Please turn with me to Romans 8 - starting at verse 14.  We are going on with our look at choices from Romans 6-8.

Every day we’re confronted with a number of choices.   Behind every choice we make is one basic bottom line choice.  Which is what?  To turn towards God or to turn away from God.   God is gracious to us giving us the choice to turn towards Him and His grace.  We should almost have that memorized by now.

Given a choice of gifts.  Things you’d like to receive from someone else.  See which of these you’d like to receive.

Choice number one - as a gift - would you prefer to receive - A - fruity Skittles - or - B - these tasty anchovies?

Choice #2 - as gift - would you like to receive - A - $1 million in tax free cash, or - B - this collection of Monopoly money?

Choice #3 - A - an all expense paid 5 day family vacation to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida - or - B - a romantic weekend get away for 2 to Bodie?  Some of you are thinking maybe Bodie without the kids might not be so bad.

Choice #4 - A - the Ferrari F430 or - B - this VW project of a lifetime?

And #5 - This mansion on a hilltop - or - B - this tornado magnet in Iowa?

Grace is a gift of God.  In Romans 6:23 - which says what?  For the wages of sin is - what? death, but the free gift of God is - what? eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word for “gift” here in Romans 6:23 - the Greek word for “gift” is “charis” which means grace - God’s undeserved favor.

Over the past few Sunday’s we’ve been looking at what Paul writes - here in chapters 6 to 8 - what Paul writes about God’s grace.  God sending Jesus to the cross to die for us.  Because God - who is grace - demonstrates His graciousness - by doing what we could never earn or measure up to - or do for ourselves - no matter how many righteous and holy things we could try doing.  Right?  Paul’s written that what we know and experience about God’s grace compels us to turn towards Him.

We’ve read about Paul’s personal struggles with sin.  Knowing and experiencing first hand - as we all do - that sin is living in bondage to what kills - what destroys us - self-destructive behavior - that even though we know and will what we would like to do - sin - like gravity - pulls us down every day of our lives.  The end of the trajectory of sin is death - eternal separation from God and eternal punishment.

But God - because He is gracious - gifts us.  Rather than condemnation - God gifts us with freedom in Jesus Christ.  We don’t have to live life under the condemnation of sin.  While sin may win battles.  We know - we have a certain hope - that sin will not win the war.  What’s coming for us - who are in Christ - is an unimaginable eternal future with God.  Amen?

What we’re coming to here in verses 14 to 17 are a description of that great gift of God - what God has graciously given to us.

Look with me at what Paul writes - starting in verse 14:  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Have you heard this?  Just because you live in a garage doesn’t make you a car.  Heard that?  Sons of God is a generic term that refers to both sexes - regardless of whether we’re male or female.  Humans.

Everyone here has been born - right?  All of us are creations of God - creatures of God by the fact that we’ve been born.  Some people would put it this way, “We’re all children of God.”  Which is true of all human beings everywhere.  We’re all God’s children.

But what Paul has in mind here is a much more specific meaning than just that we’re breathing and occupying space on planet earth - living in the garage.

Paul writes:  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God - meaning those who are trusting in Jesus as their savior - who’ve come to that point of surrendering their lives to God through Jesus - who are being led through life by Him - by the Holy Spirit - these are the sons of God.

We need to be clear on this.  When we come to salvation in Jesus Christ - God - gifts us - by His grace - makes us to be His children.  That is a huge significant truth that we need to let sink into our hearts.

We are God’s children.  Say that with me, “We are God’s children.”  Say this to yourself, “I am God’s child.”  Encourage the person next to you with this, “You are God’s child.”

In verses 15 to 17 Paul is going to give us four realities of what it means to be God’s child.  Realities that we can hang to every day of our lives.

Verse 15:  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba!  Father!”

First reality:  God’s child is not a slave.  Say that with me, “God’s child is not a slave.”

