• We have a special relationship with Jesus; we must remember that God will only lead us to do what is best for us.
• Notice verse 14 says for ALL who are continually being led by the Spirit are sons of God.
• SLIDE #10
• 1 John 2:3–4 (ESV) 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
• Let’s flip down to verse 15 again to see the next reason we can enjoy freedom from the past.
• SLIDE #11
• Romans 8:15 (ESV) 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 #12
We can enjoy freedom from the past because…
II. Christians must embrace their new mindset. (15)
• In this verse a “spirit” is a frame of mind, feeling, or attitude. A spirit of slavery would be an attitude found in men who are slaves; the spirit of adoption would be one of hope, joy and peace.
• When we are adopted into God’s family, we should have a different mindset concerning life.
• In the past our life was tied to a spirit of slavery to sin.
• The Spirit that we have within us now empowers of spirit to a new way of thinking and a new way of life.
• When I had a problem, I could go to my parents for help. Because I am their son, I have access to them whenever I need them.
• I was not afraid of my parents, all though I respected them very much.
• Imagine the joy of a young person who was homeless and without a family all the sudden being adopted into a wonderful family.
• If God is not our Father, then we cannot expect anything from Him. As I have said before, I can go to my dad for help and encouragement. I cannot go to our dad and expect the same thing because your dad is not my dad.
• As you look at verse 15 we see that we are being encouraged not to let a spirit of slavery allow us to fall back into fear.
• When we are lost, we have a spirit of slavery and fear. I believe many people get upset at the mention of God in the public arena because down deep they are fearful of God. A slave of sin has a fear of future punishment.
• Fear is the product of one who is a slave to sin.
• We MUST embrace our new mindset, that we are children of the King!
• SLIDE #13
• Romans 8:31 (ESV) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
• Let’s examine verses 16-17
• SLIDE #14
• Romans 8:16–17 (ESV) 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
• SLIDE #15
We can enjoy freedom from the past because…
III. Christians are legitimate heirs of God’s kingdom. (16-17)
• There are folks who say there are MANY paths and MANY ways to God. These statements are not true.
• Here are a couple of reasons why. First we see in verse 16.
• SLIDE #16
A. The Spirit within us is our birth certificate. (16)
• One of the privileges of belonging to Jesus is you receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
• One of the many ministries of the Spirit in your life is to testify to our spirit that we are an adopted child of God.
• The Holy Spirit is like your birth certificate which proves your birthright.
• The Spirit testifies with ours to God and it testifies to our sprit encouraging us with the fact we belong to Jesus.
• I know that some of you are really struggling with feeling accepted by God. Within you the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you that you do indeed belong to and are accepted by God!
• SLIDE #17
• Galatians 4:4–7 (ESV)4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
• We also see in verse 17.
• SLIDE #18
B. God’s adopted children are heirs of His kingdom. (17)
• I think many parents would like to be able to leave an inheritance for their children. I know many children would like that also!
• Verse 17 continues the thought of verse 13. One of the characteristics of a child is the fact that they are their father’s heir.
• Our passage from Galatians 4:7 reminds us that as a son we are an heir through God!
• If you know you are going to receive a wonderful inheritance, it will have an effect on how you live your life now.
• When we realize that we have an inheritance to collect in full one day, it should affect how we live now.
• I do not know about you, but I love life. I love my life and I love living it. Is there some things I would like to change, sure, but I love the gift of life. Sometimes I love it so much I cannot imagine how wonderful heaven will be.
CONCLUSION
• When we are in Christ we are a NEW CREATION! We are no longer tied to the past!
• If you belong to Jesus, you are a special person.
• When we give our lives to Jesus, we have a moral obligation to give Him our all, to hold nothing back, just as He gave His all and held nothing back for us.
• When we are a child of the King and habitually act as such, we will be glorified with Him when He returns.
• We have too much to lose to go back to the old way of life. We have too much at stake for us to rollover and quit because things get tough.
• We have too much at stake not to take God seriously in our lives. One day we all will face death’s doorstep.
• What kind of shape will you be in when you get there?
• Whatever awaits Jesus, awaits those who are faithful to Him!
