Adptin Knw Gd as Father Series The Father s Aspiratin Frm Snship t Heirs Intrductin: Currently we are lking at the dctrine f adptin knwing Gd as Father. Our Church Fathers summarized the dctrine f adptin by explaining frm Scripture, Adptin is an act f Gd's free grace by which we are received int Gd s family and have a right t all the privileges f the sns f Gd. (WSC#34, 1 Jn.3:1; Jn.1:12; Rm.8:17) Gd s free grace Nt rphaned but adpted All the privileges every spiritual blessing (Eph.1.3) We began the series by seeing that ur adptin is the Father s eternal heartbeat that He has been unflded thrughut histry thrugh Christ. Last week we saw the Father s lve, that even thugh we were all brn as slaves t ur fleshly behavirs, the Father Gd has adpted us as the sns and daughters. This mrning we will see the Father s aspiratin that we wuld n lnger cnsider urselves as a slave, but a sn; and if a sn, then an heir, fellw heirs with Christ. (Gal.4.7, Rm.8.16-17a) Therefre yu are n lnger a slave, but a sn; and if a sn, then an heir thrugh Gd. (Gal.4.7) Fr yu have nt received a spirit f slavery leading t fear again, but yu have received a spirit f adptin as sns by which we cry ut, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself testifies with ur spirit that we are children f Gd, and if children, heirs als, heirs f Gd and fellw heirs with Christ. (Rm.8.15-17a) T/S: Peple ften struggle with accepting that they are n lnger a slave, but a sn. I. The Father s Aspiratin n lnger a slave, but a sn: As we saw last week, Gd s Wrd stresses the fact that thse wh are in Christ, believers, have nt received a spirit f slavery but rather they have received a spirit f adptin. 1
The spirit f slavery keeps yu in bndage t wrldly behavirs and bligatins. (Rm.8.12) Where as the spirit f adptin liberates yu t live a life f pleasing Gd. (Rm.8.6-8) Gd s Spirit cntinually and prgressively assures us testifies t us that we are f ur Gd s children. (Rm.8.16) The Father s aspiratin is that we wuld n lnger cnsider urselves as a slave, but a sn. Again I think that Jesus parable f the Prdigal Sn in Luke 15 is the best illustratin f the Father s aspiratin fr us. As yu recall a man had tw sns. The yunger f them said t his father, Father, give me the share f the estate that falls t me. S he divided his wealth between them. The yunger sn gathered everything tgether and went n a jurney int a distant cuntry, and there he squandered his estate with lse living. Nw when he had spent everything, a severe famine ccurred in that cuntry, and he began t be impverished. S he went and hired himself ut t ne f the citizens f that cuntry, and he sent him int his fields t feed swine. And as he fed the pigs the slp f the day (slp du jur) he thught t himself, Hw many f my father s hired men have mre than enugh bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and g t my father, and will say t him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in yur sight; I am n lnger wrthy t be called yur sn; make me as ne f yur hired men. Yu see the Prdigal sn felt s much cndemnatin ver his wrldly behavir that he was willing t surrender his birthright, his snship, and becme a slave. Clearly he had acted inapprpriately and irrespnsibility as he admits, I have sinned against heaven, and in yur sight. There is n argument abut this. 2
The prblem was his remedy the prdigal cncluded that the nly remedy t his imprpriety was t relinquish his snship and becme a slave hired hand. His cndemnatin had blcked ut the brilliance f the father s lve. S the Prdigal gt up and came t his father. But while he was still a lng way ff, his father saw him and felt cmpassin fr him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Even thugh the father accepted the sn back with pen arms, the sn insisted that his snship be revked and that he be made a slave, he said, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in yur sight; I am n lnger wrthy t be called yur sn. But the Father wuld have nthing t d with this and said t his slaves, Quickly bring ut the best rbe and put it n him, and put a ring n his hand and sandals n his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. These actins shw us that the father wuld have nthing t d with this slave attitude and that he embraced the prdigal nt just as a sn but als as an heir. The prdigal had t have been saying, See hw great a lve the father has bestwed n me. (I Jn.3.1) APP: This is ur Father s aspiratin fr us! N matter where yu been n matter what yu have dne if yu are in Christ, yu are nt a slave; yu are a sn. Dn t be like Esau wh was willing t sell his birthright fr a bwl f ptage. (Gen. 25.27-34) Or like the Prdigal wh was willing t surrender his birthright as penance. Embrace yur snhip and run if a sn, then an heir. T/S: Therefre yu are n lnger a slave, but a sn; and if a sn, then an heir thrugh Gd. (Gal.4.7) II. The Father s Aspiratin and if a sn, then an heir: 3
