The Implications Of Easter “The Spirit of Sonship”

 The Implications Of Easter

“The Spirit of Sonship”

Introduction:

Good morning Eastern Shore Baptist Church. Welcome to the third week of a series entitled “The Implications of Easter”. 9 years ago my family went on an exciting adventure. I want to take a very long story and make it short for you this morning. This adventure that my family went on was really more of a rescue mission. Far across the world from where we live in Daphne, AL existed a little boy. This little boy lived in a land that I had never visited and he lived among a people that I had never met. Angela and I had been praying through a life changing, life altering decision. We had been praying through the decision of adoption. God had long ago planted within our heart the desire to adopt. We gave God all the typical excuses: we don’t make enough money, it will be too hard, it is going to be hard on our biological children, what will people think. Still, the we could not shake the idea of adoption. We started the process and the burden grew. Angela and I felt an urgency. Finally, a picture landed in our inbox. (Picture One). 

It was a little boy named Gao Win Jian or in English, “Son of the Government”. He was living in an orphanage in Baotou, China. This little boy was living in a city of 2.65 million people. He was living in a country of 1.412 billion people. (Picture Two, Three and Four) 

Angela and I immediately felt a connection to this little boy. Through much prayer and great sacrifice the two of us traveled to this far away place. We eventually were introduced to this boy and our lives immediately changed forever. (Play Meeting Jett).

Boy your life’s about to change indeed.

Instantly this little boy was the recipient of a host of new things. First he received a new name. Gone was Gao Win Jian. Gone was Son of the Government. In favor of a new name, a name given to him by his adopted parents. Jett Ryan Davidson. Today he carries the name of his father. My name forever will mark his life. Ryan is also my middle name and of course he will forever be a Davidson. Second, he was given a new family. Instantly he was blessed with two protective big brothers. (Play Picture 5) 

Next, he was granted a new home. Beyond that, he was given a new citizenship. When the wheels of our airplanes touched down in Chicago, Jett was instantly granted United States citizenship. While in China, we had a guide named Jimmy. He asked us why we were coming to China. We told him that we were adopting a little boy. His response was “lucky boy”. I asked him if he would ever like to live in America. Jimmy replied, “only in my wildest dreams”. This is Jett’s everyday existence. 

Friends, in the process of Jett’s adoption, I learned so much about God’s love for me and for you. You see, spiritually speaking, we were all like Jett. We were as a foreigner to God. Alienated. Distant. Jett didn’t even know that we were alive. He was unable to understand the love that was being birthed for him on the other side of the world. Jett was separated by an ocean, we were separated by our sin from God. Jett was unable to make his way to us. He did not have the means. So, we came to him. Much in the same way that God came to us. Jesus, our Emmanual, God with us. Not God removed. Not God far way. God among us. Jett was unable to pay for his adoption, it was something that could only have been accomplished by us, his parents. So, through great sacrifice and through great effort, Jett’s adoption was achieved. He was redeemed. Much in the same way that God redeemed all of us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. 

Jett’s adoption story is a beautiful example of God’s love for all of us. Here is a deeper truth for us this morning. Something that we often forget. There was a time, before our adoption, where we were outside the grace of God. Outside His nature of love. In fact, the Bible speaks to the understanding that we were objects of wrath. Our sin nature, our rebellion against Him, made us His enemies. We were His adversaries. Jett was not my enemy. He was not my adversary. His adoption was easy in comparison to what God did for me and you. A better description of what God did for me and you is a Father adopting a terrorist. It would be the story of a Father longing to bring into his family someone who hates him, someone who wants him dead, someone who with all their might wants to see the adoptive parent destroyed. Maybe that sits wrong with you this morning. I’m just expressing what Scripture clearly proclaims. 

James 4:4 ESV

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

That is the picture of God’s adoption of us. What kind of love does such a thing? What is the depth of that kind of love? To what length does that love go to adopt someone who wishes death upon the one doing the adopting? 

That’s what we are talking about this morning. Wonderful, beautiful, scandalous love. 

Do me a favor this morning, fill in the blank under Today’s Thought. We were once alienated from God. Adversaries. The resurrection rewards us with adoption. 

You know, one of my favorite authors is the prolific Max Lucado. His books are so encouraging and often show a different side to God and His love for all of us. Listen to what he says about our adoption into God’s family. 

