I am going to conclude the series on the church with this sermon today as we talk about the church as the family of God.  This is perhaps the richest and most personal metaphor of the church because it strikes at the root of our belonging.

Several years ago, Bill Gaither made popular a song entitled, Family of God.  Perhaps many of you remember it.  Recall the words with me.

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.   Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.  Joint-heirs with Jesus as we travel the sod.  For I’m part of the family, the family of God

It is so wonderful to be part of the family of God.  In this scripture Paul address how we our to live as the children of God as joint-heirs with Jesus.  There are several contrasts in the scripture that I want to highlight today.  But this all relates to how we find our place in the family of God.

First, The Flesh vs the Spirit

Paul is addressing two primary ways people live.  The flesh or the Spirit.  When he uses the word flesh here it means the sinful nature.  That is our desire to please ourselves, live only for ourselves and gratify our own desires.  The flesh is living in opposition to God’s design and order.   The consequence of living only by our fleshly desires is death and ultimate separation from God.

To live in the Spirit is just the opposite.  We are no longer living for ourselves or to satisfy our desires.  But we are living to please God first.  We are living in obedience to God’s design revealed through His holy Word and through the empowerment of the Spirit.

I want you to notice a key part of this teaching.  He indicates that the Spirit will help us defeat even put to death the fleshly desires we often carry inside us.  And the consequence is life not death.

Very simple language here.  The flesh is opposed to God and will result in death.  The Spirit is God and always moves us to perform God’s design and purpose and the result is life…even eternal life.

Now the struggle here is we often are so focused on the immediate gratification that we miss the greater prize.

Kid waiting for another marshmallow.

So we are either living by the flesh or we are living by the Spirit.  No middle ground here.

But there is more.  Much more.  And it is even more personal.

Second, Born of the Flesh vs Born of the Spirit

Look at verse14 again:

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  

In the natural order we are born into a family.  Interestingly, we do not choose our family.  We are born into our family system.  Most of us were born into a good family system.  Some may wish they could have chosen their family!  But we are simply born as a child into or family.

I want us to think about the word children as part of the family imagery for the church.  IN the church we are the children of God.

How does this happen?  Mystery like what Jesus told Nicodemus.  You must be born again.  John 1:12 

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Here again are great contrasts.

As a child born of natural consent we are in bondage to our sinful nature.  We will never be free from our captivity to sin in our own human nature or ability.  The gospel is not a self-help program or behavioral modification program, although it may modify or change our behavior.  But it is a supernatural work of the Spirit to regenerate us to live by the Spirit as opposed to our own sinful flesh.

Notice the language used here.  Very harsh words he writes…v13 Put to death the misdeeds of the body   How does this happen?  This is the simple and central message of the gospel.  The old person dies so that the new person can be raised to new life.  But…

The cross is the cure.  The only cure.  To bring us from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, from the captivity to sin to the freedom of new life.

Third,  Living as  a Slave/Servant vs Living as a Son/Daughter   

Look at   v15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

We are not living like servants or slaves out of a sense of duty or obligation.  We are now in the position of a child of God, and we freely desire to do God’s will.

What fear is he talking about here?  Fear of punishment or embarrassment.  Fear of God’s judgment?  Maybe both.

Are you living like a slave or a son/daughter?

There is still more here.  Much more.

We are not only children we are adopted into the family of God that lasts forever.

Fourth,   Fading Family vs Forever Family

17 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.

When I was a young man, I enjoyed the place I lived.  It was by a creek and surrounded by beautiful mountains.  It was a plain and simple house, but it was home.  I never thought I would leave that place.  But my father died when I was 18 and soon after the house and property were sold.  My home was gone and there was no recovery.

The homes we build are temporary.  Hold them loosely.  But there is an inheritance that we have as a joint heirs with Christ.  What He owns we own.  What Christ possesses we possess. This is glorious.

Someone has used a play on the phrase where there’s a will there a way.   They turned around to say…where there is a will there are relatives.  And often there is hardship in giving out the estate properties and possessions.   And sometimes there are no possessions to receive.

He will not leave us as orphans… he will come and take us to himself.  He has prepared a place for us.

Peter talks about this in the same language of new birth in the Spirit to accomplish our inheritance.

I Peter 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Notice this inheritance is imperishable…will not end…we have perishable goods in our refrigerator.  It has a date on it.  This inheritance has no end… no expiration date.

It is undefiled… Nothing corrupt can spoil this inheritance.

It is unfading… Things we built here fade.  The most beautiful people fade with age and time.  We are mortal and subject to decay.  Things we may be counting on fall through.  The stock market crashes.  Our jobs are lost.  The person we loved is tragically taken.  But in this inheritance it will never fade or grow old.

Friends,  this is the most remarkable gift we could ever receive.  Go back to her song again.