Tony Campolo wrote this about a little girl he knows:

A friend of mine has an adorable four-year-old daughter.  She is bright and she is talkative.  If tryouts were being held for a modern-day Shirley Temple, I think she would win hands down.

One night there was a violent thunderstorm.  The lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled.  It was one of those terrifying storms that forces everyone to stop and tremble a bit.  My friend ran upstairs to his daughter’s room to assure her that everything would be all right.

He got to her room and found her standing on the window sill spread-eagled against the glass.  He shouted. “What are you doing?”  She turned away from the flashing lightning and happily reported, “I think God is trying to take my picture!” (1)

Slaves live in fear.  For the slave the only consistency is uncertainty - an unknown future - the constant threat of abuse - of death.

For those living as slaves of sin - living in bondage to the crud of this world - which is how Paul applies this word “slavery” here in Romans - humankind living apart from God and His grace - their lives are filled with uncertainty.

Their lives hang in fear on the fickle fluctuations of the stock market and the shifting winds of world events.  The world is one dangerous place.  The only way to go through life with any certainty is to take care of number one.  Grab what you can because this is all there is.  If you don’t grab it someone else will.

There are no answers.  There’s no hope.  No purpose.  No meaning to life.  Only doubt - guilt - mistrust - shame - brokenness - wounding - scaring.  There’s no forgiveness or healing or restoration.

Death is a great unknown.  Something feared.  The ultimate reality for those bound by sin is God’s condemnation - eternal death - eternal punishment.

Humankind as a creation of God is an awesome thing.  But for those living apart from God and His grace - life is lived in fear - and it should be.

Slaves live in fear.  God’s children do not.  They stand freely in window sills wondering at the love of God - the awesomeness of His grace.  Those in Christ re no longer slaves to sin and the crud of this world.

The second reality - what it means to be a child of God - is that God’s child is adopted.  Say that with me, “God’s child is adopted.”

If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ - if you’re trusting in Jesus as your Savior - surrendered your life to God - received salvation from Him - you are an adopted son of God.  God has adopted you.  That’s an amazing truth that we need to let sink into our heart. 

Say this to yourself, “God has adopted me.”  Find someone next to you and encourage them with that.  “God has adopted you.” 

In the movie Ben Hur - Judah Ben Hur gets sent off on some trumped up charge to serve as a slave in the galleys - endlessly rowing on a Roman war galley.  “We keep you alive to serve this ship.  So row well... and live.”  It’s a death sentence.

We know how this goes.  Right?  The ship gets rammed.  Ben Hur saves the life of Quintus Arius - the fleet commander.  The scene with them hanging on to the piece of ship - floating in the Mediterranean.  They’re rescued.  Apparently it was a great victory for the Roman fleet.  Eventually Quintus Arius takes Ben Hur to Rome where Ben Hur is given to Arius as a slave and Arius sets Ben Hur free.  We’re together?

Watch this scene and think about adoption.

(DVD - Ben Hur)

Do you like how they hung?  The strong gripping of the arms - holding each other a comfortable distance apart - eyeing each other for any sign of too much emotion - no nuzzling.  Its very manly.

The Greek word - here in verse 15 - for adoption is “uiothesis.”  Which has the idea of placing someone into the position of a son.  Which sounds like the completion of a legal process.  Which it was.  Someone is legally placed into a home.

But the Greek and the Roman understanding of “adoption” was much more that just a legality.  To the people Paul is writing to “adoption” means that you are made to be a son - without any distinction from those who are natural born sons.

The angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her that she’s going to be the mother of Jesus.  Mary asks, “How?  I’m a virgin.”  Gabriel explains, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”  (Luke 1:26-35). 

