We're going to, as you can see
here, the title of the message is Spirit of Adoption. Now, Brother
Randy asked me earlier whether or not I had a two-part message
today. I've got the 10 o'clock and the
11 o'clock, and I told him no, it wasn't a two-part, but you
could call it a two-part message. I didn't title it that way, but both messages are going to be
dealing with the same topic, and that is having to do with
adoption, our election, and the spirit that draws us by that
gospel. As we begin this morning, we're
going to begin reading here in Romans 8, verse 14. And it says, for as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but
you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs, heirs of God and join heirs with Christ, if so
be that we suffer with him, that we may also be also glorified
together. I wanted to say this at the beginning
here of the message, and that is that any religion, any so-called
gospel, any preacher, any spirit that puts people under superstitious,
slavish fear or bondage, is not of God. It's just absolutely,
unmistakably not of God. Such a spirit is not the Holy
Spirit, and if we had no other portion of scripture that states
that, though we have many, we would have to know that it's
true by what the Apostle Paul is led by the spirit to say in
these verses that we just read. He talks about some who are led
by the Spirit of God and says that they are the sons of God. And these, he says, have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear. All of these adopted
sons were once under that spirit of bondage. We all were by nature.
But he says they have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear. but they have received the spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry Abba Father. The relationship between God
and these sons, or these children, is without a doubt one of a legal
relationship. Some seem to want to deny this
and even make light of it. But the truth of the matter is
that there is this legal matter this matter of justice that must
be satisfied between God and his people, these children. But
undoubtedly, it is also a family relationship. And for that reason,
they are called the sons or the children of God. As to that legal
relationship, they're said to be justified. That is, justification
is something that God does as a judge. whereby he releases
them from all condemnation on the basis of Christ's bloodshed
and accepts them as righteous based on the imputation of Christ's
righteousness to them. They're said to be justified,
declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ and him
crucified. But on the other hand also, we
read here about adoption. Adoption is something that God
does as a father. And by that, he appoints them
his children. And both of these, our justification
and our adoption, is entirely on the basis of Christ's word.
And on that basis also, God makes these children join heirs with
Christ. They are in the family of God.
And so it could be said that justification brings them into
his favor, but adoption brings them into his family, his glorious
family. These sons are called his inheritance. And in order to freely give us
something like an inheritance and to bestow upon us something
that we could never deserve, earn, or merit, and we certainly
by nature are not born into it, therefore it must be by God's
grace in Christ and because of his everlasting love for us. The Apostle John tells us this
here in 1 John 3. John says, behold, what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called
the sons of God. called the sons of God, the children
of God. You see, adoption is a blessing
of grace that is given to the Lord's people by God as the triune
God that he is. In other words, the Godhead,
Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit in these three sacred persons
is actively involved in this adoption so that in that united
harmony Within the Godhead, this adoption is bestowed upon these
children. Let's look at Ephesians chapter
one for a moment, because here in Ephesians, we find that God,
as our father God, purposed in Christ to bring his people into
his family. This was no accident. It's not
based on our choice. It's not some contingency plan. This is what God the Father,
in an act of grace and love, determined for us, even before
this world began. So listen to what's said here
in Ephesians. It says, blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ, according
that he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world. that we should be holy and without blame before him
in love, having predestinated us into the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the beloved in Christ. The Apostle Paul here
says, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He identifies God so many times in all of his preaching and in
all of his epistles, but what a name and a title, God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what he says is that God,
without our consent and without our approval and without our
help in any way, he did something before time, before this world
was created, that has so affected us in both time and eternity. He says, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him. And most people believe that that's where that statement
ends. And in the next two words, in love, begins the next verse
where he says, in love, having predestinated us. Not just predestinated
some things, not just determined a few things that would take
place providentially, but predestination has to do with individuals. And
it says that he knew this in love. He didn't do it in some
fatalistic way, but he knew so in love. He says, having predestinated
us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. What did he do? He predestinated
us. That means not only that he marked
off before, which is what that word means, but that he determined
beforehand that he foreordained beforehand this relationship
that we are brought into in Christ Jesus. He predestinated us into
the adoption of children, he says, by Jesus Christ to himself. And note this, according to the
good pleasure of his will. Not free will, not man's will,
but according to the good pleasure of God's will. Here it is, God
determining, predestinating, marking out beforehand, deciding
to receive a family, the children. Predestinating us, Paul says,
and including all true believers in that group and in that family.
Predestinating us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ.
