This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to our look together at Romans chapter eight in our
daily drive time devotions. We're in our day five look at Romans eight. Romans
eight verses 14 to 17 today.

The last few days we've been talking about the fact that God says, "I will
change, I will change. " Someday when we see Christ, we will be like Him. That's
what we're looking forward to.

And even as we look forward to that day, as we live our lives in this world, God
wants to bring incremental changes into our lives as believers. I will change. I
will change because I have a new nature given to me by God's spirit.

I will change because I have a new power, a new control in my life, a new
obligation. I have a new manager we looked at yesterday. And I will also change
in verses 14 to 17.

I will change because I have a new father. Listen to these verses. Because those
who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you
received a spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ. If indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in
His glory.

And before I say anything else, let me deal with one thing. It talks here about
being sons of God and sonship. And those of you that are listening that are
women are thinking, wait a minute, what about daughtership and daughters of God?

The Bible tells us actually as a woman, you are a son of God. I know that's a
strange thought, but here's why. Only a son could inherit the household.

Only a son got some of the benefits of the family in that day that would come to
the first born. And the Bible is here saying that whether I'm a man or a woman,
I have the full benefit of being related to Jesus Christ and having God as my
Father. God has put us into His family.

A new relationship has come into our lives. A new relationship with God that
guarantees change. And these verses talk about the growing assurance that God is
your Father.

Notice in verse 14 it says, I am led by God's Spirit. That's one of the ways I
am assured that God is my Father. Throughout the Old Testament, God led people
in a lot of different ways.

Sometimes through a pillar of fire that was out in front of them. Sometimes
through a hand writing on a wall. Sometimes through a message that prophets
heard.

God always provided His people somehow with a compass. Something out in front of
them that showed them the direction to go. But the problem is you can lose a
compass.

And then what do you do? Well now, God has put His Spirit into us. He is within
us and I am led by God's Spirit.

The Spirit is the compass. Not the world around us, but the Spirit. And notice
it says here that we are led by God's Spirit.

We're not driven by God's Spirit. We are led. We must choose to follow.

And God's Spirit continually leads us in the way that our Father wants us to go.
And as I follow His leadership, I am more and more assured God is my Father. I
can trust Him.

I will change. A second assurance that God is my Father in these verses is I'm
no longer a slave to fear. That's a growing assurance that God's my Father.

To be a slave to fear means that I am leading my relationship with God based on
a fear of what He will do to me if I don't do the right thing. God's told us
that there's no love and fear. That with fear, love goes out the back door.

And we now have a relationship of love with God. We are drawn to follow Him
because of His love for us. That is a growing assurance that God is my Father.

I am following Him, not because I'm afraid of Him, but because I respect Him.
Because I love Him and I know how deeply He loves me. There's a third growing
assurance that God is my Father in these verses.

And that is the assurance that comes when I cry out His name. By Him we cry, it
says in verse 15, Abba, Father. That's a name that Jesus used when He prayed.

Mark 14, 36, Abba, Father, Jesus prayed. Everything is possible for you. Take
this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will. Now Abba, Father, what does that mean?
Those two words side by side are very interesting.

Abba and Father. It's the Aramaic, Abba, and the Greek, translated in English,
Father, words that are put side by side. So in that, Jew and Gentile are both
obviously included.

But it's also interesting that Abba is a less formal word for Father. Maybe
Daddy would be a word we would use. And Father is a more formal word.

So intimacy and authority are both included here. The intimacy that we have in
our relationship with God as a Father, and the authority that we have in our
relationship with God as a Father. And that's the way a healthy relationship
with a Father should be.

You should have intimacy with your Father. You should have intimacy with your
Father. But you should also respect the authority of your Father.

And in that kind of relationship is a healthy relationship with a Father. Abba,
Father. Years ago now, I went to Israel with a group of pastors.

And we saw some of the most exciting historical things I've ever seen. The
places where Paul preached. And the places where Jesus walked.

But I've often reflected on that trip that one of the most exciting experiences
was when we went to eat lunch in a city park. We sat in this park. We were
eating, the pastors.

And there were some children playing over on the side in a playground. And some
parents sitting maybe 100 yards from these children watching them. As the
parents were watching the children, one of the little boys did something
exciting up on the playground.

And he saw that his dad was watching him. So he jumped off the swings. And he
ran all the way across the park, yelling to his father all the way, in Hebrew,
in Aramaic, Abba, Abba, Abba.

And I saw the dad get up and run toward his son and saw them greet each other.
And I thought, that's it. That's what Jesus is talking about when he says Abba,
Father.

The sense of intimacy with God, of running into the arms of God because he loves
me. As that sense of intimacy grows, my sense that God is working in my life
grows. God is Abba, Father.

There's a fourth thing in these verses that reminds us of my growing sense of a
relationship with God. That God is my Father. And that is that the Spirit
testifies with our spirit.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. And
with that assurance comes an amazing promise. As God's children, we are God's
heirs.

We are part of the inheritance. That is almost beyond comprehension to me. Not
only am I saved from my sins, has God wiped the record clean.

Not only do I get to go and be in heaven, but God also says I am a co-heir with
Christ in heaven. I'm part of the family. I enjoy the benefits of what it means
for God to be my Father, not only on this earth, but also through all eternity.

Not only in my relationship with him, but also in the blessings that he pours
upon our lives throughout all of eternity. That is beyond comprehension, the
love of God for us. And that is the love that we look forward to.

And I want you to notice that in these verses there is a condition for enjoying
this inheritance. In verse 17, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of
God and co-heirs with Christ. But then the verse ends by saying if indeed we
share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory.

We're going to talk about that more this next week, but I didn't want to leave you
with the idea as we ended this week, that somehow to be an heir of God, a
co-heir with Christ is any easy thing. To have God as my Father means sometimes
people will judge me for the fact that I'm following God as my Father. They
judge Jesus.

And if I share in the sufferings that Jesus faced on this world in some small,
tiny way, it's just a sign of the fact that God is the Father that I'm
following. Next week as we continue our look together through Romans chapter
eight, we're going to be looking at how God blesses us with his inheritance through
the tough times. That if I'm ever without hope, I can realize that God has hope
more than enough to give into my life.

But it is based on this assurance that God is my Father. And so as we pray
today, let's take some time just to talk to God as our Father. Say to him,
Father, I want that sense of intimacy with you.

I want that sense of closeness to you. I want a sense that I can run into your
arms anytime and you will embrace me. You will accept me.

I thank you that because of Jesus Christ, I can call you Amma, Daddy. Father, I
also want to live in respect for you, to sense the authority, the strength that
you have for my life. To know that no matter what happens, I can trust your
leadership.

I can trust your leadership more than my own opinions, more than my own culture,
more than my own feelings. I can trust you. God, I want to grow in a
relationship with you where that trust comes easier and easier, where it's more
automatic.

Help me to grow. Father, even as I pray to you as my Father, I pray you'd help
me to learn to relate to you as my Father. And I praise you that because Jesus
Christ gave his life for me, because Jesus Christ was resurrected for me, I can
call you my Father, my Father in heaven.

I praise you for this in Jesus' name, amen. Well, next week, we're going to be
continuing our look together at Romans 8, starting in verse 17 and going to the
end of the chapter, talking together about a life not only of no condemnation
and no frustration, but also of no desperation and no separation. I'm looking
forward to finishing this incredible chapter scripture together this next week.