Saturday, July 23, 2016
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." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (Romans 8:15-16)
In 1985, 26-year-old Jody Roberts lived in Tacoma, Washington, working as a reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune. In May of that year, Roberts' friends and family started to notice some strange changes, as she stopped taking care of herself and began to drink significantly more than usual. On May 20, she mysteriously vanished and would not be seen by her loved ones for 12 years. Little did they know that five days later, a disoriented Roberts was found wandering around in a mall in Aurora, Colorado, over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi) away. After being admitted to a hospital in Denver it was determined that Jody had amnesia - she had no idea who she was.
Knowing who you are is very important. Over the years I've determined that most issues that people face are either because they don't know who they are in Christ or they have forgotten. In Romans 8, Paul attempts to help the believers at Rome get an understanding of who they are in Christ. He talks about the difference between the law and the Spirit and uses the analogy of Roman adoption to drive home the point.
This is a genius move because every one of his readers would understand what adoption was all about. Here are some facts about adoption:
Not knowing who we are and who our Father is makes us disoriented and prone to wander. However, when we embrace this reality we encounter Our Father and Good Shepherd, in whom there is no lack. The One who leads us beside still waters, down paths of righteousness, and restores our soul.
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." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (Romans 8:15-16)
In 1985, 26-year-old Jody Roberts lived in Tacoma, Washington, working as a reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune. In May of that year, Roberts' friends and family started to notice some strange changes, as she stopped taking care of herself and began to drink significantly more than usual. On May 20, she mysteriously vanished and would not be seen by her loved ones for 12 years. Little did they know that five days later, a disoriented Roberts was found wandering around in a mall in Aurora, Colorado, over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi) away. After being admitted to a hospital in Denver it was determined that Jody had amnesia - she had no idea who she was.
Knowing who you are is very important. Over the years I've determined that most issues that people face are either because they don't know who they are in Christ or they have forgotten. In Romans 8, Paul attempts to help the believers at Rome get an understanding of who they are in Christ. He talks about the difference between the law and the Spirit and uses the analogy of Roman adoption to drive home the point.
This is a genius move because every one of his readers would understand what adoption was all about. Here are some facts about adoption:
- Anyone could be adopted.
- Adoption was permanent. Unlike a baby, who could be refused at birth by her/his father for different reasons, an adopted person was accepted and could never be rejected.
- The father would assume and pay for ALL debts incurred by the person being adopted.
- The adopted person received a new name indicating their position in the family
- The adopted person became an heir to the father's inheritance.
Not knowing who we are and who our Father is makes us disoriented and prone to wander. However, when we embrace this reality we encounter Our Father and Good Shepherd, in whom there is no lack. The One who leads us beside still waters, down paths of righteousness, and restores our soul.
Knowing who you are is very important.
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