This morning we continue our series entitled, “Power of Fellowship.” Yesterday I shared with you a snippet of a message I preached on Sunday entitled, “From Slaves to Sons.” Today I will continue to flow in the same vein. I will share another snippet.
Let’s read Romans 8:14-17 from the J.B. Phillips translation. I believe this message comes through loud and clear.
(Romans 8:14-17 PHILLIPS)
All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear—you have been adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father”. The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means. If we are his children we share his treasures, and all that Christ claims as his will belong to all of us as well!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Bible teaches us that if we are led of the Spirit of God, we will see ourselves as sons of God. A son is not a servant. A son is not a slave. A son is a SON and nothing he/she does can change that. Until you rest in the fact that you are a SON (this applies to males and females) of God, you will never truly have the relationship with Him that He desires for you to have. And if your relationship with God is not right, your relationships with others won’t be right.
2. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would testify to us. Well, what will He say? Our passage makes it clear. The Holy Spirit comes to tell us that we are children of the Most High God. The Holy Spirit comes to say, “You are a SON! You are not a Servant. You are not a slave. You are a SON!” The moment you finally believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that you are truly a Son of God, that God is not some sort of disconnected being, but Your Father, and you are a member of a global family, it will change everything about your life. It will change the way you see God (you will see Him as a Daddy), the way you see yourself (you will see yourself as God’s SON), and the way you see others (you will see them as your brothers and sisters). This is what God wanted. Jesus did not just come to establish a church. He came to establish a family!
3. Our text for this morning (Romans 8:14-17) teaches us that the Holy Spirit comes to drive home the point that we truly are the children of God. The text also says that if we don’t believe it, we will relapse into a slavish attitude that leads to fear. When you see God as some sort of celestial being that is Lording over the universe, and you see yourself as a peon is a universal chess match, you can’t help but live in fear. You are going to make mistakes and every time you do, the devil will tell you that you have disqualified yourself from God’s blessing, that you are no longer on the path to your destiny, and that you are no longer a child of God. But you should not listen to the devil. While he is saying all of this, the Holy Spirit is saying, “NO! You are still a SON! Our Daddy knew all the mistakes you were going to make and He called you anyway. You are not perfect, but Jesus was perfect FOR YOU! You could never fulfill the Law, but Jesus fulfilled the Law FOR YOU! You are not righteous, but Jesus was righteous FOR YOU. And now everything Jesus is, is attributed TO YOU! You are a SON and nothing will change that!” Who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe the Holy Spirit or satan?
4. The text says that the Holy Spirit will endorse your inward conviction that you are a SON of God. Embrace that conviction and enter this day looking to God as Your Father and to the other children of God as your brothers and sisters. You are a member of God’s family. You carry the family name. Act like it today!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for giving me Your Spirit. Your Spirit is testifying of You. I believe what He says. He tells me that I am Your Son. So I boldly declare:
“I AM NOT A SLAVE!’
“I AM NOT A SERVANT!”
“I AM A SON OF GOD!”
“I HAVE BEEN ADOPTED INTO GOD’S FAMILY!”
“I AM EQUAL WITH JESUS!”
“WHAT BELONGS TO JESUS BELONGS TO ME!”
“I AM AN HEIR AND JOINT-HEIR WITH JESUS HIMSELF!”
“MY NAME IS LISTED ON YOUR WILL RIGHT NEXT TO JESUS!”
“I HAVE THE SAME INHERITANCE BECAUSE I AM A SON AND FROM NOW ON I WILL LIVE LIKE IT!”
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
