The Spirit Makes us Children of God

​Text: Romans 8:14-17
Service Date: 6.8.25
Sermon:

• Let’s jump in our time machines. I was in first grade when my life changed forever. I remember it well; the class was sitting on the rug in front of the teacher. When the teacher asked if anyone had any news that we’d like to share. My hand shot into the air. The teacher called on me. That was the day that my dad had married my stepmom; a new family would start there, and I was a part of it.
• Today we are focusing on what happens when we encounter the Holy Spirit and we are brought into this divine family tree. For some of us, this is simply another family that we belong to, another family that we can lean on and put our trust into. For others, this is our primary source of support and love; like how I felt as a first grader.
• When we experience the love that Jesus offers and we dedicate our time and attention to understanding his teaches and living out his words, we begin to see the world differently. Many would say that we receive the Holy Spirit and from there, we are led by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit brings us into this divine family. It’s almost as if we’ve been adopted into this divine family.   
• In today’s passage, Paul uses the concept of adoption to illustrate the believer’s new relationship with God. In Roman culture, an adopted child lost all rights in his/her old family and gained all the rights of a legitimate child in his/her new family.
• After reading this passage, researched the word “adoption.” Adoption means, “to place one as a son". It means to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is henceforth to be treated and cared for as one’s own child, including complete rights of inheritance.
• It seems that in Roman culture, when a child is adopted, the child becomes full heir to his/her father’s full estate. Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he/she gains all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family.
• To John Wesley, this Spirit of Adoption signifies a believer's assurance of being a child of God, experiencing God's grace, and entering a new relationship with Him.
• One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Holy Spirit. We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit becomes our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love.
• Even in those times when we do not feel connected with God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, we are still part of God’s people. Even when we are faced with the most challenging circumstance, The Holy Spirit still fills us and leads us. Similarly to God, the Holy Spirit does not leave us or abandon us.
• That is our assurance today: God is with us. In our darkest hour when we have a million questions running through our minds, wondering if are worthy; God is with us. In the scariest moments of our lives, God is with us. In the times where we doubt our faith or question everything we know; God is with us.
• We are all a part of God’s divine family. So, not only is God with us, but so is the family. We are with each other! We are each other’s support system. We are each other’s shoulder to lean on! We are each other’s mentor’s and friends. So, let us please show each other our love and support, being led by the Holy Spirit and being assured that we are community. 

 
Conclusion: Let us be people who are assured that God is with us and in return let us be there for each other.