Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I'm going to read a passage of
scripture from Ephesians chapter 1, and our subject for this morning
is adoption. Beginning in verse 3 of Ephesians
chapter 1, Paul says, Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us. And the us is every believer. Not everybody has God's blessing. Some are under God's curse, but
every believer has all of God's blessing. Look at the way it
says this, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ. If I'm a believer, I have all
spiritual blessings, and they're given to me in Christ Jesus. And the first spiritual blessing
he mentioned is election, according as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world. Now, if you are a believer, it's
because God chose you. to be a believer before time
ever began." What a blessing, the blessed doctrine of election. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame. Now, if God chose you to be holy,
you know what? You're holy. And if God chose
you to be without blame, you know what? You're without blame.
You see, the Lord Jesus Christ took your sin on and put it away,
and there's nothing to blame you for. And he's given you a
new nature, a new heart, holiness. Then he says, in love, having
predestinated us, what a blessing that is, and predestination,
God predetermining what was going to take place. having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, through Him,
mediated through Him, to Himself, according to the good pleasure
of His will. He did this simply because He
willed it, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Now, none of these spiritual
blessings can be separated. If you have one, you have them
all. But I say this carefully, there
is no greater spiritual blessing than to be adopted. to be made
a son of God, adopted into the family of God, where we can actually
say, our Father, who art in heaven. To have all the privileges of
sonship. Now, understand this. God is
not everybody's father. He's everybody's God. He's everybody's
Lord. But He's not everybody's father.
You remember in John chapter 8 when he was speaking to the
Pharisees, and he said, You're of your father, the devil, and
the lusts of your father you will do. But he said to his disciples,
and he's saying this of every believer, I go to my father and
your father. I go to my God and your God. Your Father knoweth that you
have need of these things before you ask Him. To have God as my Father, that's
what it is to be adopted. It's to have God as your Father. You know what? If God's your
Father, you're one of the people that Christ would call His brethren. Both he that sanctifyeth and
they who are sanctified are all of one, for the which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. If God is your
Father, that means Christ is your elder brother. He's your
Savior, he's your Lord, he's your Master, but you're also
one of his brethren. If God is my Father, that means
I have continual and constant access to him. Ephesians 1, 3,
12, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by
the faith of him. I'm always Welcome into my Father's
presence, if He is my Father. I have His fatherly pity, if
He's my Father. I'd like to read you a passage
of Scripture from Psalm 103, beginning in verse 10. He hath not dealt with us after
our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Thank God
for that. For as the heavens is high above the earth, so great
is His mercy. toward them that fear him. As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions
from us, like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear him. For he knows our frame, he remembers
that we are dust. If he's my father, I have his
fatherly provision. Now, that's not just talking
about physical provision. Now, I know that anything I have
materially, He gave to me, and I acknowledge that, but that's
talking more about His provision and salvation. All that He requires,
He provides. He requires perfect righteousness,
He provides this righteousness, the righteousness of His Son.
He requires a sin payment, He provides that sin payment through
the death of His Son. He requires faith, He provides
faith. He requires repentance, He gives
repentance. Oh, Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will
provide. And if He's my Father, I have
all of His provision. And if He's my Father, I have
His fatherly protection. You see, that means the Lord's
for me. And if God be for us, Who can be against us? He's protected
me from everybody and everything, and nothing happens that's not
according to His will. What a mercy it is to have Him
as my Father. If He's my Father, I have His
fatherly education. And the Lord homeschools all
of His children. We read in John chapter 6, and
they shall all be taught of God, every one of them. And every
man that had heard and learned of the Father comes to me. And to have Him as my Father,
I have His fatherly discipline, and I'm thankful for that. Whom
the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and He scourges every son He
receives." If I have Him as my Father, I don't know how to say
this right. I'll give it a shot. But first,
let me quote this. 2 Peter 1 verse 4 says we're
partakers of the divine nature. We're born of the Spirit. That means not only am I adopted
son, I have his spiritual nature. Now, what all it means to be
a partaker of the divine nature, I don't really understand, but
I know it's supernatural, and I'm a partaker of the nature
of Christ, and I'm given that nature in the new birth, born
of the spirit. As many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe
on his name, which were born not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God, birth by
God, given this new nature. I have, if God is my Father,
I have the guarantee of continuing a son because I have the sealing
of the Holy Spirit. I'm going to continue in the
faith. This is what John says, Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
children of God. Paul calls it in Romans 8.21,
the glorious liberty of the children of God. So you can see why I
have said that in some respects, this is the highest of all privileges,
to be a child of God, adopted into the family of God. Now this
word adoption is found in the New Testament five times. It's
taught on every page. But the actual Word is found
five times. One of the times, in Romans chapter
9, it's talking about the adoption of the nation of Israel over
all the rest of the nations of the world, to whom pertaineth,
talking about Israel, to whom pertaineth the adoption. God
did something for Israel that He didn't do for any other nation.
