Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
Throughout
the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as the Father of those that believed in
Him. By
the time of Hosea this Fatherhood was firmly understood to be a relationship of
adoption. In Hosea 11:1 we find "When Israel was a child, I loved him and
out of Egypt I called my son."
From the very beginning God freely chose to adopt Israel as His own. He
chose to become their Father.
Paul
also speaks of adoption when he describes our relationship to God.
In our passage today he reminds us that "you did not receive a
spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of
Sonship.
And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"
In our time we have an idea what adoption involves and we have heard how
difficult the process is.
Such has always been the case.
In Roman times the process was even more serious and complicated.
In
the age in which Paul lived, the Roman father still had absolute power over his
family.
True, the early Roman law which gave him power of life and death had
softened somewhat.
Roman law allowed no age of majority as we have today.
If a son were 16, 18, 21 or even a man of 30, 50 or 70 -- as long as his
father was alive the son never came of age.
This fact made adoption into another family a very difficult and a very
serious step.
In the process of adoption, a person had to pass out of the possession
and control of one father into the absolute possession and control of another.
There were two steps.
The first was carried out by a symbolic sale, in which copper and
weighing scales were symbolically used.
Three times this symbolism of sale was carried out.
Twice the father symbolically sold his son, and twice he bought him back.
The third time he did not buy him back.
After
the symbolic sale, there followed a ceremony in which the adopting father went
to one of the Roman magistrates, and presented a legal case for the transfer of
the person to be adopted.
With approval the adoption was complete.
This adoption implied four consequences.
First, the adopted person lost all rights in his old family and gained
all rights as a fully legitimate son in his new family.
In the most literal sense, and in the most binding legal way, he now had
a new father.
Second, it followed that he became heir to his new father's estate.
Even if other sons were afterwards born, who were real blood relations,
it did not affect his rights.
He was inalienably co-heir with them.
Third, the law provided that the old life of the adopted person was
completely wiped out.
If the adoptee owed debts, they were canceled as if they had never
existed.
The Romans perceived that the new person was entering into a new life
with which the past had nothing to do.
Fourth,
in the eyes of the law the adopted person was completely the son of his new
father.
For an example of this we have the adoption of Nero by the Emperor
Claudius.
Now, Nero and Claudius were in no way blood relations.
However, when Nero desired to marry Octavia, the real daughter of
Claudius, it took a special act of the Roman Senate before they could be
married.
This
absolute understanding of adoption is what Paul is thinking about in our New
Testament passage for today.
However, there is one more impression from Paul's passage that we need to
see. In
verse sixteen we find these words:
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's
children."
The word “testifies” may also be read “witnesses.”
In this context, we turn again to the Roman adoption ceremony.
That Roman ceremony was performed in the presence of seven witnesses.
So in this passage Paul says that it is the Holy Spirit Himself who is
the witness to our adoption into the family of God.
And the Holy Spirit testifies in our heart to make our adoption known.
Once,
we were under the total influence of sin, and our human nature was absolutely
under the sinful control of our unredeemed human nature.
But God, in His mercy, has bought us for His own possession.
Our old life has no rights over us, the past is canceled, the past debts
of sin are wiped out, we begin life anew.
In fact, we have became heirs of all the riches of God, even joint-heirs
with Jesus Christ, God's own Son.
This then is Paul's picture of how we, as Christians, enter into the very
family of God, whom we are encouraged to call “Father.”
Notice in verse fifteen the Aramaic "Abba.”
Some commentators believe that this word would be more personal in
nature.
Just as little children cry out "Daddy,”
so is the intensity of
the relationship described here.
However,
let us not get too familiar.
Too often, as members of God's family, we emphasize our rights as adopted
sons and daughters.
We are overly interested in the inheritance of heaven.
And we most often forget the responsibilities that come with family life.
In a family, each member has certain privileges and certain chores as
well as certain relationships to maintain.
We all discovered early on that we cannot treat our Father or Mother the
way way we often have mistreated our brothers and sisters.
Such conduct used to lead to a short session in the woodshed.
In the same way we learn from the Scriptures that, like our earthly
fathers, God has and will discipline His children.
We see this fact throughout all the Old Testament, where Israel failed to
follow God's instructions and chose to create their own rules.
They
forgot their responsibilities to their Father.
They forgot that their adoptive Father had authority over them.
Many times we, too, have forgotten the power of our Father and the
demands that he makes upon our lives.
We seldom forget our rights and our hope of inheriting eternal life.
Yet,
how often do we remember our regular responsibilities?
I am reminded of a bumper sticker I used to see on various cars.
It read:
"Honk, if you love Jesus.”
I never honked my horn -- mainly because I don't like to be turned on and
off like a light switch.
I have also been in church services in which the minister shouted,
"Everybody say ‘Amen’!" I didn't always say Amen either.
It isn't as if I would not be happy to encounter even an occasional
motorist who loves Jesus, or a Christian who says “Amen.”
But I would like to see the love of Christ expressed by something more
than a mere honk of the horn or a shout of the word “Amen.”
One
afternoon, I momentarily blocked another driver's path in slow traffic on I-270.
I had left room for two cars to come in ahead of me.
The driver behind me honked.
I promptly received the impression from my rear-view mirror that she did
not love me.
And I wonder if she loved Jesus, for the look she gave was one of instant
rage.
How dare I slow her down by letting other cars in front!
Later on, she had pushed her way ahead of me. Guess what kind of sticker
she had on her rear bumper?
On the highway I would like to see not a honk from one who loves Jesus,
but a Christian style of courteous driving.
But, I suppose that no one would buy a bumper sticker that reads,
"Drive courteously, if you love Jesus."
It is easier to honk!
That
is the story of many adoptive Christian lives, I'm afraid.
It is easier to make noise than to make progress.
It is easier to talk about being loving than it is to be loving.
Honking is where it is at for too much of the church.
People show up once or twice a week to make a little noise.
Out in Iowa, there was one large church in a small town that had to have
the police direct traffic after services because there was such a mad rush to
get out of the parking lot and down to Hamburger Row for lunch!
Real Christianity is more than a weekly honk of the horn.
In the dusty Galilean road sense, Christianity is the essence of life
itself.
Matthew
7:21 gives us this warning in the very words of our Lord:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Not everyone who honks his horn for Jesus belongs to Him.
If we would put bumper stickers on our cars, perhaps they should read
like one that I have teased my son about having as he begins to travel the open
road -- "watch me drive and call my father at
468-2343!"
Let us remember this as we close today.
If we have been adopted in the Family of God at the expense of the life,
suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then we who by grace are members of
God's own family owe our Father God not only respect but also obedience. Amen.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Barclay, William. Daily Study Bible: The Letter to the Romans. Background notes only! Murray, John. New International Commentary: Epistle to Romans. Phillips, J.B. The Christian Year. Unknown. "Adoption" & "Father", Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Wilson, Kenneth L. "Honk, If You Love Jesus", Christian Herald.
Rushsylvania United Presbyterian Church (UPUSA) 16 July 72 Triumph & Tory Grove Parish (UPCUSA & UMC) 24 September 72 Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) 16 June 90 Post Office Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213-7926
Rom08b.htm 24 September 95
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