Romans chapter 8 verses 14 through 18, our adoption as children of God. Verse 14," For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Paul has already talked about the initial forgiveness of sins and the justification we receive when we are first saved. He has also talked about the ongoing gift of the indwelling of the Spirit we receive as Christians. Paul now talks about an additional blessing, the adoption as children of God, as many as are led by the Spirit of God.
Chrysostom explains," These words show that Paul would have the Spirit use such power over our lives as a pilot does over a ship or a charioteer over a pair of horses." So he is saying that even though you have received baptism, if you are not afterwards desirous to be led by the Spirit, you will lose the standing bestowed upon you. You will lose the ascendancy of your adoption.
That is why Paul does not say," As many as have received the Spirit, but as many as are led by the Spirit." In other words, as many as live up to this standard throughout their entire lives, these are the sons of God. Both Origen and Ambrosiaster turn to the following passage in 1 John to define what it means to be led by the Spirit. John writes," Whoever is born of God does not commit sin because His seed remains in Him, and He cannot sin because He is born of God.
In this, the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil, whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is He who does not love His brother." So although we have been justified and have received the Spirit at our conversion, if we do not practice righteousness, we are no longer the children of God, but the children of the devil. Romans 8:15," For you have not again received the spirit of slavery to fear.
Rather, you have received the spirit of adoption by which we cry out," Abba, Father." When Paul talks about the spirit of slavery, he is referring to the condition of the Jews under the law. Paul had told the Galatians," When the fullness of time came, God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying," Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Paul says essentially the same thing in the present passage of Romans. Since both Jesus and Paul give us many warnings about falling away, why does Paul say that we have not received the spirit of slavery to fear? The reason is that as children of the Father, we serve Him out of love, not out of fear.
As John said, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. So when we truly love God and walk with Him, we do not live in daily dread of punishment. Fear is not what motivates us. Origen writes," We have come from the Spirit of servitude to the Spirit of adoption when there is no longer any fear. That is, we do nothing out of fear of punishment.
Rather, we do all for the love of the Father." Why did most Israelites live under a spirit of slavery? Chrysostom explains that the Israelites were kept under control by immediate rewards and punishments. He writes," With them, the rewards and punishments were close at hand." A proportionate reward immediately followed their actions. It was like a daily ration given to domestic servants. Likewise, punishments in abundance were carried out right before their eyes.
For example, they were stoned to death, flogged, fined, and even maimed when they broke God's laws. In contrast, Christians do not obey God out of fear of such punishments, but out of love. John writes," He who says," I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him." But the love of God has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps His Word. This is how we know that we are in Him. In short, if we love God, we keep His commandments.
We keep them because we know it pleases Him. We also know that His commandments are perfect and are the best way to live. Even in the Psalms, it says of the blessed man," His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." If this was true for a godly Israelite, how much more for a Christian? A Christian who genuinely loves God delights in His laws. He does not view them as dreadful thou shalt nots.
Does this mean that someone who loves God will not face divine punishment if he tramples on God's commandments? No, it does not. He will indeed face such punishment. To be sure, if he repents, he can be assured of God's forgiveness. However, if he violates God's commandments without repentance, it is a sure indication that He no longer loves God.
In that case, He needs to fear the punishment to come, by which we cry out," Abba Father," we should never forget what an honor it is to be able to address God as our Father. Not a single person in the Old Testament ever addressed God in prayer as our Father. Origen writes," It deserves a somewhat careful search of the so-called Old Testament to discover whether we can find anywhere in it a prayer where someone addresses God as Father.
For although I have made examination to the best of my ability, I have up to the present fail to find even one." To be sure, God is spoken of as Father, and those who have waited on God's Word are called His Sons. As Paul explains, Christians can address God as Father in our prayers because we have become His sons and daughters through adoption.
Cyprian writes," The new man, born again and restored to God by His grace, says Father for the first time, because He has now begun to be a Son." Theodoret comments," Because of His unspeakable kindness and immeasurable goodness, we can call the Maker of all our Father as we are commanded." Nevertheless, we are not fully aware of how great the difference is between Him and us. We do not even understand our own selves clearly, and we are altogether ignorant of His nature. Abba Father.
What is the significance of the term" Abba"? It is the word for" father" in Aramaic, the language many Jews spoke in Paul's day. Aramaic may well have been Paul's native tongue. Origen writes," In the Spirit, we cry out Abba, Father, for only a son calls out Father." But when Paul adds," Abba," he is repeating the same word in the language of his native country." For it is one and the same as if he had said," Father, father." As he does throughout Romans, Paul is once again following the example of Jesus.
When praying in Gethsemane, Jesus cried out," Abba, Father, all things are possible for you." Paul is telling us that we can address the Father in the same intimate manner as Jesus did. Little children often repeat their father's name when they call out to Him. For example, if a young girl wants to go to town with her father, she will plead," Daddy, Daddy, please take me to town with you." Theodoret comments, Paul has added the word" Abba" along with Father to point out the confidence with which we call upon God.