And that was simply given to picture what he does for his
true adopted family, his spiritual children. But the other four
times that this word is mentioned is going to form our outline.
I've got four points to this message. First, the grace of
adoption. Secondly, the price of adoption. Thirdly, the experience of adoption. and last, the permanence of adoption. Now, in the text that I just
read in Ephesians chapter 1, we read of the grace of adoption. Now, when Paul begins with, according
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
Now, what that means is, if I'm adopted, I was graciously chosen
to be adopted before time began. You see, this adoption did not
take place in time. It took place in eternity, when
God chose me and predestinated me to be His child. Now, how much of election is
by grace? Well, Romans 11, 5 says it's
the election of grace. It's all of grace. And if by
grace, it's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, don't call it grace. Otherwise, work
is no more work. Now, God did not make me a child
because he saw any good thing in me. because there's anything
I could contribute to Him. All He saw in me by nature was
nothing but sin, and this is a completely gracious act. It's the act of free and sovereign
grace taking place before we had any works to recommend us
or had any Sin doth condemn us. This was done in the mind and
purpose and will of the glorious God of heaven. It's an act of
grace." That means, my dear friend, there's no reason for anyone
to despair of being an adopted child because God does this by
His grace. It's no worthiness in you. It's
simply an act of His grace. And all of the adopted ones know
this. There's no argument about this. And then in Galatians chapter
4, we read about the price of adoption. Now, Paul says, And
he's giving the Roman custom of the heir would not enter into
his heirship till the time appointed of the father, when he's recognized
as the heir. Before then, he's treated just
like anybody else, although he is the heir and the son. Now,
let's read this passage together. Galatians 4. Now, I say that
the heir, as long as a child, differs nothing from a servant,
though he be Lord of all. But in his experience, he's nothing
more than a slave. But he's under tutors and governors
until the time appointed of the Father, when he's going to recognize
him as the heir. Even so, we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world. We were children,
we were heirs, but we were still Didn't know anything about it.
We were in bondage to the world. We lived according to the world's
maxims and principles, and we loved the world. We were children
of wrath, just like everybody else. But, verse 4, when the
fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. He sent Him
made of a woman. You see, the children are human
beings. They have flesh. He had to be
made flesh in order to save them. made under the law, the lawgiver
placed himself under the law because the children had to have
a perfect righteousness, and he was going to keep the law
for them. And here's why he did this, to redeem them that were
under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Now, the
only way I'm going to be able to receive the adoption of sons
is if he redeems me. Now, this is the price of adoption. We've already considered the
grace of adoption, but there's a price involved. Christ had
to come to this earth and redeem me. He had to make payment for
my sins. He had to put away my sins. He
had to make it to where I have no sin in order to be a son. Look in Galatians 3, verse 11,
but that no man is justified by the law on the side of God,
it's evident. For the just shall live by faith, and the law is
not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made
a curse for us. Now, here's the price of redemption.
Christ had to be made a curse. He was made sin, the sins of
his people became his sins, and he suffered the very curse of
God against sin. God's holy. God can't accept
sin. God's gracious. God's going to
have a bunch of people just like the Lord Jesus Christ. How can
that be when these people are sinful? because Christ redeemed
them. He put away their sins. That's
the price of redemption, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that is why I can be a son,
because of the redeeming work of Christ. Verse 6, and because
you're sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son, and if a son, an heir of God through Christ. Now, to be adopted is a gracious
act of God, but there was a price that had to be paid, the precious
blood of Christ, His redeeming work on Calvary's tree. Now,
our third point is the experience of adoption. Yes, there's the
grace of adoption, and there's a price of adoption, but here's
the experience of being an adopted child. Beginning in verse 14
of Romans chapter 8, for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. This is his true family. They're led by the Spirit of
God. Now, what is evidence that I'm
led of the Spirit? A lot of people make that claim. I'm led of the Spirit. The Spirit's
led me to do this and led me to do that. Well, Galatians 5.18
says, they that are led of the Spirit are not under law. Now,
if you're under law, if the law is your thing, if salvation is
in any way dependent upon something you do, You're not led of the
Spirit. You're a stranger to the Spirit
of God. You see, they that are led of the Spirit are not under
law, and they are the sons of God. Verse 15, for you have not
received the spirit of bondage, again, to fear. Now, the spirit
of bondage is the spirit of law. You've never done enough. You've
never performed enough. Your performance is not up to
snuff. It's not good. All you can do
is fear and dread, wrath. You don't have any true confidence,
just fear. Have I not done enough? Do I
need to do more? And that's the spirit of bondage.
There's no rest. There's no joy in trusting Christ.
All you do is fear God. Fear He's going to get you. Fear
He's going to punish you. Fear He's going to—you didn't
give enough, so He's going to take it out in a coffin or in
a hospital bill and all the things of the way preachers like to
threaten people when they don't really understand the gospel.