And that's amazing. It's amazing because we don't
even decide what our natural family, what natural family we'd be born
into. We didn't have anything to do with that. The second thing
is not only does it show that in Scripture, but it shows also
that God the Son, in His work of redemption, removed all those
obstacles that might stand in the way from His people, His
children, receiving this adoption. Let's look at Galatians chapter
4. Listen to what Paul says here. It says here, but when the fullness
of time was come, nothing ever happens by accident with God. This was predetermined and foreordained,
and it says when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth
his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them
that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons. In other words, Here are all
these obstacles that stand in the way of these sons receiving
this adoption. Here is the matter of our sins.
Here is the matter of justice. Here is the matter of everything
in us and about us. All of these obstacles that would
prevent the holy God from having fellowship with his children. But in that covenant of grace,
that everlasting covenant of grace made before time. In that
covenant were the Son of God agreed to be surety and savior
and representative of these people, these children, and agreed to
come into this world and take on himself a body and die on
that cross and redeem them. There is a lot of people that
don't really understand redemption. And sometimes it's either an
innocence, but they'll say things like Christ bought all these
blessings for you. They'll say Christ paid for this
by his blood. But that's not all exactly true. The graces and the blessings
of God in his grace, they're freely given to his children. They are the gift of grace. These
graces and blessings don't have to be redeemed. God's children
receive them. All you have to do is get your
Bible and look at all those references to redeem or redemption, and
they don't have anything to do with things that are redeemed,
so much as it has to do with people. When Hosea went down
to the slave market, he didn't redeem something that Gomer had,
she didn't have anything to be redeemed. He redeemed her. When Boaz went down to the gate
to redeem Ruth and Naomi, he redeemed them. Christ had to
redeem us, so he came into the world in order to do that. A lot of people who profess to
believe the gospel even have God's justification of his people
and Christ's redemption of his people confused. When it came
to the work of Christ, there was no disagreement with the
Father and the Son. They were in perfect agreement.
Christ came into this world, and he redeems God's children
by his blood. He pays their sin debt, and he
pays that liberating price, which was his shed blood and sacrifice. and sets them free from the bondage
of their sin that they were in all their life up until that
point. He paid it by paying the paying
of that price, which was his bloodshed, his death on the cross.
Then because of his death in time, he enables these sons,
these children, by God the Spirit, to be in such a state and in
such a condition in a new birth to receive this adoption, to
understand what this adoption is. There's a hymn that says,
in the beloved excepted am I. It could also be said, in the
beloved adopted am I. You see, the blessed son of God
is that one who is equal. He's the co-equal, not only with
God the Father, but the equal participant in this matter of
the adoption of these people. You also know if Christ is truly
God, and he says he is, then God the Spirit, the third person
of Godhead, in the same manner, in the same manner, with the
same enthusiasm, with the same effort and strength, God the
Spirit is also an equal participant in this matter of the adoption
of these people. God the Spirit is working in
the heart of each one of his own. Look at John 16. John here says, Howbeit, when
he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.
For he shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear, That
shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me. He'll glorify
Christ in his work of redemption. For he shall receive of mine
and shall show it unto you. The Holy Spirit is the spirit
of truth. The Holy Spirit's also the spirit of God, the spirit
of life. He's the spirit of adoption.
What does that mean? It means that the Holy Spirit
comes in each and every one of these that the Father loved,
chose, predestinated unto the adoption and children of Christ,
and He regenerates and He converts them through the preached gospel,
the Word of God. The Spirit comes to these who
are the same ones that Christ came into this world and stood
in their place. and shed His blood in order to
redeem them, that they might fully and completely and eternally
receive and understand this redemption and this adoption. The Spirit
comes to each one of these, and He reveals and manifests this
adoption. What is it to manifest something?
It's to make openly known You could say in one sense, and surely
be true to the scriptures, that by this adoption, they are born
from above. They are begotten from above.
They are brought forth from above in the new birth. And by that
new birth, being born again, they are given spiritual life
and faith by which they now come to realize, understand, and experience
this adoption. don't know anything about it
until this new birth, until they're born again, until they're given
life through the gospel, through the word of God. They're in bondage
to the law. One might ask, how would you
ever know that you're one of these that God has adopted into
his family? Well, I can tell you it's not
always the way you might feel or the way you act. Sometimes
we get carried away with our emotions and actions. Randy can
testify that with me. But sometimes we do. No, I dare
not depend on myself in order to judge if I'm a child of God. I must rely on the word of God.
