Romans 8:16-17

the Son of God became a son of man in order that the sons of men could become sons of God.

That's an astounding quote that I don't think I'll ever forget there. The divine son came to share his sonship with us in order to bring us into the family of God. And John 1 12 tells us that all who believed in Christ, all who believed in the son, that he gave them the right to become sons. It is the very son of God who gives us the right to become sons of God by faith in him. There is no adoption apart from the father and the sons work. And I just want to emphasize there for a moment that we have no rights in and of ourselves to be called children of God. Outside of Christ, we have no legal basis to declare that we are God's children. We're not children of God by nature and rather we're quite the opposite. Ephesians 2 actually reveals that we're sons of disobedience, children of wrath, it says. And yet now in Christ, we've been made sons of God, adopted by the Father and have received the spirit of adoption. But I want to return now to our text here in Romans and see what does this text reveal about adoption? So we see in verses 15 and 16 that not only is adoption the work of the Father and the Son, but of The Spirit. There is no adoption apart from His work as well. The whole triune God is working in adoption. So let's see what the Spirit is doing in these passages. So we see there in verse 15 that there's two different spirits there that produce two different outcomes. Spirit of slavery that produces fear and a spirit of adoption that produces love. The text says that as believers, we have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, Abba Father. And that's so significant. Don't miss those two words there, by whom we cry out. The only way that we can cry out to God as Abba Father is by the Holy Spirit in us, by the Spirit of Adoption. Or to put it negatively, we cannot cry out to God in love as our Father if we have not received this Spirit of Adoption. Or to say it another way, the Spirit of Adoption gives us the experience of being sons of God. It is the spirit of adoption that enables us to relate to the father in this way. He stirs us up to cry out to God as father in this intimate, close and loving way. Abba, Father, it is an expression of love from a from a child to their dad. And this word for Abba is only used by one other person in scripture, and it's Christ. the son of God speaking to his father. And so when we receive the spirit of adoption, we can cry out to the father in the same manner as his perfect, spotless son. And in the Lord's Prayer, we see Jesus teach there his disciples to pray to God as their father, which is an amazing privilege. But it isn't until we receive the Holy Spirit that we call upon God as Abba. And that's amazing. And especially when we remember who we were outside of Christ, enemies of God, sons of the devil, being led by the spirit of slavery. In saving us, not only has God forgiven us of our sins, not only has he set us free from its power, but he's adopted us into his family. And he doesn't make us sit far away from him at the guest table. But He invites us to sit next to Him at the family table as His sons. God the Father chose to adopt us as His sons through the redemption in Christ. But He didn't stop there. The Spirit who is sent by the Father and the Son comes into our hearts that we can experience this Sonship. It is by the Spirit that we cry out. Galatians actually says that it is the spirit of the son who himself cries out in us, Abba Father. Friends, do we see the love of the Triune God? Not only does he desire for us to be sons, but to experience this sonship by the spirits indwelling. Now, let's go on in verse 16 and see further the work of the spirit there. Not only does the Spirit enable us to experience our sonship, but He Himself gives us assurance of it. It says that He bears witness with our spirit. How do you know if you're a child of God? Or is the Holy Spirit bearing witness to you? Earlier in Romans 8, it says that

anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.

Verse 14 says that

all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God.

Is there evidence of the Spirit in your life? Now, how does the Spirit bear witness to us? That could be a whole sermon on its own. But I just want to say by the fruit he produces in us. And as I got to thinking about this, the first fruit that's listed there in Galatians is love. And I don't think it's a stretch to say a new love for God in which we cry out of a father. Well, we have received the spirit that we may cry out to the father through the son, and that crying out by the spirit testifies that we are his children. The spirit bears witness with our spirit by stirring us up to love for God in a life of holiness. And if we think about the eternal son who never doubts his father's love for him, we have been given the spirit of the son who bears witness to us so that we don't doubt the father's love for us. Friends, the natural man cannot relate to God in this way. If he relates to God at all, it is only fear and distance. And yet, when a person receives the spirit of adoption, their relationship changes. There's no more fear, but rather love, no more distance, but a closeness to God. Again, see here the love of the triune God, that He has done all the work that you may be adopted, that you would experience your adoption, and that you would know that you're adopted. He leaves nothing lacking for any of his children. And if that isn't amazing enough, the text goes on further there in verse 17. It says,

If we are children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.