The dctrine f adptin shws us that Gd is interested in relatinship with us, and nt just relatinship, but unin, and nt just unin, but such a unin that everything He is and has, all glry and fullness, all jy and beauty is t be shared with us and is t becme as much urs as it is His. Blessed be the Gd and Father f ur Lrd Jesus Christ, wh has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... In lve He predestined us t adptin as sns thrugh Jesus Christ t Himself... In Christ, we have btained an inheritance... I pray that the eyes f yur heart may be enlightened, s that yu will knw... the riches f the glry f His inheritance in the saints. (Eph.1.3, 5, 11, 18) The Father s aspiratin fr us is simple thrugh Christ we are His children and if we are His children then we are heirs als, fellw heirs with Christ. (Rm.8.17) As heirs we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places a glrius inheritance. We are heirs f the kingdm. (Js. 2.5b) T/S: As Heirs, I want yu t see that we gain ur inheritance because Christ is the First Brn f many brethren, because Christ is ur Elder Brther we are fellw heirs with Christ, and as fellw heirs we have been prmised a future glry. We gain ur inheritance because Christ is the First Brn f many brethren: The Father has predestined us t becme cnfrmed t the image f His Sn, s that He wuld be the firstbrn amng many brethren. (Rm.8.29; Heb.1.6) Jesus Christ the Sn f Gd is the rightful heir f all things. (Heb.1.2) All authrity has been given t Him in heaven and n earth. (Mt.28.18) All things have been put in subjectin under His feet. (Eph.1.22a) He is the head ver all things. (Eph.1.22b) And because f His life, death and resurrectin the Father has highly exalted Him, and bestwed n Him the name which is abve every name, s that at the name f Jesus every knee will bw, f thse wh are in heaven and n earth and under the earth, and that every tngue will cnfess that Jesus Christ is Lrd, t the glry f Gd the Father. (Phil.2.9-11) T/S: But we see Jesus telling Father, The glry which Yu have given Me I have given t them. (Jn.17.22) 4
All f Christ s achievements and accmplishments are granted t us! Because Christ is ur Elder Brther we are Fellw Heirs with Christ. (Rm.8.17a) All f His sinlessness All f His righteusness All f His hliness All f His wisdm All f His glry and hnr. All things belng t yu, all things present r things t cme; all things belng t yu because Christ belngs t Gd and yu belng t Christ (I Cr.3.21-23) T/S: And as fellw heirs we have been prmised a future glry: Future Glry: It is fitting that Christ Jesus wuld bring many sns t glry. (Heb.2.10a) The glden streets f paradise, the pearly gates, the river f life, and the transcendent bliss f heaven are given t us as ur everlasting pssessin. (Adapted frm Mrning and Evening) The kingdm that has been prepared fr us since the fundatin f the wrld will finally be urs. (Mt.25.32) We will finally mve int the mansins that Jesus has been preparing fr us. (Jn.14.2-3) And as glrius as this sunds I wuld like us t fcus n tw things as we cnsider ur future inheritance. 1. Redeemed and Glrified Bdies: As a cnsequence f Adam s sin Gd subjected all f creatin t crruptin this includes ur bdies. The Bible tells us that creatin jins us in graning t be delivered frm the suffering and pain that is assciated with ur bdies grwing ld. But as ur bdies decay with age the Lrd challenges us t wait eagerly fr ur adptin as sns, the redemptin f ur bdy. (Rm.8.20-23) This is when as adptin as sns will be cmplete! 5
Fr we knw that if ur bdy is trn dwn, we will have a new eternal bdy. Indeed in this bdy we gran but we have been prmised an inheritance f a glrified bdy fr all eternity. (2 Cr.5.1-4; Phil.3.21) We knw that the last enemy that will be ablished is death. (I Cr.15.26) In a mment, in the twinkling f an eye, at the last trumpet; fr the trumpet will sund, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Fr this perishable must put n the imperishable, and this mrtal must put n immrtality.... then will cme abut the saying that is written, Death is swallwed up in victry. O death, where is yur victry? O death, where is yur sting? The sting f death is sin, and the pwer f sin is the law; but thanks be t Gd, wh gives us the victry thrugh ur Lrd Jesus Christ. (I Cr.15.52-57) He has granted t us His precius and magnificent prmises, s that by them yu may becme partakers f the divine nature, having escaped the crruptin that is in the wrld. (2 Pt.1.4) T/S: But f all the treasures f ur future inheritance the biggest treasure we will Gd Himself! 2. Gd Himself: Belved, nw we are children f Gd, and it has nt appeared as yet what we will be. We knw that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (I Jn.3.2) We will see Him in a new and intimate way that is nt available t us nw. Fr nw we see in a mirrr dimly, but then face t face. (I Cr.13.12a) The psitin f intimacy the psitin f relatinship this is the biggest treasure f ur inheritance. There will n lnger be any curse; and the thrne f Gd and f the Lamb will be in it, and His bnd-servants will serve Him; they will see His face. (Rev.22.3-4a) The eternal enjyment f seeing Gd face t face with n bstructins nthing impeding His glry will be ur heavenly bliss! We all will see Him with unveiled face, behlding the glry f the Lrd, frm glry t glry. (2 Cr.3.18) 6
Cnclusin: Brthers and sister, the Father has high aspiratins fr us! N lnger slaves, but sns! N matter where yu been n matter what yu have dne if yu are in Christ, yu are nt a slave; yu are a sn! And if sns, then heirs, fellw heirs with Christ. As sns Christ ur elder brther has given us all f His accmplishments. And as heirs we have been prmised a glrius inheritance. He wh vercmes will inherit these things, and I will be his Gd and he will be My sn. Cme, yu wh are blessed f My Father, inherit the kingdm prepared fr yu frm the fundatin f the wrld. (Rev.21.7; Mt.25.34) 7