And tonight, we turn in the Bible to the book of Romans, and we're continuing our study in Romans, page 1201, if you need that in the Pew Bibles. And the text that we're considering tonight, since Romans 8 is so rich, is verses 15 through 17. We'll back up and read verses 12 through 17. And tonight we consider together the doctrine of adoption and the beauty of God's adoption. And you'll see this here in verses 15 and 16. So let's give our attention to the word of the Lord beginning at verse 12. So then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 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'll live for all who are led by the spirit of god are sons of god for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry abba father the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of god 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. May the Lord bless tonight the hearing of his word. What Paul is doing tonight in this text in Romans chapter 8 is explaining for us the blessing of being led by the Spirit, the Christian life as one of being led by the Holy Spirit. And that's something that I think we take for granted and something that we don't think enough about. And this morning, you remember that we considered from Genesis that there was a crucial distinction made between two types of people who live on the face of the earth. There is the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. And the former, Jesus talked a lot about. Jesus warned about this. Jesus spoke openly about this, that there are those in this life who are marked out by doing the will of their father, the devil. And they do his will. Remember Jesus said in John 8, you are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. They are in communion with him. The ways of darkness characterize their lives, and the scriptures constantly expose this. Well, in Romans, what he's doing is explaining for us the difference because he knows when Christians hear statements like that, they don't always grasp and they struggle with how they know they are children of God. How can we know? Many well-meaning Christians struggle with that. And maybe the whole desire today for more application is really birthed out of that, isn't it? is birthed out of the fact that people are struggling with Christianity because of little progress and ongoing weakness and they want to know more they want to understand where's the glory to this where where's more we want more to this there's got to be more and so they typically think that the answer is in the doing but we have seen how Paul is addressing this what motivates the doing is what christ understanding what christ has accomplished for us but i believe paul knew and we've we've mined that we've looked at that for for months now i believe paul knew that christians would ask this question where is the power where is the assurance and what is the difference between these two kinds of people and paul is is been advancing for us in romans 8 and he's been showing us that the crucial difference for the christian is what the holy spirit is doing is what he is working. And we may at times struggle with seeing that, and I'm so thankful we'll look at tonight that it's not even ultimately how we feel because we know that feelings are very up and down. Even that does not determine it. And so he's encouraging us tonight, and he's saying that the evidence of one being a son of God, a child of God, the seed of the woman, the evidences are something very real and very powerful because the one who is producing that in us is the Holy Spirit. Remember what we called ruthless logic last time of Paul. In verse 9 he said, If anyone doesn't have the Spirit, he's not one of his. He's not a child of God. So the logic goes like this. If you don't have the Spirit, you don't belong to Christ. If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ. And if you have the Spirit of Christ, you're no longer going to be controlled and mastered by the sinful nature. And that's been an important distinction. It doesn't mean we don't struggle with the sinful nature. But you're no longer under its mastery. And that's been a crucial point he's been making. It's the Spirit who is the long-awaited promise of the new covenant. We live in a glorious time. We live in the time of fulfillment. Paul was excited. He says, we get to do ministry in the most exciting time ever because it's the ministry of righteousness. It's the ministry of the Spirit. And I believe what Paul is explaining for us in Romans chapter 8 is what that life and that ministry is like to us. What we can expect with this ministry. What the Holy Spirit is doing in this ministry. So let me describe tonight for you the blessings of being led by the spirit as they're here in romans 8 15 through 17 and we know this and we've studied this even on ascension day from ephesians 4 that christ when he ascended on high poured out gifts from heaven and the spirit is working he is working to assure our hearts one of those gifts one of those blessings is the spirit who works to assure our hearts that we are sons that's tonight there's kind of a lead statement in verse 14 from which he works on this subject and you'll notice it says in verse 14 for all who are led by the spirit of god are sons of god so this is what he's developing in the following few verses he makes this this statement here if you are led by the spirit of god all who are these are the sons of god if you have the spirit your sons and then he goes on to tell us what the holy spirit is doing in the sons now he's already described last time