You've not received that spirit of bondage, again, to fear. but
you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father." Now, Abba is the Aramic word for the Greek word
father, it's father, father. It's what Christ cried in the
Garden of Gethsemane, Abba, Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me. But it wasn't possible because
it was the will of God for him to save his people, and he knew
that. It was just the thought of being
made sin and being separated from God so overwhelmed his soul
that he cried that, Abba, Father. He says in verse 16, the Spirit
itself, or himself, beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. Now, in this experience, of adoption,
God the Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit, the new man,
that I'm a child of God. And it's not by him saying, you're
a child of God, be confident in that. This cannot be separated
from faith in Christ. Galatians chapter 3 verse 26
says, for you are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Now, the only evidence that I'm
a child is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't receive
evidence that I'm a child because of how good I am or anything
of that nature. No, the only thing that gives
me evidence that I am a child of God is I look to Christ only
as everything in my salvation. I don't look anywhere else. I
don't look to my preaching, my praying, my witnessing, my striving
against sin. No. I would be sent to hell for
any of those things. I look to Christ only as everything
in my salvation, and that's what bears witness to me that I am
a child of God. He uses the gospel to do that.
Now, if you're a child, here's your experience. Our Father. That's what our Lord taught us
to pray. Our Father. I'm His son. I'm His child. Our Father. I'm a part of the
family of God, all for whom Christ died. Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed, holy, reverend, is thy name. Every child of God
is a worshiper of God." Now, His name is who He is. His name represents all of His
glorious attributes, His holiness, His justice, His sovereignty,
His power, His wisdom, His immensity, His eternality. Whoever he is,
as he's revealed in the scriptures, we say, hallowed. Holy is thy
name. We love him as he is, and we
wouldn't change him if we could. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. We're looking for a city whose
builder and maker is God, not an earthly kingdom. Thy kingdom
come. If you could cut into the heart
of every child of God, you would find someone who wants God's
will to be done. And the worst thing that could
happen to me is that I would have to cut into the heart of every child
of God. is for me to be left to my own will. Oh, the very
idea of being left to my own will scares me to death. Thy
will be done. Take my will and make it thine.
It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is thy own.
It shall be thy royal throne. Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, if you're a child, here's
your prayer. Give us this day our daily bread. I'm completely
dependent. This is not just talking about
food, although that's included, but I'm a man of great needs. As David said, poor and needy. I'm poor, and I have great needs,
and I can't supply for any of them. And I look for him to give
me what I need. Give us this day our daily bread. And here's what a child says,
forgive us of our debts, our sins, as we forgive our debtors. Now, let me tell you something
about a child of God. He's a sinner, and he knows it. Somebody that
doesn't know he's a sinner is no child of God. A child of God
is a sinner, and he knows it. He's sinful before God. He commits
sins constantly, and he knows it. Somebody that says, I'm not
like that, you are too. You might not know it, but that's
exactly how you are. But a child of God knows it. But he's a forgiven sinner. All of his sins are forgiven
sins, and he's a forgiving sinner. He forgives others because he
has been forgiven. Now, this is a child of God.
He's a sinner, but he's a forgiving sinner, and he's a forgiving
sinner. Every single one of them can
be described just like that. And then the child prays, lead
us not into temptation. You see, I know if I'm tempted,
I'll fall, so I ask to not even be tempted. Lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us from the evil
one, deliver us from this evil world, and deliver us from the
evil that is me. Deliver me from myself. Save
me from myself. And then every child says, for
thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory
forever. Amen. And lastly, the permanence
of adoption. Verse 19 of Romans 8, for the
earnest expectation of the creature, the new creature, the creation,
waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. Now I'm clothed
in this flesh right now, this sinful flesh, and I'm waiting
for this glorious manifestation of the sons of God. Now let's
see what he means by that. For the creature, some think
he's personifying creation. He could be, but mainly this
is talking about the new creation. For the creature, the creation,
was made subject to vanity in the fall, not willingly, but
by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the
creation itself shall also be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
something we're waiting for, to wit, the redemption of our
body. Now, right now as I'm speaking
to you, I still have sinful flesh with sinful appetites and sinful
desires, but when I die, that's all going to be gone. I'm going
to be changed, and at that time, it will be manifest that I am
a child of God, perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, and this
is permanent. I cannot lose my sonship. I cannot lose my heir. I cannot
lose my inheritance or any of these things. I am permanently
a child of God. Now, I struggle now, so does
every other child of God, because we have this thing called the
flesh. But when that flesh is taken away, you know, the Lord
says, we're going to shine as the sun. That's the inheritance
of every believer. They're permanently, for eternity,
the children of God. Now, we have this message on
DVD and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Knight, a friend
that God will be pleased to make himself known to you. This is
our prayer. Amen. To request a copy of the
sermon you have just heard, send your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.