Well, I do invite you to turn to Romans this afternoon, chapter 8, Romans chapter 8, as we're continuing our study in what we believe and what we confess. We'll read verses 12 through 17. First, I'd like to confess together. It's printed for you there in your bulletin right after the last song that we just sung out that we will confess. Two question and answers there, working through what that is, the Apostles' Creed, and what these things mean that we say. It's important that we have a good understanding of why, what we believe and why we believe it, and we're going to say 31 and 32. So I'll ask the question, and please respond with the answer. So Lord's Day 12, why is he called Christ? No, I'm sorry, this is Lord's Day 13. I know what I'm doing tonight. It's actually 33 and 34. Lord's Day 13, why is He called God's only begotten Son when we are also God's children? Because Christ alone is the eternal natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God, adopted by grace for the sake of Christ. Why do you call him our Lord? Because not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood, he has delivered and purchased us body and soul from sin and from the tyranny of the devil to be his very own. Two wonderful question and answers tonight, and now we'll consider Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse 12. So then, brothers, we are debtors not to live to the flesh. 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 will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God, listen to this beautiful statement, are sons of God. 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. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and of children than heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him, in order that we may also be glorified with him. And we'll end the reading of God's word there. If you're new here, we work through our, we're going through a series on our confessions and what we believe. We thought this would be a good time period. If anything, oftentimes these truths that we confess and have written down are assumed that people understand them and believe them. And it's important to go through these at times and have a good understanding of why we believe what we believe. Tonight we're looking at Lord's Day 13 and its importance for us as God's children. That's a beautiful truth that we are children of God. Something that we hear so regularly and I should say that something that the world likes to borrow and claim too. It's not true that everyone is God's child. But that is what the world says. That is what even unbelieving people say. We're all God's children. We're all in this together. How many times have you heard that? That's not really true. That's not really true. We may be in earthly circumstances together, but we're on far different trajectories, if you will, far different paths. And it's important. The goal of this is that we understand what we confess about who Jesus is. It's really important. It's not just dry doctrine. It's not just things that can just pass by our minds without getting into the heart. No, these are important that we believe them and understand them. And the goal of understanding who Jesus is and what he has secured for us. That's why this is so important. Because who Jesus is, who he came, the claims that are made in the scriptures about him as we've been studying in John. And what he came to do for us are linked together, are tied together. You can't claim one without the other. And that's why you'll notice in Lord's Day 13 it puts together we have to have a good understanding of adoption in the midst of this because really you can't understand what it means to be a child of God until you understand what it means that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. And that's why this is important to consider and to confess. It's an important distinction also because church history has proved over and over that all major heresies have developed in the life of the church over the centuries, especially in the early centuries of the church, due to ignorance on this basic point that you just confessed. It really is not complex. In other words, it's a simple truth that we confess, but something clearly that our minds cannot fully grasp. If you could fully define and explain God, you would make, as one of our brothers says, you'd make an idol. Did you know that? You'd make an idol. We have to listen to what's revealed to us and what's told to us and understand it as much as we can, the truths that have been revealed and confess and believe these things. And what I would like to consider tonight then is the glorious truth of adoption and what makes that possible for us is that God sent His eternally begotten Son to us. Yes, our elder brother, But he's eternally begotten son, so that through him, he gives us everything. That's really good news. That's really exciting news. It doesn't get much better than that. And if you don't get this, this is important, because when a cult knocks on your door, a cultist, they may look nice, they may have a white shirt and a tie on. And if they proceed to deny who Jesus is, then you can't understand who you are and what your relationship is to the Lord. so it's very important it's very important before we look at romans 8 which will be a beautiful high point in the sermon there's an important distinction uh that we make here as we look at issues of sonship and i think it's been a confusing point for people over time because people