The Spirit in the Sons and Daughters of God
Romans 8:14-27
Romans is filled with Gospel gems (promises) to give knowledge and assurance of salvation to all who believe.
When the HS takes up residence in our lives by faith, we are promised LIFE (not death,condemnation), LIBERTY (not slavery to sin/law), and HOLINESS – a life that is good and pleasing to God and life that brings about true happiness.
Life, liberty, and holiness. These are the first THREE works of the HS mentioned in Romans 8. Now today there are THREE more works the HS promised --things we should understand and welcome and not be afraid of.
1. The Spirit in Securing our Adoption
Romans 8:14 (NASB), “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ...”
• V14 says the Holy Spirit leads us. He leads us in two ways - in mortifying the sinful deeds,(v13) and in leading us out of slavery/fear and into the freedom of God’s children.
• In other words... The HS is God’s agent for our adoption.
• Douglas Moo, “The Holy Spirit is not only instrumental in making us God’s children; he also makes us aware that we are God’s children.”
• J. I. Packer, “If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much [they] make of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as [their] Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls [their] worship and prayers and [their] whole outlook on life, it means that [they] do not understand Christianity very well at all.
• Question: Do you have full assurance today that you are a son and daughter of God?
2. The Spirit in our Present Suffering
Romans 8:17b (NASB), “...if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
Romans 8:22 (NASB), “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
• First, Suffering and glory are linked in the Bible. IF the Son of God suffered on His way to glory, so will all the sons and daughters of God suffer on their way to glory.
• Second, God’s good Creation is devolving; it is groaning in futility. Both Christians and creation groan together in a fallen world.
• Third, It is false to say that Christians suffer for their lack of faith. It is just the opposite! If you have true faith, if you really are God’s child you will experience suffering. The Christian who does not suffer or does not believe in suffering is the one to worry about.
• Forth, Suffering must be held in perspective. We must consider the weight/length of present suffering compared with weight/length future glory. There is no comparison. (8:18)
• Fifth, The Key to enduring suffering is eager waiting. Christians are to wait eagerly just as creation is waiting eagerly to be free of corruption.
• When will this groaning end? Our groaning ends when Jesus returns and we will be glorified, AND at this same time, creation will be restored to its glorified state.
• The final truth about suffering is that suffering can work for our good (Rom. 8:28).
“Suppose you eliminated suffering, what a dreadful place the world would be! I would almost rather eliminate happiness. The world would be the ghastly place because everything that corrects the tendency of this unspeakable little creature, man, to feel over-important and over-pleased with himself would disappear. He’s bad enough now but he would be absolutely intolerable if he never suffered.” - Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus Rediscovered
See Elizabeth Elliot, "Suffering is never for nothing."
3. The Spirit in His Helping Prayers
Romans 8:26 (NASB), “Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
• Sometimes in our pain we don’t pray, we don’t know what to pray, and we don’t know how to pray.
• It is at these times, when we are at a loss for words, the Spirit helps us and makes intercession for us.
• Intercession is when you pray for someone else.
• The amazing truth here is that the Spirit prays to God for us.
• The Spirit, being God, knows how to pray in the will of God for us in every situation. The Spirit's prayers are always answered.