this great work of the spirit and mortification and we were very encouraged by that because it never said if you put to death the deeds of the body you'll live it never levels that on us as if our works are the things that satisfy themselves god's justice we can never accomplish that we could never do it he notice what he put there in romans 8 verse 13 if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live and so we looked at this crucial responsibility to put to death the deeds of the body and how important it is that we have the spirit who is the means by which that occurs well now he goes on he goes further and he says tonight what uh what is the work of the spirit in you one of the works of the spirit in you notice how it goes forward in verse 15 is to assure you of your access before god notice what he says for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry abba father that's a wonderful verse that's an amazing verse you did not receive you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear you ever thought about how remarkable a statement that is paul had been describing in romans 7 remember remember romans 7 9 and he said there i was alive once apart from the law but when the commandment came sin revived and i died i tell you in my study of romans romans 7 9 came alive to me because i don't think i've ever understood that verse that's an amazing verse too they're all amazing by the way paul was saying in romans eight and seven nine i had a great estimation of myself apart from the law i thought of myself great but when the commandment came when the commandment hit home to me sin revived and i died in other words remember we we really spent time on this i was the pharisee i was the pharisee saying, God, I thank you. I'm not like all these other men. I give, I pray, and Paul says, you're dead, and you don't see it. But what happens then is Paul described what happened to him when he began to see it. When the commandment came, sin revived in him. It came alive in him, and he realized, I'm in deep trouble. Now, anyone who's ever come to that point in their life, you're scared out of your wits it's an awful moment of realization and you've been confronted for the first time in your life with the holiness of god and how far you have missed the mark and you tremble and you have a sense of just how terrible his justice is and what you deserve and what's going to happen and that as we considered this morning there's this real judgment day coming and there's this real place called hell and that people will go there and when you come to an awareness of that when you come to an awareness of your own life and your sinfulness and you feel the weight of that it does nothing but bring despair you fall right into fear now as a sinner comes under the hearing of the law, what happens? The fear gets worse. In fact, strong preaching drives away many because of this very truth. It has a bearing on fear. And those who intently listen, there's a point at which this fear hits to such a degree that they begin to cry out for a way of escape. So when Peter and Paul preach, and this has been one of the things that I would love to see more today and we just don't see it today but remember when Peter and Paul and the apostles were preaching in Acts what happened when they preached sermons do you remember the responses of people men and brethren what do we do what do you hear in that the preaching had so convicted them that they had crucified the lord of glory and that they were the ones because of their sins that put him on the cross it so overwhelmed them the spirit was working they are crying out in fear it was a desperation cry they knew that their lives were under the condemnation of god and if they die in that state they are in deep trouble forever this was the philippian jailer who wanted to kill himself remember remember how distressed he was trembling sirs what must i do to be saved and it grieves me that we don't today hear this kind of response fear overwhelmed them it was david brainard in his diary describes this for him he wrote i remember in particular when i was walking solitarily abroad and i had opened to me such a view of my sin i feared the ground would crash asunder under my feet and become my grave and would send my soul quick alive into hell before i got home i didn't sleep at all because i wondered if i'd get out what is that what is that it's the spirit of bondage to fear in other words this is what happens when somebody's mind is opened up to who he is before this holy god and he knows that his life is out of harmony with god calvin would talk about this if you open up the first part of the institutes it's fascinating that he talks about this innate sense in everyone of this that they're out of harmony with god so that they can walk down the street and if a leaf rustles behind them they jump in despair a leaf he said that he talks about the dread of the holy god imprinted upon the heart who has put eternity in every man's heart and so there's this understanding that all men are are outside of of the lord and they have this fear as it is awakened by the law and they understand and they are feeling the reality of the judgment and society today in some sense is gripped in fear isn't it in some sense it's gripped i mean this is what makes the news channels go but i'm talking about the kind of fear confronted by the law of god before the face of a holy god now what did paul just say to us tonight i love this because he just said you're never given that kind of spirit of bondage again to fear to cast you back into it