will often come along and they'll say listen how can you how can you say that jesus is equal with God and yet, right, equal with God and yet say he is God's son. How does that work? That doesn't really make sense. It doesn't seem, why are you calling him son? There's something that we're trying to understand in a relationship as we have with fathers and sons and daughters. How does that work when we use this language and speak of the triune God? Remember what we confess about God. He's triune, one God who exists eternally in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And this assumption behind that kind of thinking is often biological. It's often as we think as human beings, as we import that in to this discussion, as if generation is a one-for-one thing, as it makes me a son of my Father. Well, we need to understand a little bit about what we're saying here today, and we have to admit right up front that we're in an area of mystery. I said that already, but it's important because our little minds can't fully comprehend this, and I want to say that's okay. I think it was Dr. Godfrey who a few weeks ago said in one of the sermons that one of the great blessings of eternity is we'll always be studying God and always growing, and it'll never get old. It will never exhaust that study either. That's really the beauty of, you know, right now our flesh and our sin at times doesn't give ourselves to want to do that as much as we should and we are not as previous generations of people of the book as we should and that's why obviously things like this and going through this are important. But what a beautiful truth that we will always be learning and always be studying and understanding. But you'll know this basic truth that's given that we studied in the Gospel of John, John 3.16, that God sent His only begotten Son, that God gave His Son to come and to die for us as a gift, a gift. Remember John 1.18, the only begotten, as it reads, God. That's really how it should read in John 1.18. The only begotten God who is at the side of the Father has revealed him. Is that me? Am I popping? I'm sorry. I'll try not to do that. There's a personal distinction between the Father and the Son. Both are God, but the Father's, as we confess, is unbegotten. But you'll notice here the Son is begotten. The Son is begotten. Does that mean that Jesus was somehow born or created by God the Father? That's where the air comes. No, it does not mean that. Jesus is not created. Jesus was not born at some point and then became the Son of God. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. The Son has always been the Son and is always begotten. That's what we can't fully grasp, can we? The begetting, as one of our theologians say, has never started and it has never stopped. His generation, His coming forth is eternal. And that's exactly what our catechism says here. Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. The Son was, the Son is, the Son always will be. There was never a time He was not. It was one of the great heirs in church history where people said that. There was a time when God the Father was, and there was a time when God the Son was not. and we say that's absolute blasphemy. Jesus always was and is and is to come. He's eternally begotten. That's what we confess. That's what we believe. And that's exactly what John has been showing us about Jesus. That's what John has been preaching to us about Jesus. The eternal word personified. Became flesh at some point. He took on a human nature and dwelt among us. The eternal begotten God took on flesh and dwell among us, and we beheld his glory. That's what we're saying. We saw him for who he is as much as is possible, full of grace and truth, the only begotten of the Father. So what we say of Jesus is important. The Nicene Creed makes that clear, but I think our Belgic is just super helpful on this point. We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine Nature is the only begotten Son of God, begotten from all eternity, not made nor created. For then he would be a creature, but is co-essential and co-eternal with the Father, the very image of his substance and the effulgence of his glory, equal to him in all things. He is the Son of God, not only from the time that he assumed our nature, but from all eternity. That's an amazing, amazing truth. That's an amazing truth. Now that has huge implications and a privilege for us that we never think too much about. Our forefathers wanted us to understand this. They wanted us to appreciate this, what it means that we are sons. We are sons and daughters. They wanted us to understand that when we say that. And what makes that even possible? What makes that even possible to have the privilege to say, I am a son and daughter of God? It's a beautiful truth that we confess and we believe. You know that when the fall happened, all of us, the way that we're characterized in the scriptures, the way that it comes to something like the book of Ephesians, and you were all dead in your trespasses and sins. That in Ephesians 2, we say, and we confess with Ephesians 2, that we were children of wrath by nature. Let that set in. The reality for us is that when we fell in Adam and aligned ourselves with the devil, we became by nature, it was a nature category, we became in our human nature children of wrath. So much so that Jesus could constantly speak to those who didn't believe and for those who were antagonistic to his kingdom and his ways that they were children of their