REstorative Discipleship Pt2: We Are Children of God

By now you have read Romans 8. By the end of this lesson, It is my hope that you become spiriually minded. This is indeed, a requirement for true freedom. So in week 1, the guiding proinciple was that the gospel is the answer to everything. THis week, we will establish sonship with the Father.  
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For to be carnally minded is death, but to spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
If you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:13).

Second Principle: You are just as much a son of God as Jesus.
Goal: To commit to becoming spiritually minded
 
You inherited His mission, to SEEK and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
You inherited His POWER (Luke 10:19).
You inherited His sonship (Romans 8:29; Matthew 12:46-50).

• For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (Romans 8:13-14).
  • The Holy Spirit has empowered you to put to death the sinful nature so that you can live as children of God.
• But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12).
  • Remember, the gospel was meant to be believed. In believing, the power of that gospel is given to you for the purpose of sonship affirmation!
  • You see this sonship affirmation in Matthew 3:16. Through believing the gospel, the Father looks upon you also, and says “This is my beloved…”

You share in His suffering, and you shall share in His glory!

• So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children, you received a spirit of sonship. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:15-17).
  • You are no longer sinners in the hands of an angry God. When God looks at you today, he sees you through the “lens” of His Son, Jesus. You are “covered” by His blood. Think of an insurance policy. If you have an accident, you are “covered” which means that by reason of your policy, you do not have to pay the price you would have had to pay. You are covered. In the same way, you do not have to pay for your own sins.
  • To be a joint-heir means that you share the same inheritance. Where there was once darkness and eternal damnation, you have now become children of God with the same reward of GLORY as Jesus Christ, Himself.
  • Here also, suffering means to “feel pain together.” We must never associate ourselves with the glory without associating ourselves with the sufferings of Christ. See also, Philippians 3:10.
• And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. (Romans 8:31-34) See also in NKJV
  • Jesus is the FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BROTHER AND SISTERS. How did you come into this picture? By being born-again! (John 3:3-7)
  • GLORY: To praise, extol, magnify, CELEBRATE, honor, to adorn with lustre and clothe with splendor and render it excellent.
  • Seeing this, you have become RIGHTEOUS, GLORIOUS sons and daughters of God, and when He looks upon you, He is pleased. He likes what He sees.

This is why we must be spiritually minded!

• For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8).
  • Carnally minded people are content with church services, over and over again. Spiritually minded people want to shine. They want the glory to be revealed through them. To be carnally minded is to literally separate yourself from your own inheritance of glory!
  • To be carnally minded prioritizes, self. (See Philippians 2:21)
  • To be spiritually minded is to embrace who you really are in Christ, and function out of the mission, power and sonship of Jesus.
  • To be spiritually minded means that you give up your life to prioritize the idea of following the teachings of Jesus Christ, through the power of His Spirit.

How does this look in real life?
Our mentality about what being the CHURCH must change. We are called to be spiritually active as sons and daughters of God, not as spectators and organizational volunteers. This is life.
 
Questions to discuss:

1. List three spiritual realities you see in Romans 8. (For example, “I am a son of God”)
2. When you think of God, do you imagine an angry judge, of an affirming Father?