Friends, being an heir means that we have an inheritance from the father that we will receive. And I want to pause here again and just say, man, praise God. Who among us would share their wealth and riches with their enemies? And yet the Father puts His great love on display, not only by saving us, not only by adopting us, but by giving us an inheritance, not based on our works or obedience, but rather based on the riches of His love. And this inheritance is described as imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for us. Ephesians 1 tells us that the Spirit seals us and is a guarantee of our inheritance. This all shows us that we are not partially sons of God or barely sons of God, but we have the full privileges and rights as sons of God. So much so that we are now entitled to an inheritance in Him, that we cannot lose, and that can never fade away. And if we're still not convinced of that, the text says we're fellow heirs with Christ. Not only do we have a share in Christ's work, but we have a share in His inheritance now. In a sense, what Christ receives, we receive. We will even share in His glory. And how amazing to think that we who were once children of wrath have been made children of God and will share in Christ's inheritance. Often in our world, we see we can see at times that adopted children are not treated like natural children. And even more at times, you see that natural born children may get angry or jealous if adopted children get the same inheritance, right? Or they have to share their inheritance with them. And yet, when the father adopts us, he treats us as true sons. And Christ, the only begotten son, is not jealous or angry, but rather delights to share his rightful inheritance with us. And in fact, died that this could be true. In light of all of this, we ought to be filled with a love for the triune God and his work in adoption. And up until this point in the text, we all may be filled with joy. We're sons of God. We get an inheritance. That's great news. And yet our text doesn't end there. It goes on to say,

provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified.

Now, we want to be sons of God, and yet do we not realize that the son of God had to first suffer before he was received in the glory? A question this evening, do we want to be united to Christ in his glory and in his inheritance and in the father's love and yet not united in his suffering? Friends, there is no glory without the suffering first. There is no sonship without suffering. Do we want to be identified with Christ in heaven? And yet are we afraid to be identified with him here on earth? I remind you, Jesus says that when we suffer for him, we're blessed. First, Peter tells us to rejoice when we suffer, when we share in Christ's sufferings, because if we do, then we will also rejoice when his glory is revealed. And why? Because we will share in that glory. May we see tonight, it is a great privilege and a blessing to share in the sufferings of Christ. And we don't have time to go into it, but even our perseverance in suffering is a work of the triune God. Now, to bring this to a close, I pray that you see the triune God in this work of adoption. The father's work is adopting us and giving us an inheritance. The son's work is redeeming us, sharing his sonship and his rightful inheritance with us. And the Spirit enables us to experience our adoption. He gives us assurance of it and is the guarantee of that inheritance. Or to say it another way, our adoption comes from the Father through the Son's redemptive work and is applied by the Spirit of adoption to our hearts. Blessed be our triune God, dear friends. And I pray that as you've read this tonight, that you haven't only read it, but that it's true for you. And if not, come to Christ by faith and receive the spirit of adoption and cry out to God as your father. It matters not how long you've been a child of disobedience or how far you've gone down that road. Turn to the mercy of God in Christ and he will save you and adopt you. and welcome you as a son. Let's pray. Father, we come before you again, Lord, and humbled as we have read your word and have seen the truth of it. God, it is amazing thing that you would save wretched sinners like us. It is even more amazing that you would not only save us, but that you would adopt us and make us sons. Give us an inheritance. Father, all we can do is stand in awe and praise you. Lord, I pray that we would know that we are sons in here tonight. Father, that the Spirit would bear witness to our spirit and that we would cry out to you as Abba, Father, and that we would not take that privilege for granted. Lord, may we live in light of this truth and may this encourage us and motivate us to take the truth of your gospel to a lost and dying world. We ask that you would work in our hearts, Lord God, and help us to be willing to suffer for your name sake. We pray all of this in Christ's name and for his glory. Amen.