father, the devil. Now, that's why I said at the beginning of the sermon that when people come along and say, listen, we're all children of God. Sure, in this general sort of sense of being made in the image of God, but that's not what they're really talking about. That relationship, because of the fall into sin, is an alienated one. We are separated from the life of God and now stand in warfare against him. That's what Romans 5 will say, that when we're justified, we finally have peace with God and war is now over. But until you're justified by faith, you stand in antagonism to the Lord and in a place of warfare with him, and God says that person is a child of wrath. And John 3 says the same thing, that anyone who does not have the Son, there's a vital union with the Son. Anyone who does not have the Son, the wrath of God present, it's the hottest wrath in the Greek language, the wrath of God abides on him. Right now in the present. So think of this truth where we so loosely say and hear that we're children of God. That is one of the most splendid, wonderful truths that could have ever been announced to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I think that's where having these truths set before us tonight. Who Jesus is, what we are by nature, helps us to understand now why that link is so important. If Jesus is who he says he is, and he's done what he says he has done, as the scriptures make the case that he has done, do you understand the implications for your relationship now to the Lord and what your status is before him? That's crucial to living the Christian life. That's crucial to having any sort of joy in this life. That's crucial for having any confidence in this life. And I think that's why Romans 8 is so special. Where in verse 14 of Romans 8, he says, For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. He contrasts that by those who are led by the flesh. Those who lead and live their lives completely driven by whatever their carnal wants do. And whatever their carnal wants want. And in all kinds of immorality and every other sin under the sun, they're driven that way. That's why they're children of wrath. He just said something wonderful. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. And he's going to develop that in these next verses of Romans. And the Lord wants you to know the incredible privilege it is, the incredible blessing it is that you've been enfolded into the family of God. The hard part for us is to understand what that means for us and the blessings that secures for us. and he goes on, and he begins to describe that here. 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. Now that's an important verse. You did not receive in your adoption a slavery to fall back into fear. There are two kinds of fear in this life. There's servile fear and there's filial fear. When we talk about servile fear, we know what exactly this is. It's the kind of fear that we live with every day. It's the kind of fear that goes on in our relationship with the Lord where the law of God works on the conscience and it brings guilt, it brings a dread of God, people do what they want with that, right? They push that away and they suppress the knowledge of God and they do whatever they want. But you'll notice that you see this everywhere in the scriptures as people are beginning to come to faith how this fear is exposed. Think in Acts where Paul was preaching, men and brethren, what shall we do? Now that we've heard and heard the conscience, We've heard the law preached, and we've heard what we did to the Son of God, and now we're scared to death. What do we do? How do we get out of this mess? And remember, it was then that the apostles would preach, believe. The Philippian jailer had the same thing. You hear that fear, that question, what am I going to do when our sin rises up against us and we have no sense of forgiveness or joy or comfort and we're outside of Jesus? There's nothing but dread and scare and fear that falls on us. is why Calvin would say that when you're walking along, it could be a leaf behind you that moves and you just jump in absolute fear. There's that dread that's on us. Dread. The spirit of bondage again to fear is something of those who are still children of wrath. They know their lives are out of harmony with God. I'm not making a judgment on anyone as to their eternal state, but think of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You know, she was a judge all her life. Think of now having to stand, if she is not a believer, to stand in front of the judge and give an account for your life. See, if you don't have the Lord, there's a spirit of dread, a spirit of fear, servile fear in your relationship with the Lord that says, here's the law. Do it and you'll live. You see how much fear society is gripped in right now. You hear what Paul's saying to you tonight. You have not been given the spirit of that kind of fear, of that kind of bondage, when you become a believer. Something else has been given to you. Something else has been secured for you. You have not been given that so that you should ever fall back into being, Romans 8, under condemnation again and under the judgment of the law. You're not back in that state. You're not back a child of wrath. You can't go backward to that. The Christian life is not. I just hope in the end it turns out well for me. Remember Reverend Camminga said that he ministered on someone's deathbed and that was their response. I hope I did well enough. And that broke his