Slaves vs Heirs
Opening Song: Just as I Am
Scripture: Romans 8:14-17
Review of parts 1 through 3 of Symbols Series
Lets begin in Galatians 4:1 because the whole of chapter 3 and 4 are dealing with the old and new covenants. Paul starts here by giving an illustration.
(read vs. 1) Now lets make this illustration as clear as we can. I am the owner of an estate and I have servants who work on my estate. I also have a child that lives with me on this estate. He is heir to the whole estate, some day he will be running it all. But as a child he really isn’t that different than the servants.
He (read vs. 2) is really just like the servants, he’s got guardians over him, he’s got stewards. He’s got people teaching him telling him what to do. He is doing what he’s told to do just like a servant does.
(read vs. 3) Now isn’t that how it is when you are a child? You don’t obey from the heart, you obey because the laws and rules around you tell you to. We looked at some illustrations last time. When a child is young they brush their teeth because they have to. Maybe because you get them bubble gum flavored toothpaste so they like the flavor. But as they grow up we hope that they get this into their hearts, so they will brush their teeth because it is right. Not because we told them to but because it is right. As parents that is the way it is with almost everything we try to get our children to do. We really want them to do the things we ask them to, because they are the right things to do and it is in their hearts to do them. But while they are children until they come to the time appointed by the father they are “under guardians and stewards and the elements of the world.”
(read vs. 4) Next time we will get more deeply into what it means to be under the law. But briefly right now to be under the law means to be under the curse, under the condemnation of the law. Christ came…
( read vs. 5 and 6) When we transfer from being a servant or a slave to being a son or daughter our heart changes. We begin to love our father. Before that happens we just see him as THE RULER. But when God sends his spirit into our heart we begin to see God as our father and we cry out to him “Abba, Father” we love him.
(read vs. 7) Slaves will not inherit the kingdom; it is sons and daughters who will inherit the Kingdom. And the only way to become a son or daughter is through faith in the Father. And then through the work of the Spirit we will begin to want what is in God’s heart to be in our heart. We know that God’s principles are wise and for our own good. And we will do the things he asks even when he isn’t asking because it is in our hearts.
(read vs. 8) Now that is quit an interesting text. But when you put it in its context. When we don’t know God that is when we are still in that slave realm. Were still serving out of rules. The speed limit sign says drive 65 so we drive 65 because we don’t want a ticket, not because we see wisdom in driving slowly. Conserving gas, making it safe on the road for everybody else. That is what those laws are all about. But when we are slaves we serve out of obligation, we would really rather drive 100 mph on those long empty stretches of highway. If we could get away with it we would. That’s how slaves are. You have slaves in your homes, your children. Sometimes they don’t have it in their heart to do what you tell them to do. And you have to watch them and they are watching you. And when you aren’t at home, when you aren’t around they do what they want to do. They do what’s in their hearts to do. Don’t you worry sometimes? What do your kids do when your aren’t around, and the cops aren’t around? When the cats away what do the mice do? They do what’s in their hearts to do, they play! Hopefully we can get our children to the place, and hopefully God can get us to the place where he can leave us alone and trust us. You know heaven isn’t going to be populated with people who have to have speed limit signs always in their face. It won’t be populated with people who have to always be reminded you shall not kill. You shall not steal, commit adultery, covet, lie etc… Heaven will be populated with people in whose heart it is to do what is right!
When we were young and served those things that by nature were not gods that is the stewards and guardians that were put over us. (read vs. 9) Do you see what Paul is saying to the Galatians? "Oh foolish Galatians, before whose eyes Christ was portrayed among you as crucified." Paul came to the Galatians and he lifted up Jesus, and what did Jesus say would happen when he was lifted up? “If I am lifted up I will draw all men to me." Why is that? Because when we see Jesus faith sprouts and we say “Wow! What a God! What a man! Abba Father we love this man!” We are ready to come to him and give our lives to him and when we do that what happens? The spirit comes into our lives and we are born again. The law begins to be written in our hearts, and things change. And what Paul is saying is why do you want to go back to serving by the rules. You know you get up every day and check the rules to remind yourselves, Ah I got to brush my teeth today. Boy I just wish there was a day when I never had to brush my teeth again. Oh yeah I’m gonna take a trip today, ah those speed limit signs. I sure wish those weren’t there. I just want to drive fast! Why do you want to go back and serve under that kind of regime why do you want to go back to the letter of the law? When you can serve through the spirit, with Jesus lifted up.
