Sunday, April 9, 2017

Romans 8:14-17 Slave to a new Kingdom

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.


If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you are being led by the Spirit – and this is the sign or evidence that one is a child of God. There are those who claim all people are children of God, but this is not true in the sense spoken of here. Unredeemed sinners were made in the image of God but must be born by the Spirit of God to become His children. There are some who claim a specific sign or gift must be in evidence of all of God’s children, such as speaking in gibberish tongues or having a second baptism in the Holy Spirit. But Paul says elsewhere, There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6) The universal church, the total number of redeemed saints, are THE body of Christ, each and all are indwelt by THE Holy Spirit, subject to ONE Lord in ONE faith, ONE baptism, belonging to the ONE God. This baptism that ALL children of God participate in is not the water baptism that characterizes Baptist churches. It is the same thing as the circumcision made without human hands spoken about elsewhere – the invisible yet undeniable work almighty God does on each person ransomed from hell and death by the all sufficient work of Christ Jesus. In Christ there is no Gentile, Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, or female. It’s not that we lose those characteristics when we get saved (slaves are told not to worry about being free since they are free indeed in Christ); it’s that these things which matter so much to mortal man do not make a difference in the kingdom of God.

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