And the Word of God says that the Spirit bears witness with
our spirit that we're children of God. Once again, the question
arises, how can you be sure that you're one of God's children
just on the basis that God said it? Well, he says that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And in time, by
the Holy Spirit, I hear my name. I'm a sinner. Then God says in
his word and in God's time, Christ died for the ungodly. Well, according
to God's word, that's me by nature. All men by nature are ungodly. There's something about the word
of God when the spirit of God takes it. And to these redeemed,
loved, and chosen sinners, it's like God takes that word by his
spirit in our mind, affections, and will It's as if he takes us and wraps
us up in his arms and draws us to his will. The scripture says
he makes us willing in the day of his power. And at that time,
we know he loves us, and it's all according to the word of
God, made effectual by God's spirit. Now, in Galatians 4,
6, In the first part of this verse,
most preachers get the cart before the horse. But the Apostle Paul
says, and because you are sons, because you are sons, not in
order to become sons, but because you are sons, God has sent forth
the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, my father. You see, because you are sons,
the spirit of God brings to the hearts of these children of God,
the assurance of every promise, every promise of God. And this
happens all because of this relationship as God's children. So every time
the flesh tries to convince you that there's no way you can be
a child of God, the spirit draws his children back to God's word.
By grace are you saved, not of works that any man should boast.
And Romans 8, 14 says, for as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. Well, what is it to be led
by the Spirit of God? I realize that in a great sense,
it has to do with being led by biblical principles, biblical
doctrine. But first of all, it means being
led to Christ again and again. It's the Spirit taking the things
of Christ and showing them to you. There's no way that the
Spirit of God will ever fail to call and to bring and to make
manifest this adoption to these that the Father determined to
save and that the Son died for. Those who are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. Then it says in Galatians
4.7, wherefore, They are no more a servant but
a son, and of a son then an heir of God through Christ. Being
no more a servant is a benefit resulting from being adopted,
and of the manifestation of it to the children of God by the
Spirit of God. These sons were formerly servants
of sin, while in their natural state they were in bondage to
the law. That's all of us by nature. But
now being declared and manifested to be the sons of God under the
witnessing of the Spirit, they're freed from the servitude of sin,
freed from the law. Why would the Spirit come and
reveal this to me? Well, it's because of what Christ
has done. And that's why the Apostle Paul
says, we're not under law, we're under grace and love. As children
of God, we don't want to do anything that would bring us dishonor
to God, our Father, that chose us, and to Christ who saved us
by his grace. Therefore, the love of Christ
constrains us. Our being in the family and the
children of God, we want to conduct ourselves in ways that are pleasing
to him. We don't always do that, but
that's our desire. Paul writing in Romans 8 verse
17, and if children, he says here, then heirs. What do you
have to be to get an inheritance? You offer me with an inheritance. Men by nature say, what do I
need to do? to get an inheritance. It's not about doing. It's about
being. He said, if you're a child of
God, you're an heir. You don't get any more than me,
and I'm not going to get any more than you. It's entirely
based on a relationship. And grace is based on Christ,
our elder brother. It then says, and if children
than heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If so
be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.
Glorified means to be revealed and manifested for what you are.
One day Christ is going to be glorified to all in the day of
judgment. And in that sense, it will be
made known to all that He is the Son of God. And as He is
made manifest to every soul, that He is the Son of God, all
of His children will be manifested with Him, that they are also
the children of God. Then it says in verse 19, for
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation
of the sons of God. It then says in verse 20, for
the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but
by reason of him who have subjected the same in hope, because the
creature itself also shall be delivered from bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God. In the end,
it's going to be made manifest to everybody. that these children
are the children of God. What a glorious thing it is when
the gospel is preached. God's children are given the
eyes and the ears of faith to receive it. They will be given
a heart of faith to believe it, to believe what God says, to
rest in Christ alone for their salvation, to trust Him and only
Him, and cast off all their own imagined righteousness that they
might could work out their works and put aside all their supposed
good works and just find all their family in Christ, the Son
of God. You say, you got problems, Jim. And I do. You say, you got weaknesses
and you don't look like a that you're living like a child of
God. Maybe not, but I am. You see, all who are in Christ
have his righteousness imputed to them, charged to their account. They stand before God without
blame, in Christ, in him alone. And so as Christ is, so are we
in this world. As He lived, we lived. As He
died, we died. As He rose, we rose. We're in
Him. We look to Christ. We glorify Him. We exalt Him
for all of our salvation. You see, God's children are in
a unique position. They are the adopted sons and
children of God. They are heirs of God and join
heirs with Christ, their elder brother. Thank God for having
enabled his children by the Holy Spirit to receive the spirit
of adoption. Amen.