heart. He had to explain right there, and I'm sure the person heard it, the gospel. You didn't do well enough. Of course you didn't do well enough. See, God's eternal son, this is why the connection is so important, God's eternal son brought us into the family by adoption. And that has huge implications for how we are to understand the gracious work of God in our lives. It's all grace because of that. That's what he's saying to us. That's what our catechism says. Any adoption that we receive is by what? Grace. It's free unmerited favor to you. The eternal son, not adopted, therefore achieved for you all the rights, now as adopted, sons and daughters of God, everything that's his, he gave to you. That's what it's saying. Because of who he is and what he came to do. Now, when someone who's heard the gospel and they've heard that God has been made available, God has made available a righteousness by which we can escape the coming wrath and they trust in Christ, you know what happens? Fear is released. It's gone. Romans 8 is the reality. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus that preceded this. God has said it. God not only has declared it in heaven, but now through the spirit of adoption, think of what's said here. It is the work of the Spirit to declare it to our own hearts so that we believe it. I'll take that for granted. The Spirit himself bears witness. You want to know what his work is? It is to bear witness with our spirits that we are what? Children of God. That's one of the benefits that the Son of God, the eternal Son of God has secured you. You know why he said he needed to go away? So that the Spirit would be sent to you who would bear witness with your spirits, the inner testimony of the Spirit, that you're adopted. That you're adopted. You're an adopted son and daughter of the Lord. I love the Westminster Confession. Listen to this. All those who are justified, God vouchsafed promises, in and for his only son, Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, now listen to this, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have his name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, are protected are provided for are chastened by him as by a father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of redemption and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation beloved that's the most wonderful truth that could be announced what he's given to you what the eternal son of god came to do because he is the eternal natural son of God, what he secured for you is this. God is saying, I'm committed so that you'll know this. I'm committed to now give you this filial fear, this trust, this going forward in reverence and in trust of me that I freed you from condemnation. And my spirit of adoption has been sent into your hearts. The Holy Spirit is one of the most beautiful truths now as his work is to testify of the work of the eternal natural son of God for you so that you can enjoy your adopted status as his children. We have to understand the context in which Paul wrote this. He's writing to Romans in their culture. Adoption was one of the most blessed privileges that could be known in Roman culture. If there was a son who did not meet the skills of his father and the expectations of a father, the father would actually go out and could search and adopt a young boy who met his desired qualifications, unthinkable to us, but nevertheless was a common custom of the day. And at death, the favored adopted son would receive the family title, the estate, and the inheritance. Everything. Everything. And he was permanently placed into the new family so much so that all the debts, previous debts and obligations were wiped out. You would even have seven witnesses who would stand up and testify to the adoption case in case anyone challenged it. It was sealed. When I was at seminary, I don't know, I think I've told the story before, but there was a student from Africa, Fred, and he wrote an article. It's probably my favorite article that was ever in the little booklet that Westminster often sends out. And he talked about how precious the doctrine of adoption was to him, that Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son, would have considered him and brought him into the family because Fred grew up in a Muslim home. And every time his Muslim father saw him, he would physically attack him and punch him in the face. He'd physically assault him for being a Christian. He says, it was unspeakable comfort to me. Paraphrasing, this truth that I had been adopted into the family of God. I had everything I need. God is saying, this is who you are. This is what you've become now. We're adopted, sons and daughters, by grace with the full rights of sons and daughters. Full rights because of Jesus. And that's why I said at the beginning, if you deny who he is, think about what you're saying. Who else could have earned that for you? Who else could have given that to you? Adoption is a declaration to you by the Spirit that there's a whole status change and that is intended to produce for you confidence toward God. There's that beautiful statement John says. And John, listen, one of the most beautiful things about this is that having this confidence on the day of judgment that you will have boldness to stand there. Boldness. Love has been perfected among us in this, that we have boldness in the day of judgment. There's a beautiful picture of this in the Old Testament, you know, with Mehiposheth. When David asked if there's