he doesn't do that when you are justified and you're a believer he doesn't take you back there you may try to take yourself back there but that's not what he's doing how many of us live in fear the christian life is not hey I hope, you know, I do the best I can and I try to work hard and in the end, I hope it all works out well. That's not the Christian life. Not even close. What is our Lord saying to us tonight? What is He encouraging us with tonight? I haven't given you that. Instead, you've received something way different. You've received a gift from me. You've received the spirit of adoption as sons. I've not left you to go figure this out and wonder about all of this. I've not left you wondering if what I declared in heaven when you came and you repented and you said, Father, I've sinned and I declared you righteous right then and there. I've not left you to go wondering if that's really true. I've not left you to kind of fend for yourselves and go through life and just figure this out on your own. That's not what I've given you. and I'm not going to take you back there. When someone has heard the Gospel and they've heard that God has made available a righteousness, Christ's righteousness by which sinners can escape the coming wrath and they trust in Christ, the Lord does something. He takes the burden away. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, come to Me. Cast your burden on Me. My burden, my yoke is easy and it's light. And God has not just declared this in heaven, over which the angels are rejoicing when a sinner repents, as we considered this morning. God's not just declared it in heaven. He also has done something else on earth. And now you understand why Jesus said, I have to go away because I'm sending somebody to you. I'm sending you the Spirit who is going to declare something to you so that you would believe it. And that's why verse 16 should overwhelm us tonight that the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are sons, that we're children. So you're no longer under condemnation. The Spirit is now present to ensure that your life is no longer, number one, controlled by the sinful nature, that it's bent and driven. Its basic disposition now is driven toward holiness and now Paul says something else. You have been given the spirit of adoption. I'm committed, says the Lord, to make you understand this. How so? I've sent the spirit to be the spirit of adoption in your hearts. Now, adoption is one of the most beautiful truths. Maybe we don't consider it enough as we should. There's a lot of debate on what kind of adoption this is and is it the Roman view of adoption and the Jewish view of adoption, but I do take the position in writing to the Romans in their culture, adoption. Adoption was one of the most blessed privileges that somebody could receive. And I believe these Roman Christians would have latched onto this right away. And the Roman culture, when a son didn't meet up to the standards of his father the father and i don't think this is a good thing by the way but they could search out another boy and who would meet the desired qualifications and nevertheless even though it's unthinkable to us it was a common custom of the day and at death the adopted son would receive all the rights of the family so he would have the family title and the estate and the inheritance and to adopt he was totally severed from the former family and placed permanently in this new family all obligations all previous debts were wiped out you would even have seven witnesses stand up and testify to so that they would be absolutely assured in case somebody challenged us after the father's death that these witnesses had testified that this adoption had taken place hear what the apostle just said you've received the spirit of adoption what a wonderful thing we could never run around and say by nature that we're sons of god heresy you understand why the jews hated jesus and they wanted to stone him because they understood when he took that title to himself that he fully received that he is true God but here we get that kind of blessing as adopted sons adoption is a declaration by the spirit that there's a whole status change now think of this morning with the two seeds and the purpose of this the apostle is telling us this so that we would have confidence toward God one of the things that really is improper I'm not I'll talk in a minute about the challenge that yes we still struggle with fear and doubt but but the bent of our lives the drive of our lives is that now the Christian is not to live in fear of eternal condemnation because he's had a savior that's paid the price and for the Christian there's no longer an overwhelming dread of fear that once accompanied the life when we were outside of christ this is why first john talked about this all the time when john would say there is no fear in love in this is love not that we loved god we didn't produce this but that he loved us and that he gave his son to be the propitiation for our sins perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment but he who fears has not been made perfect in love we love him because he first loved us the lord is is saying to us tonight our relationship is not one of a tyrant over his sons you can have confidence toward me he says my love for you has cast that fear out there's an example of this and i was thinking of examples and came across an example maybe that helps illustrate this. It's 2 Samuel 9. And it's one of the clearest examples, I believe, of adoption. And the example is with Mehiposheth. And I don't know how many of you remember that story. But remember what David did. David asked the question if there was anyone left in Saul's house for him to bless. And one of his servants, Ziba says, there's a son of Jonathan whose name is Mehiposheth who is lame in his feet. Mehiposheth means shameful thing. He's totally paralyzed. You know what David said to Mehiposheth? Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan, your father's sake. And I will restore to you all the land of Saul, your grandfather, and you shall eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed down himself and said, what is your servant that you should look upon such a dead dog as I? I think that's a beautiful account. David responds, as for Mehiposheth, he shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons. pure grace that motivated David to do this wasn't it because we're shameful things aren't we and God takes us and God places us at his table and remember the parable of the king's feast when when he went out and Jesus told this parable go quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring here the poor and the maimed and the blind give them the best seat at my table what poor man had clothes to come there to get into the banquet what maimed and lame could get there on them by themselves what blind man could see to get into the feast and the lord said go get them and you put them at my table you know paul said tonight that's the relationship we have where we even have such access and such um such love is received that we cry out abba father that's a term of intimacy it's a it implies no fear tenderness the kind of response that you can approach him in a way that a sincere and good father does his son i'm not saying tonight we never go through fear or we don't have doubt i was amazed at our impact group last time and not amazed but was thankful of the honesty of our young people who are willing to tell us of their struggles with doubts and we had a really helpful discussion last time all of us go through these periods of doubt but the course of the christian life and what the lord is telling us tonight is one of the blessings of the christian life and one of the blessings of the work of the spirit is that this he is driving us in this kind of confidence because you've been given not a spirit of fear but of adoption and that is his work i love it even when the believer struggles with doubts first john says my little children let us not love in word or in deed but word or tongue but in deed and in truth by this we know that we're of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our own hearts condemn us God is greater than our heart and knows all things beloved if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence toward God so in a very pastoral verse John reminds us that even when our hearts condemn us it doesn't change the truth of the matter and what a wonderful encouragement to the christian the spirit comes alongside of our spirits verse 16 and bears witness that we are sons that we're children of god and tonight you say how does he do that how does he do that do you hear a still small voice you do we need to talk how does he do this I want everyone to turn tonight to the back to page 32 of the blue psalter where is this kind of treatment that Paul is talking about do I really experience this do I really receive this page 32 the question is what is the spirit doing we're going to confess a few of these tonight question 65 you confess that by faith alone you share in christ and all his blessings where does that faith come from the holy spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments how does he bear witness what is he doing he is producing true faith in your hearts and how is he producing true faith in your hearts he sends a servant who stands up here and labors all week to preach the gospel to you and you hear that gospel and the spirit takes that truth effectually applies it to the heart so you hear it and are overwhelmed by his love. And then what does he do? He says, mehipposheth, shameful thing, come sit at my table and I'm going to feed you with the king's delicacies. I'm going to confirm my love to you. I'm going to confirm it. And I'm going to give you bread and wine. I'm going to give you a sign of washing with water that you and your children would know that by the power of the Holy Spirit, He changes and washes hearts. And I'm going to confirm it when you come in faith and believe and you eat of the bread and drink of the wine and I'm going to assure your hearts that Christ died for you. And so notice 66. What are sacraments? Sacraments are holy signs and seals for us to see. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them, He might make us understand more clearly the promise of the Gospel and might put a seal on that promise. And this is God's Gospel promise to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ's one sacrifice finished on the cross. signs and seals God put in place for you notice what it said so that notice your minds in your minds you would understand that his promises are for you that's what he's doing and then he puts a seal on that so when we use the sacraments and faith he puts a seal on that he puts a seal stamping this as you believe that you belong to Him and that the promise that He has made is for you. And what's that promise? The promise of the Gospel is your forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. All by grace because why? What's the Holy Spirit bearing witness to? He's bearing witness to the work of the Son. he's bearing witness that what jesus did