Notice the term.  Jesus is the natural born Son of God - the only begotten Son of God - conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told Nicodemus - to enter the kingdom of God you have to be born again.  Which confused Nicodemus.  Confuses a lot of people.  Nicodemus asked, “How can someone who’s already been born reenter his mother’s womb and be born again?”  Jesus’ answer?  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”  (John 3:1-6)

We’re born once - physically.  Born into flesh and sin and slavery - into fear.  When we come to salvation in Jesus - the same Holy Spirit present at the conception of Jesus - natural born Son of God - enters into us - giving us a new birth - a spiritual birth - as a son of God - no longer slaves who need to live in fear.

Physically its impossible to be born into a human family as an adopted child.  Just doesn’t work that way.  But spiritually - God makes it possible for us to be born - by the Spirit - into God’s family - adopted yes - but not in the legal sense - adopted in the spiritual sense - which is as if we were natural born children of God. 

Isn’t that incredible?

Look where Paul goes with this.  Paul writes, “you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba!  Father!”

ABBA is not these guys.  Just in case there was confusion.

“Abba” is Aramaic word that means father.  Its actually a little child’s word for father - like “Dada.”  Something easy for a child to pronounce:  “abba.”   Try that.  “abba.”   It carries with it the idea of the intimacy and trust that a small child has in his father.

Jesus - in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus praying - struggling - knowing what’s coming - Jesus prays, “Abba!  Father!  Not what I will but what You will.”  (Mark 14:36)  There’s a huge display of intimacy and trust and relationship in that.

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount - teaching this huge crowd of people - teaching His disciples to pray - tells them to begin how?  “Our Father.”  The Son of God - God in the flesh - talking to Abba - Father.  Same Jesus - teaching us - sons of God - to address our Father - as Jesus addresses our Father.

Are we grabbing the relationship there?

Imagine the crowd that Jesus is teaching - on the Sermon on the Mount.  Spiritually impoverished - the mourners - the meek - those struggling to find peace - to live in righteousness.  Imagine, what it must have been like to hear God spoken to as Father.  No where in the Old Testament - no where in Hebrew history - not until Jesus - is God spoken to directly as “Father.”

God is someone who appears hovering in a cloud over Mount Sinai - a God of smoke and fire.  He’s the God who parts seas - sends plagues - who wiped out the world with a flood.  If we touch His stuff we die.  If we look at His face we die.  Even to approach Him in His temple requires the bloody sacrifice of bulls and goats.  God is holy - exalted - almighty - sovereign.  Unapproachable.  Someone to be feared.

Jesus calls Him, Father - “Our Father”!  Its an amazing relationship.  Jesus teaches His disciples to address the Father with the same intimacy that Jesus address His Father.

God - the infinite - holy - almighty creating God - so loves us - you - adopts us - you - so that we are His born of the Spirit children - able to approach Him - to know Him - with the intimacy of the natural born Son - the intimacy and trust of a small child - calling out “Abba!  Father!”

You are an adopted son of God.  Let that sink in.

Now let’s be honest here.  For some - who’ve been wounded by our earthly fathers - thinking  about God as our father may be a difficult thing.  Especially to think about that relationship positively.  Trust and intimacy aren’t even on the radar.  In reality - none of us have had parents who’ve raised us without some mistakes being made along the way.  We need a radically new - more God focused - God inspired - understanding of what God means by “Father.”

Just one example:   In Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son - there’s image of what “father” is.  The father lowers himself - shames himself - by running to embrace the returning the son - the one who’s been lost in self-indulgence.  The father speaks with tenderness and instruction to the other son who’s lost himself in self-righteousness.  That image of father is a long way from what way too many people understand as father.

God doesn’t have to be our father.  If you knew what it would be like to have your children before you had your children would you have had your children?  Yes.  If you knew what it would be like to have your children before you had your children would you have adopted them?  Different question.  Isn’t it?  By the way my answer to that question is, yes.  Just want to reassure my kids.

God doesn’t have to lavish His love on us.  But He does.  That’s a different understanding of father.  Isn’t it?

If you’re having trouble with the reality of God being your Father - look through Scripture and see how God talks about - and demonstrates - what it means to be “Abba.”  Let God reveal Himself to you and bring healing to you.