“God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. God’s love extends to the most unlikely candidates: the orphan, the widow, the outcast, the stranger. God adopts us into His family, offering us the rights and privileges of His children.” 

Isn’t that great news this morning? God did not just adopt the King. He did not just come for the princess. No. God came for the poorest of the poor. He came for the criminal behind bars. He came for the sinner, not just for the saint. 

Oh friends, there are so many implications of the cross. Perhaps one of the greatest implications is how wide that door swings for humanity to enter in to God’s presence. He longs for all of us to be His sons, His daughters. If you have not taken Him up on that offer, if you are resistant to His adoption, perhaps today you might give it another chance. 

Today’s Thought:

We Were Once Alienated From God. Adversaries. 

The Resurrection Rewards Us With…ADOPTION!

Today’s Quote:

“God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. God’s love extends to the most unlikely candidates: the orphan, the widow, the outcast, the stranger. God adopts us into His family, offering us the rights and privileges of His children.” 

- Max Lucado

Background and Context:

This morning we are reading from Romans 8:10-17. Before we read this passage, I want to share wit you the background, the context of what’s happening. 

First off, let's set the scene. The book of Romans, written by the apostle Paul, is like a roadmap guiding us through the tenets of our faith. In these verses, Paul is painting a picture of the freedom we find in Christ Jesus.

Now, picture yourself standing at a crossroad. On one path, there's condemnation – guilt, shame, and the weight of sin pressing down on you. But on the other, there's freedom – liberation from the bondage of sin, embraced in the loving arms of our Savior.

Paul starts off by declaring, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." What incredible news! Through Jesus, we are set free from the chains of condemnation. We're given a fresh start, a clean slate, no longer held captive by our past mistakes.

But it doesn't stop there. Paul goes on to talk about the transformation that takes place within us when we surrender our lives to Christ. How many of you remember the old ABC show, “Extreme Makeover”? I loved that show. They would take people, average people, and they would get them in shape. If they had bad teeth, they would fix their teeth. If they were out of shape, they would transform them from flabby to fit. By the end of the show, were were looking at a nearly unrecognizable person. It was the same person, but they had been transformed. That was an outward transformation. The good news is that Jesus transforms us on the inside…where it really matters. Scripture reminds us that we’re no longer slaves to our sinful nature but rather heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We are adopted! 

And get this, folks – the same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides within us! Can you believe it? That same resurrection power is at work in our lives, empowering us to live victoriously, to overcome temptation, and to walk boldly in our faith.

Now, for all of us – whether we're young or old – this passage speaks volumes. It reminds us that we are part of God's family, adopted as His beloved children. And as His children, we have the incredible privilege of calling Him "Abba, Father" – “Daddy”.

Before we read this morning, I want to remind you…

Statement of Faith:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.  

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 8:10-17 ESV

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. [12] So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. [13] 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. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [15] 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!" [16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17] 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.

Stuart: “This is the Word of the Lord”

Congregation: “Praise His name, praise His Holy name.”

Our Adoption Through Christ Jesus Grants Us…

1. Life vs.  11

So, let’s look into our first point this morning. Again, one if not the most important implications of the cross is the fact that Christ’s blood adopts us into the family of God. However, it does more than that, our adoption through Christ Jesus grants us life. That is your first blank. Our adoption through Christ Jesus grants us life. Let’s reread verse 11 this morning. 

[11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 

The CEV version of the Bible makes this verse even more simple. Check it out. 

Romans 8:11 CEV

Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit.

So, how does this work? How does this transition and this transaction take place? How do we receive this adoption and by our adoption, how do we receive this life?

Well first, this is an understanding that a person must reach. That understanding is that we are sinners. Dirty, rotten, sinners. Scripture is pretty clear about our sin nature. First we are born with it. That’s right, you and I were born with a sin gene passed down from Adam and Eve all the way through the human race. That sin gene has been passed down from the fall in the garden to today. Romans 5:12 states this truth about Adam saying, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—“. You will have preachers say that we were born good but through living in this fallen state we have become fallen state. No. the Bible tell us that we are fallen the moment that we take our first breath and that we are merely contributing to this fallen world. 

Psalm 51:5 states, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Psalm 58:3 clarifies saying “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.”