in 80 30 in the month of nissan at about the sixth hour of the day when he cried out it's finished that the holy spirit is taking that bridging the gap and saying that's yours it's yours and then 67 are both the word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of jesus christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation right in the gospel the holy spirit teaches us and through the holy sacrament he assures us that our entire salvation rests on christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross this is beautiful isn't it that the holy spirit in this teaches us and notice the language assures our hearts assures our hearts that everything that needs to be accomplished you have in christ jesus and so teaching us in this bearing witness that by our use of them we are assured as we receive in faith and we have these two sacraments the lord has given baptism and the lord's supper you see why we need these things the lord put them in place to help us it's not a boring redundant thing when we believe the holy spirit is working and assuring and strengthening exerting his influence on our minds and in our hearts applying the truths of the gospel and so when this this burden comes over us throughout the course of the week that you are a shameful thing and you have offended this god he comes and every week as you come believing and confessing assures our hearts he opens our eyes and with this inward abiding testimony of the spirit of god's love he assures us that nothing can separate us and that's the end of romans 8 strengthening and assuring and i know it's not popular today to criticize other things but it burdens me it burdens me correctly that rome having no doctrine of assurance teaches that the authority of scripture rests on the church's decision and we should be rightly angered by that why because they are trying to become the holy spirit itself himself having no ability to bear inner testimony in people's hearts that's why there's no assurance and they've thrown out his work they've attacked his work and it should be a serious thing to us don't lose sight of what god's saying to you tonight don't lose sight of what he's saying you are sealed with the holy spirit of promise who is the guarantee ephesians 1 guarantee our pledge, working to bear witness to the truth so that our hearts would be assured as we go forward. I'm going to close with this last thought. In verse 17, notice how he adds to this. 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. That is a seamless transaction. Did you hear it? He gave the whole picture right there. Romans 8 starts with, there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He reminds us justification completely removes the threat of wrath. There's no more condemnation over our heads. In the interim, in the battle as we go forward, we are given the Spirit who satisfies and helps, helps us in our weaknesses, assuring us of our status before Him, all along bearing witness, working as we hear the gospel and receive the sacrament, working to apply these truths to us that we are adopted children, saying no matter what happens all along the way, He's with us, sealed, will never leave us, and then He's committed all the way to what? Glorification. There is, in other words, no loss of salvation from justification, right? Between justification and glorification. This is what he's telling you. Nothing that happens along the way takes it. It's impossible. And that's why verse 30, which everyone's excited to get to, and we'll get there. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. What's not there? Sanctification. because it doesn't affect the outcome he's assuring us of that will we be sanctified yes because we're given the spirit he will work to sanctify us must that happen the spirit is doing that but he's assuring us here in romans 8 that those whom he justified he will glorify and nothing along the way will take that that's beautiful and god is saying he will complete the work he's done romans 8 is a beautiful chapter tonight telling us you have everything you need and that should inspire us that should drive us to live thankful lives to go out and say this week lord i want to thank you for what you've done for me give me the grace by your spirit to walk humbly with my god and to serve you with gladness and to fight against these sins if that if you've done all this for me and saved me The least I can do is say thank you and enter into the fight. May this kind of love set in contrast to what is so soon to fall upon the unbelieving world make us respond in thanksgiving. Thankful to God that we get to live as we go forward in full assurance of faith that all of His wonderful gospel promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit tonight was given to you to make and assure you that that is so. Amen. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your grace and Your love and Your mercy and that You've not left us alone down here to fend for ourselves and figure all this out, but that You've given us Your Spirit who is the down payment, the pledge, And who is working powerfully through the Word and the Gospel and the right use of the sacraments to strengthen our hearts before You. And so may, Lord, we give ourselves to these things. Loving to be here. Loving to receive these things by faith. And we ask that all who are downcast would be lifted up tonight and assured of Your love. And that we would go out this week in Your peace and strength and joy setting ourselves to walk according to the Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.