First, happy Mother’s Day! (The way the topics in Romans fell, I guess this is the Mother’s Day sermon?)
One of the most famous (and misquoted) lines in cinema history is “No, I am your father.” This line of course is from The Empire Strikes Back and spoken by Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker. Fortunately for us, it’s not Vader saying it to us. Instead, God is the One telling us He is our father.
BIG IDEA: Only by knowing who you belong to, can you truly know who you are.
KEY CONCEPTS
- Justification | You are Right in God’s Courtroom
- Adoption | You are welcome in God’s Living Room
Nobody is born into this world a child of the family of God. We are born as children of wrath. The only way we enter into the family of God is by adoption, and that adoption occurs when we are united to God’s only begotten Son by faith. When by faith we are united with Christ, we are then adopted into that family of whom Christ is the firstborn.
—R.C. Sprout
… Anyone who has placed their faith in Jesus has been adopted by God. And just like any adoption, it comes with some privileges.
5 Privileges of Your Adoption
- You have the status of sonship (v. 8:14). … In that culture, when a wealthy man started getting old and was without an heir, he would often adopt a male to be his heir. At the time adoption was a male-only institution. Upon that adoption, the person would be made heir and given the man’s name. Paul is applying this to all believers, not just males. He’s saying that boys and girls and men and women can all be adopted by God to be heirs.
- You don’t have to be enslaved to fear (v. 8:15a). … Upon salvation and becoming an heir, we are no longer slaves to sin and fear. Our Father protects us and is always with us. There is no problem too big or too complex for Him. He is in control and He loves us.
- You have intimate access to the Father (v. 8:15b). … When we cry out, our Father comes. He hears us and responds. We can call Him “Dad” and He is there for us. There is no need for an intermediary because we have instant access.
- You have affirmation through the Spirit (v. 8:16). … The Holy Spirit affirms that we are saved and are children of God. He tells us He loves us every day.
- You have an inheritance awaiting You (v. 8:17). … Adoption means we become heirs. We aren’t slaves, but sons and daughters who will receive an inheritance. That inheritance is eternal life with God in Heaven. Because of this, we know the “good ole days” are yet to come and we can look forward to our future.
If you’ve been involved in an adoption or know someone who has, you know adoption is expensive. But that price is nothing compared to what God paid for ours. He sent His Son to die on the cross to pay for our adoption.
When James Earl Jones voiced that line for Vader, it changed the story of Star Wars. Luke learned who he was and would have to struggle with that. When we accepted Christ as Savior and God as Father, our stories changed too. We belong to a Father who loves us and protects us. It’s not something we have to struggle with, but a blessing beyond anything we can fathom.
For Further Study/Resources Used by the Pastor to Prepare This Message
- Exalting Jesus in Romans by Tony Merida
- Teach the Text by Marvin Pate
- Romans, Preach the Word by Kent Hughes
- ESV Expository Commentary by Robert Yarbrough
- Romans for You by Tim Keller
- The Story of God Commentary by Michael Bird
- Living Insights by Chuck Swindoll
- NIV Application Commentary by Doug Moo