So we have a sin problem from birth. Oh, by the way, we are all sinners. No one measures up to God’s perfect standard. Romans 3:23 tells us all today that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”. The great King Solomon knew that there was no one perfect, no one who measured up saying in Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

This sin problem creates two issues for us. Sin leads to two types, two versions of death. Sin leads to physical death. Last week, I told you that I had performed roughly 200 funerals in the last 14 years. In each case, those that passed were given a certificate of death. A coroner assessed the body and gave a reason for the person’s passing. Heart attack. Cancer. I will tell you that the person did not die from a heart attack or from cancer. They died from sin. Sin leads to death. Physical death. God promised Adam in the garden that if he ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that “Hhe would surly die” and die he did. That death again, physical death, has been passed down through the ages. Sin also leads to spiritual death. Sin separates us from God. God cannot and will not be in the presence of sin. Imagine yourself sitting at a table in your favorite restaurant. You are excited about the meal that has been prepared for you. You have fork in hand. You have had your pallet cleansed. The waiter brings out your dish. It is covered underneath a pewter dome. The waiter lifts the dome revealing a plate of rotten food and days old used diapers. 

“Bon appetit”

What would you do in that situation? You would be disturbed. Angry. You would push the plate away. You would cover your nose. You would get up and leave feeling insulted. The same holds true with God but much worse. God hates sin. Isaiah 59:2 tells us that our sin separates us from God. “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Separation from God for eternity what the Bible calls hell. It is a place of outer darkness. Jesus tells us that it is a place of eternal fire. A place of punishment. All of us will experience physical death but God has made a way for us not to experience spiritual death. By the way, God created hell for the demons, for Satan, not for me or you. God does not want anyone to perish. 

So, how do we get this life? First, you must understand you are a sinner. Our sin is a problem because it leads to separation from God in a real place called hell. After you have that understanding, you must see your need for a Savior. That is what separates Christianity from all other religions. Isalm, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, all are attempts for people to work their way into heaven. They are all attempts for people to work their way to God. Be good. Pray 5 times daily. Visit the Mecca. Achieve enlightenment. If you do all of these things, you might be able to go to heaven. Not with Christ. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. the Bible tells us that our good works, all of the good things that we do, are like filthy rags before God. Worthless. Christianity is the only religion where God comes to us, not the other way around. When you realize that you cannot save yourself, you finally understand that you need a Savior and that Savior’s name is Jesus Christ. 

Lastly, cry out to Him. Pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your life, to save you. Put your faith in Jesus. What does that look like? It is like putting on a parachute and jumping out of a plane. You are putting your faith in that parachute to open up in free fall and catch you. Romans tells us that “anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

It’s as simple as the ABC’s friends. Admit that you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the one that God sent to save you. Lastly, confess your sin and ask for God’s grace. If you do that, you will be saved. You will have new life. 

Listen to what the Apostle John says, 

John 5: 24 KJ21

Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth in Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”

Our Adoption Through Christ Jesus Grants Us…

1. Life vs.  11

2. Liberty vs. 15

So, our adoption through Christ Jesus grants us life. Now you know how to receive that life. Now, let’s look at number two. Fill in the blank with the word liberty. Our adoption through Christ Jesus grants us liberty. Freedom. 

Let’s reread verse 15 this morning. 

Romans 8:15 ESV

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!"

I said earlier, that when we are adopted into God’s family, we receive several new joys: the joy of a new family, the joy of a new home, the joy of a new Father. We receive a new Dad, a heavenly Father, Abba, Daddy. What a wonderful truth this is. What a great freedom we have in our faith in God. We are no longer slaves but we are now sons. We are no longer slaves to sin, slaves to fear, we are now sons, heirs to a promise. We have a heavenly reward, a heavenly treasure. 

But what about that line “the spirit of slavery”. Slavery is something that has been back in the news here lately and slavery is something that Paul knew quite a bit about. Slavery was very common place back in Paul’s time. 

In many parts of the world during that era, slavery was widespread, with slaves existing in constant dread of failing to meet their masters' expectations. Each day began with tasks aimed at pleasing their masters, failure to complete which would inevitably result in physical punishment or even death.

In stark contrast, a son's existence in relation to his father transcended performance; it was rooted in mutual love, devoid of fear. The slaved lived in constant terror, consistent fear. The son lived in a relaxed state, knowing that he was covered under the good graces of the father. 