anyone left in the house of Saul, remember this story? That he may bless, and Ziba says, well, there's the son of Jonathan named Mehiposheth. He's lame at his feet. His name literally means a shameful thing. He's totally paralyzed, and David said to him, do not fear. I will show you kindness for Jonathan, your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul, your grandfather, and you shall eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself and said, What is your servant that you should look upon such a dead dog as I? And David says, As for Mehiposheth, he shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons. That's what's given to you. You eat at the king's table, a shameful thing, as a son and daughter adopted by grace. And Paul says, that's so certain for you. You can, in all your distresses, the relationship is so beautiful. You can cry out, Abba, Father. You have direct access to the throne of grace. You can cry out to your father, and your father hears you from heaven. and there's an intimacy and a trust and a reception that you don't have to live anymore in the servile fear that you once knew. That's done because of Jesus through faith in him. The truth of Jesus being the only begotten God, the only begotten son, is so special it makes adoption one of the most precious truths for us. It really does. It gives us a hope that Jesus came to live and to die and give us the full rights, the full rights as children of God. Isn't that just what Ephesians 1 is saying to us? You know, you think about Ephesians 1 and the truths that are revealed there right at the beginning. He predestined us for adoption. You hear that? To himself. as sons through Jesus Christ. Now, you couldn't just say that about any man. It's because Jesus, he is truly God that that can be said. He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he blessed us in the beloved. He brought you right into the beloved. In him, here's what you get. Redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. Notice that all here in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons. Sons. He assures our hearts and cares for us and loves us and says that in verse 17. If you're children, guess what? Then you're heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified. I want to close by saying tonight that that means everything for you in this life now. What do I mean by that? Well, you notice the second question and answer there says that he purchased us, not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, setting us free from the tyranny of the devil. What he's saying to us there in those words, what we're being told is that now we're bought. Our whole lives are purchased and hid in him. Everything about us. This is why Peter says so many wonderful things. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Since it's written, you shall be holy for I am holy. And if you can call on him as father, who judges impartially according to each one's needs, conduct yourselves with fear throughout your time of exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. I think every day one of the greatest helps to you will be, especially in the times we live, is to get up every morning and remind yourself of this great truth. Who are you? Who are you? You notice how many young adults right now are really struggling in society for an identity? Really, what's happened in our society is an identity crisis. Who are you? And to preach the gospel to yourself will sound a lot like saying, I am an adopted son and adopted daughter of the king. And he loves me. And I'm purchased. And I'm no longer my own. I've been set free from this sin. I don't have to do that stuff anymore. I'm his child. And I belong to him. Why? Because of this wonderful gift that God gave His only begotten Son and believing in Him, I have life. That's the truth of what we're confessing tonight, of who Jesus is, what He's come to do, and what that secured for you. Praise God. Praise God for all this wonderful salvation that He makes known to you every week. Praise God for freeing you to live in the joy of this comfort and that you can know in whatever circumstance you're an adopted son and daughter by grace. Receive that. Believe that. And pray to him. Talk to your father. That's the privilege that Jesus has opened up for you. Let's pray to him now and thank him. Heavenly Father, thank you that we have access. People will give great respect to princes and leaders in this world. Put on their best clothes. Treat them with the greatest respect. And we don't, Lord, as we come before you tonight, have to go through earthly priests, to go through other men to come, to go through a confessional of a priest or a pope or somebody else. You've given us a beautiful mediator through whom we can come and we can talk to our Father. Thank you for adopting us as your children. Thank you for bringing us into your kingdom. Thank you for loving us. And in these perilous times in which we live, may we no longer live in fear. Take that fear away from us. We're scared sheep. We know it. Take that fear. And let us have the kind of confidence of who we belong to. What has been merited for us. What has been secured. And the joy of this comfort that is ours by right. Thank you for giving your eternal, only begotten Son that we might live. We give you great praise for this gift. And may we live now accordingly as those as a thankful people who were purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. In his name we pray, amen.