For little children using greater boldness towards their parents, go on blurting out the same word towards them, oftener and oftener. To address God by the terms" Abba" and" Father" is indeed a wonderful privilege. Yet it carries a responsibility as well.
Ambrosiaster writes," If our behavior does not correspond to our voice, when we cry, Abba Father, we insult God by calling Him Father." Romans 8:16," The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Chrysostom comments," When the Spirit bears witness, how can there be any doubt of our relationship if it were a man or angel or archangel or any other such power who declared that we are children, then there might be reason for doubting." However, it is the highest being who bestows
this gift, and he bears witness by the very words He commanded us to use in prayer.
Therefore, who can any longer doubt that we receive this privileged position? Ambrosiaster adds that when we are led by the Spirit and are thereby living a holy life, then the Holy Spirit dwells within us and constantly bears witness to us of our relationship to the Father. Romans chapter 8:17," And if we are children, then we are heirs.
We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if we suffer with Him so that we also may be glorified together." Paul skillfully interlaces his exhortations with encouraging words about the indescribable rewards God has promised to the faithful. Chrysostom writes," Observe how Paul enhances the gift little by little, for it is possible to be children without becoming heirs. For by no means do all children become heirs." Therefore, Paul adds this additional reward that we are also heirs.
Again, since it would be possible to be God's heir, but in no sense to be a joint heir with the Only Begotten, Paul shows that we also have this privilege. Because modern Christians live in such a different society today than the one in which the first century Christians lived, it is sometimes difficult for us to appreciate the immensity of these rewards that God promises. We no longer have kings and emperors, and the adoption of adults is rare in our society.
However, in the Roman world, it was common for people to adopt adults. In fact, in the second century, nearly every Roman emperor was a man who had been adopted as an adult by the previous emperor. Of course, for the ordinary Roman to be adopted as the child of the Roman Emperor would have been a dream beyond measure. To also become an heir of the emperor would take the dream to dizzying heights.
However, to become a co-heir with the emperor's own natural son would have been the ultimate gift, something that happened to only a few people. Yet God promises this very thing to all believers. No wonder that the message of Christianity is called the gospel. Good news. Origen and Chrysostom point out that in this passage, Paul is not revealing new promises to God's people. Rather, he is simply repeating the promises Jesus made while here on earth.
As far as adoption, Jesus taught," Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Again, he said," Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven." As far as heirship, Jesus had said that on judgment day He will tell the righteous," Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." So the kingdom of God is our promised inheritance.
Jesus told His apostles that they would not only receive a kingdom, but they would also become joint rulers with Him. Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on 12 thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Yet it is not just the apostles who will reign as kings, but all believers.
Revelation praises Jesus, saying," To Him who loves us and washed us from our sins by His blood, and He made us to be a kingdom of priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever." Paul rebuked the Corinthians for haughtiness with these words:" You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us." Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
So if we are faithful, we will reign, but not in the present life, if we suffer with Him. Nevertheless, Paul shows that these wonderful promises are all conditional. We will be glorified with Him if we suffer with Him. Paul later told Timothy," If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us." Ambrosiaster explains that suffering for Jesus is not limited to physical persecution. It also means to put to death the flesh as Paul has been exhorting in this letter.
It means enduring ridicule and denying ourselves the fleeting pleasures of this world.
Clement of Alexandria writes," There is a persecution that arises externally from men attacking the faithful." However, the most painful is internal persecution, which proceeds from each man's own soul being tormented by ungodly desires, Romans 8:18," For I consider the sufferings of this present age not worthy of comparison to the glory that will be revealed in us." Origen writes," Imagine if a Christian were to obey all the commandments of the Lord without complaint, and to abide in them with a steadfast mind."
Imagine further that he were to endure every kind of torment that can be humanly or inhumanly inflicted.
Imagine if he were to suffer all the things endured by Job. Even then, these things would never compare to the future glory that will be revealed to the saints, nor to the things that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered the heart of man. No wonder Paul declares," I consider the sufferings of this present age not worthy of comparison with the glory that will be revealed." There is no comparison between the physical world and the spiritual world.
Neither is there between the mortal and the immortal, nor between the temporal and the eternal. As Paul told the Corinthians," For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, achieves for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Chrysostom writes," The promised glory has already been prepared and awaits your labors.
But if it vexes you that it is still in the future, let this very fact be a cause of joy." The reason it is stored up there is because it is so great and unutterable and transcends our present condition. And since Paul had no way of giving a specific description of these blessings, or even of putting them before us in language, He simply gives them the name glory. Theodoret adds," The crowns exceed the trials. The afflictions cannot even be put on the same scale as the rewards."