Sons of God...Romans 8

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (Romans 8:14-17a)

Romans 8, as we have already stated, is all about the assurance of our salvation. Indeed, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” , the rest of this chapter is an explanation as to why this is true.Paul gives us seven reasons why ,for us there is no condemnation.

Being “in Christ Jesus” as opposed to being “in Adam” is the first reason , which we looked at in Romans 5. We have also seen that as a consequence of being” in Christ”, we are now delivered from “the law of sin and death”, ie the Law of God.

A third reason why there is no condemnation is that we are now “in the Spirit”, that is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, who will work in us until we are completely glorified. Every last trace of sin and corruption will be eradicated from us, by by the time of the end.

Therefore even though we still inhabit a very corruptible body, susceptible still to fallen desires and inclinations, at the same time we are indwelt with “the Spirit of Life in Christ”.As Paul put it,

“If Christ be in you the body is death because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness”(Romans 8:10)

The fourth reason for the assurance of our salvation is found in verses 14-17, and that is that God has gone beyond justifying us, and forgiving our sins, He has actually adopted us as Sons into His family!

“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.”(Romans 8:14)

First of all, what does he mean by “led by the Spirit of God”? This phrase is in continuity with the flow of thought tha we who live in the Spirit, are led by the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body. This is the mark of the christian, he is at constant war with indwelling sin.

It is the Spirit who is working in us, giving us the hatred of sin, the longing to please God, and the concern over whether or not we love God and the yearning to glorify God. This is not the cause of our justification, but the effects of it.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:(John 1:12)

Adoption is a legal act first, this is what God the father of our Lord Jesus Chrst has done deliberately. He gave us the auhority to become sons of God. By nature we were children of wrath, but God has adopted us as children in hs own dear Son.

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.(John 1:13)

There is a new nature involved as well, for God has given us a new birth into the family, we are made partakers of the Divine nature, we are now Sons of God, by adoption and by being “born from above”.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.(I John 3:1-2)

This Sonship is manifest in us by the fact that we are spiritual, having our “mind set on the Spirit”, concern for Spiritual things, such as the state of our soul, righteousness,knowing Jesus, knowing God, loving God and by the cry that the Spirit puts into our hearts, “Abba Father!”.

This Sonship is no after thought, it was the purpose of God from the very foundations of the earth that “He should bring many Sons unto glory”, by Jesus Christ,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;(Ephesians 1:3-7)

Hi Pastor Bill,

Love your focus on Romans, the best exposition of the heart of the Gospel of Christ. Could stay on Romans 2:20-8:39 from now until His return and not exhaust the depths of the cross of Christ, his blood, and the glorious grace of the gospel. This is a good place to do it also, to help people stay on track. We can never plumb the depths of the cross of Christ because that's where we will always meet our matchless Lord and Savior, our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit of Grace.

God bless.

Problem is the famine of the end times - a lot of good people think they live a good life and try to treat others right but they never read their Bible and pick and choose what they want to believe. They ignore Genesis 13:13 or anything about the example of Sodom -or they insist it is irrelevant. They will not accept the fundamental American Law where the Declaration clearly declares ALl men are Created equal ,That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that
among these are Life,...” They will not call abortion murder.
They will not call “marriage” the union of a man and a woman” they will not defend Christianity or our fundamental Christian Morality.They believe it immoral to allow a murderer be put to death.and they think it swell that the Court think Judges are gods.

I couldn’t have put it better Stony-

1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

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