You know I briefly mentioned at the started of this series that it can be dangerous to talk like this. There are many people, some maybe here today, who are under a notion that seems to be rather prevalent in many churches and including our own church that we are now under the new covenant. And that is true, by all means yes! But you have to be careful because do you know what that means to slave minded people? It means you don’t HAVE to keep the rules any more. That’s how slaves think. Slaves are always concerned with the rules. And if you have spent all your lives serving by the rules believe me friends it gets real old! You want to know why people leave the church? You want to know why I took my leave in my younger years? Because I got sick of it, I got burned out serving by the rules. Now no one came along to me and said we are under the new covenant we don’t have to serve by the rules anymore I just threw it all out. But when someone comes along and say we are under the new covenant! We don’t have to serve by the rules anymore. To a slave, a slave minded person, what that means is, “Hey the rules have been done away with! We can do what we want!” Now this scares us when we see that happen and what that causes us to do is go into a defense mode and build walls and dig trenches to protect the rules and we stay slaves to the rules and fail to become heirs. Brothers and sisters we must make this move! We have to make the transition to the new covenant where we are serving not by the flesh but by the spirit. But as we make this transition we need to realize that when we come into the new covenant the spirit comes into your lives and he writes the law in your hearts. Now you aren’t getting rid of the rules you are actually for the first time truly keeping them. Under the old regime you aren’t even really keeping them. You know the Pharisees, they thought they were keeping the law. Were they keeping the law? No they had no clue. They were slaves! And they were such good slaves they made up all these other rules to protect the rules that they did have. They just massed them up. Jesus came along and started talking about the rules. “You’ve heard it said, thou shalt not kill, but I want to tell you something, there is a better way!” And the Pharisees jump back and say, “Aha, he’s one of those liberals. Trying to do away with the law!” and Jesus responds, “Ah, don’t think that I’ve come to do away with the law, I have come to show you what it really means to keep it.” “You have heard it said don’t kill but I say don’t even be angry with your brother.” And you know what? That’s how it is when the new covenant is fulfilled in your life, you stop getting angry! But when you are under the old covenant and just serving out of rules you still struggle with anger. You may not actually kill your brother but you sure would like to! You may not kill them but you will emotionally demolish them with your words. That’s how servants and slaves are. And when the cats away you will! So we must be careful, we aren’t talking about doing away with the law and next time we will get more into that.
(read vs. 9-11) That’s how it is with slaves, they amass all these rules and observances and things that you must do. Now that doesn’t mean that when you serve by the spirit you might not follow many of the same things but, you are doing them from the heart through the Spirit and not from the letter. We must make this change! For our children’s sake, for our church members sake. Lift up Jesus creating faith.
Lets go back to Romans 8:14-17 You know Galatians and Romans are kind of companion books. We know Peter says Paul writes many things that are hard to understand and to make sure we are really on target with what he is saying we need to look at other places where he talks about these things.
(read Romans 8:14) They are not servants anymore they are Sons!
(read vs. 15a) As we have said slaves often serve out of fear. Our children, we don’t want them to serve out of fear! Do you think God wants us to serve out of fear?
(read vs. 15b-16) The spirit comes into our lives and fills us with God’s righteousness. Then the Spirit bears witness saying these are the Children of God. Slaves are not the children of God! They are just slaves.
(read vs. 17) As children of God the Spirit recognizes us. And if we are heirs with him then we are heirs WITH him. If you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed. You can not receive the promised inheritance any other way than through Christ by faith, through the Spirit. If you think that by keeping the rules that at the end of time you can come before the Lord and say, “Lord we’ve done all these things don’t we have right to the inheritance?” He’s going to look at you and say “depart from me. I never knew you. My Spirit does not bear witness that you are a son or daughter of God. Your heart doesn’t resonate with my heart. These others, the sheep, their hearts resonate with my heart. Your heart doesn’t resonate. Your just slaves, you obeyed me out of fear, out of obligation, you obeyed me out of hope for reward.” Those who’s hearts resonate with God’s those are his Children. Brothers and sisters we can’t hope for our hearts to resonate with God without the Spirit working in our lives.