Human existence is overshadowed by the specter of death, a reminder that our lives are finite, we are mortal. Because of this reality, some of us turn to God in search of truth. When we come to God by way of His Son Jesus Christ, He loosens the bondage to sin that has fastened itself around our necks. He removes the chains of sin and of slavery. God sets us free. We are liberated. 

A few weeks ago I watched a movie that came out in 2013. It won numerous awards. It is a movie that I would rather not see again and hear me…I am not necessarily recommending it to you. It was very difficult to view. The movie is entitled “12 Years A Slave”. The movie chronicles the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man of African heritage. He was living in New York State in the mid 1800’s. A time just before the Civil War. Solomon was lied to by men wanting to hire him as a musician for a traveling company. Solomon was told that he would be paid well. Sadly, he was drugged and subsequently sold into slavery. He endured unimaginable hardships and suffering for over a decade. 

In the film, we witness Solomon's struggle, his pain, and his longing for freedom. We see the oppressive chains that bind him, physically and emotionally. Yet, in the midst of his despair, there are moments of hope, moments where he refuses to surrender his dignity and his humanity.

Brothers and sisters, isn't this the journey many of us find ourselves on? We may not be shackled in chains of iron, but we carry the weight of our own sins, our own burdens, our own struggles. We find ourselves enslaved to the desires of the flesh, to the temptations of this world, to the lies that tell us we are not worthy of redemption.

But just as Solomon's story is not one of perpetual bondage, neither is ours. Through the grace of God, through His boundless love and mercy, we are set free from the chains of sin. Just as Solomon was eventually liberated from his physical bondage, so too are we liberated from the spiritual bondage that holds us captive.

Like Solomon, we may face trials and tribulations along the way. The journey to freedom is often fraught with challenges and obstacles. But through it all, we cling to the hope that God is with us, guiding us, sustaining us.

I love how Paul captures this freedom, this liberty in Galatians 4…

Galatians 4:4-5 NLT

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. [5] God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

Our Adoption Through Christ Jesus Grants Us…

1. Life vs.  11

2. Liberty vs. 15

3. Legacy vs. 17

So, our adoption through Christ Jesus grants us life, it grants us liberty, and it also grants us legacy. We have an inheritance. Heirs. 

Romans 8:17 ESV

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.

The Greek word for “heir” is kleronomos (pronounced klay-ron-om'-os). The word is used some 15 times in Scripture. It means one who receives, one who is given a possession by right of sonship. It also means one who has acquired or obtained the portion allowed to him. 

Let’s go back to Jett to see what this really looks like. Angela and I have two biological sons: Jay (18) and Jack (14). When we returned home from China, we met with Adam Gober. The Gobers are great friends of ours and Adam helped us with our will. Well, when we got home we knew that we needed to update some things. Before we went to China, we had met with Adam to discuss our estate if something had happened to us. Angela and I said that if something had happened to us, if we shoved off this mortal coil, that we wanted to leave a portion of our liquidated estate to the church. That’s right, we want to make sure that we even tithe in death. Beyond that, we wanted things to be divided evenly between the two boys. The only problem is that we didn’t have 2 boys anymore. We have three.

“But Stuart, Jett is not your natural born son.”

“But Stuart, you just met Jett, you’ve know Jay and Jack their entire lives.”

“But Stuart, Jett is a stranger to you. He is not your blood relative.”

Believe it or not, those are things that we heard from family and friends after returning home.

Aren’t you glad that God does not operate that way? You see, we set out to love Jett the way God loves us. Unconditionally. We never saw Jett as a stranger, we saw him instantly as our son. We never considered Jett’s bloodtype or his DNA, we only heard the calling to take him in. We never considered Jett’s past or how he entered the world, we just cared about his present and his future. Friends, aren’t you glad that God operates the same way with all of us. 

He sees past our sin. He thinks not about our past. We are forgiven. Our sin is forgotten. You see, Jett today’s shares an equal third of whatever we leave. He is our son and he is dearly loved. 

This morning, you are dearly loved to. God loves you. He wants to adopt you into His family and He has made a way for you. Will you say “yes” to the offer or will you continue to live with a spirit of slavery? 

Ephesians 3:6 GW

This mystery is the Good News that people who are not Jewish have the same inheritance as Jewish people do. They belong to the same body and share the same promise that God made in Christ Jesus.

God’s Gift…New Life Through Jesus Christ