Let’s go on.  What it means to be God’s child.  Verse 16:  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Paul’s third reality:  God’s child is never alone.  Let’s say that together.  “God’s child is never alone.”

Jack London’s, “The Call of The Wild” is a story about a dog named Buck.  Buck was half Saint Bernard, half Shepherd - 150 pounds of pure muscle.  Because he was such an impressive animal, he was stolen, kidnapped from his home in the Santa Clara Valley and taken to Alaska where there was a tremendous need for powerful dogs to pull sleds through the wilderness snow.

Buck was treated so cruelly by his kidnappers and then by his first owners that he was nearly broken in spirit by the time he fell into the kind hands of John Thornton.  Thornton was so humane in his treatment of Buck that Buck developed an undying loyalty to Thornton.

One evening during a conversation in the Eldorado Saloon, Thornton was lured into making a $1,000 wager that Buck could break a sled loaded with 1,000 pounds on it - from a frozen standstill and move the sled 100 yards.  Some dogs had been known to break 500 pound loads - maybe 600 pounds - but 1,000 pounds seemed impossible.  It was a foolish wager, but Thornton believed that if any dog could do it, Buck could.

Several hundred men spilled out into the streets of Dawson to see if Buck could perform the impossible.  The odds were 2 to 1 - then 3 to 1 against Buck.  A sled holding twenty 50 pound bags of flour was standing frozen in the snow.  The ten dog team that had been pulling it was released and Buck was harnessed in their place.

John Thornton put his face against the face of his great dog.  He knelt down by Buck’s side and whispered in his ear these unforgettable words, “As you love me, Buck.  As you love me.”  (2)

With that encouragement - presence - words of love coming from John Thornton - Buck pulled the sled free.

That’s what’s contained in this statement:  “The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit - indwelling us at the core of who we are - speaking to us.  Urging us forward in our faith.  Guiding our walk with God.  Empowering us for life.  Growing us spiritually.  Keeping us and preparing us for eternity with God.  Reminding us that we’re God’s children - of who we are in Christ. 

“Testifies with” is the Greek verb “sunmartureo.”  Which is two words stuck together to make one.  The first word is “sun” which has the idea of closeness - being with us.  And “martus”  which is where we get our English word - what?  martyr.  Showing the extremity of commitment.

David writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”  (Psalm 23:4)

God never leaves His children to stumble around alone in the darkness and corruption of this world.  Or, to bear up on our own - pulling impossible loads.  Good luck.

God never leaves His children alone.  The testimony of that reality is as close as our hearts.  When we turn to Him He stirs our hearts with it - testifies with our spirit - reminds us at the core of who we are - that He - God - is with us.  We belong to God.

Fourth reality:  God’s child is an heir with Christ.  Let’s say that together.  “God’s child is an heir with Christ.”

Verse 17:  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Verse 17 is actually a transition to what comes in the rest of chapter 8 - what we will come to in the next two Sundays.  But, briefly, we need to see it here as a reality of what it means to be God’s child.

There is a theme that runs from Genesis to Revelation - that even though we suffer in the present age - life having its hardships - even persecution - though we suffer - running from Genesis to Revelation is this theme that something incredible is coming.

This is an amazing - hard to wrap our minds around - reality.  God takes people - like us - who’ve been living on the trajectory of sin and fear and death - and God graciously gifts us - through Jesus - makes us to be His children - so that we are heirs of God - inheritors of an unimaginable future that begins even today.

There is a God - by grace given gift - a choice before each one of us today.  No matter what the circumstances we may be in - God gives us the choice to lift our heads up - not to live fearfully as slaves but to live as God’s children.

Question:  Who’s child are you?

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1. Tony Campolo, quoted by Steve Zeisler in his sermon “Living By The Spirit,” Romans 8:1-17
2. Jack London, The Call of the Wild , pages 104 -111