Look over with me in John 15:14 (read vs. 14) Aha! There’s the servants text. “See we’ve got to keep the commandments!” Servants and Pharisees their good and commandments. “See were God’s friends if we keep the commandments.” But what we are learning here is that it is the platform from which we keep the commandments that makes all the difference in the world. If we are keeping them as servants God disregards it, because we aren’t truly keeping them. But if we keep them through the Spirit from the heart then we are his friends.
(read vs. 15) That text is packed with powerful symbolism. Illustration: You know that in the days of Jesus a father would teach his son the tricks of the trade. This was a common thing for a father to do. Your son was going to grow up and take over the business you would teach him the tricks of the trade. Maybe there was something about the way you made furniture that was a little different than the guy down the street. You did something that made you furniture turn out just a little bit better. You had a little trick. And the father wouldn’t share that with anyone else but his son. And Jesus was saying “you are my friends if you do what I command you and I no longer call you servants but I call you friends because the servant doesn’t know what the master is doing!” Suppose you have a carpentry shop. You would have some servants who would come in and work but you wouldn’t share everything with them. But with your son you shared everything. Your servants just do their little part of the work and this other servant does his little part and when they finish, it comes out good but they don’t understand. The servant doesn’t know what is going on in the master’s plan. But he shares everything only with his son. (read vs. 15 again) Jesus has given us the trade secrets. He has adopted us into the family and we are now sons and daughters of God and he has shared everything that is in his heart and he has put it into our hearts. And we are no longer servants but friends, sons and daughters. We have inside information. We are on the inside track. But only those who have faith, with the Spirit working in their hearts understand this. Servants?! Well they think they know it all, they think they know all the secrets and they’re the loudest and first to inform you about it, but they really don’t see.
Look over in John 10:14 and lets look at another interesting passage in dealing with this. (read vs. 14) remember that verse in Galatians? “Now that you know God or rather are known by God.” Those who are God’s sheep they have this inside connection, they know God and God knows them. God looks at them and he says, “their hearts resonate with my heart, these are my sheep.” The slaves, the servants, its not in their hearts yet, their still obeying out of rules. They haven’t let God reach them yet, they aren’t truly impressed with Christ’s righteousness. They have never beheld the Lamb of God and had Faith spring up in their hearts. They are just afraid of not making it to heaven or they are hoping that by being one of God’s people they might get some benefits or might avoid hell fire. So they say, “Give me the rules, tell me what to do. I want to go to heaven so I’ll do what you tell me to do.” They don’t really know God. God knows his own sheep.
(Read vs. 27) What’s in my heart is in their heart, and they follow me, not because of fear but because they know it is right.
You know brothers and sisters we are coming to the time when we as Seventh-Day Adventists need to get there. We don’t want to be serving out of law. We may reference it from time to time. We may share it with those who need to hear it, those who don’t know about it. But we need to serve out of love through the Spirit changing the desire of our hearts. Have you ever noticed what it says on speeding tickets? I have to confess I have received a speeding ticket or two. Now I’m not sure what it says down here but in Washington it says, “For speeding in excess of 5 mph over the speed limit.” You know what that means? If the speed limit is 65 I can go up to 70 and not get a ticket. That is how slaves think. Well the law says this but how far can I push it. As slaves we say things like, “Do you think God will mind if I…? I don’t think God will really mind… God really doesn’t care if I go to church on Sunday instead of Saturday.” That is how slaves think. I can get away with this much without getting a spanking. Or without having to put forth any effort. We must move out of that mentality of doing the bare minimum, to just squeak in to the gates of heaven. As long as we cling on to that mentality we remain slaves. We should not want to be a slave! We must be sons and daughters of God! You know I really want to be in on the trade secrets! I want to serve God from the desire of my heart and not because I have to! I want to be heir to the Kingdom! Do you want to be heir to the kingdom? If so join with me in singing our theme song for this series.
Whiter Than Snow
