CHILDREN OF GOD
Romans 8: 12-17
Proper 10

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text for today is recorded in Romans, chapter 8, particularly these words: “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.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Our Epistle lessons for well over a month now have been from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul has been going through a very logical discussion step by step to show sin and grace. Today’s Epistle lesson continues that discussion. “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die.” That’s the law. The sinful flesh is a demanding master, a harsh taskmaster, and when the sinful flesh is finished with you, when it has done it worst, it leaves you with nothing but death. The text is speaking true words, “If you live according to the flesh you will die.”

When these words were written anyone who owed money to someone else, a debtor, was considered a servant — even a slave — to the one who held his debt. Even though they worked for their master, they were gaining nothing for themselves but only paying off a debt. The land on which they worked was not their own. The crops they planted and gathered were not their own. They had no future in the profits that were made from their labor. They could only pay off the debt and still be penniless.

Likewise with debts to the flesh make us servants and slaves of sin. And sin gives us all kinds of misery and pain — and ultimately leaves us with nothing but death. If we are debtors to sin — we will die, not just temporally, but eternally in hell.

In our text Paul says that we are NOT debtors to the flesh! We do not owe the flesh anything! Why, well, our debt is paid! That’s what Jesus said on the cross. Totallisthi — “It is finished” or also translated, “Paid in Full”. Because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection our sins are forgiven, our debts are paid; we are free from sins claims and innocent of sins charges — why?? Because Jesus Christ “has redeemed us, not with Gold or Silver, but with his Holy Precious Blood and his innocent suffering and death. That we might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”

We are not debtors to the flesh — but debtors to God. He gave his son into death for us. He forgave our sins. He declared us righteous, innocent, because His son, “who knew no sin, became sin for us.” But here is even better news, God doesn’t treat us like debtors — Paul said in the text, “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!” Not slaves of God — but Sons of God. Not debtors to God — but children of God. And Oh! What a difference that makes.

God is no longer a stern, hate filled judge who will sentence us to eternal death — but rather — God is a loving and forgiving Father to us, his prodigal children. And being a child of God gives us confidence, hope, and assurance for a future that is guaranteed. If we are children of God — and by Baptism we are his children for there he put his name on us and claimed us as his own — then, we are heirs of God’s kingdom. In Baptism the Holy Spirit created saving faith in Christ, and directed our hearts to Christ. It is the Spirit who leads us to faith and keeps us in faith, through Word and Sacrament. That’s why Paul said in the text, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”. And he also says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

How confident can we be that we are children of God — after all, we do have our doubts, we do have our weak moments, we do have our sins — how can we know, for sure, that we are God’s Children?? How would you answer if someone asked you, “Are you a Christian??” Would you say, “No, I’m a Lutheran?” Would you say, “I don’t know, but I try to be.” Would you answer, “My mother was, and she raised me right?” Sorry, but all three of those answers are dead wrong — eternally dead wrong! Are you a Christian? YES!!! HOW??? By God’s Grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, as reveled in the Holy Scriptures alone. That’s the gospel message of “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have ever lasting life.” Our being children of God is not about what we do or don’t do — Our being God’s children is all about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hope for eternal life is not found in the penance that we do here on earth, but in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Our confidence of life eternal is not based in our good works, but on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for us! We are God’s Children. We are heirs of heaven — by Grace — through faith. God’s Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that this is most certainly true. We are God’s Children and heirs of eternal life in God’s kingdom of heaven.

Heaven is ours. We know that our sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus. We have no fear of death because death is but the gateway into eternal life with our Father in Heaven. That’s the Gospel, the good news. That is our confidence.

Paul concludes our text by saying, “We suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul is making a transition from “the sure confidence of life eternal in heaven as children of God” to the question about “what about now, here on earth.” The Epistle reading for the next couple of Sundays is going to deal with this issue of “suffering with Christ” and how we look at, regard, and deal with suffering is this world. Just why do bad things happen to good people? So I won’t go into that today, but in the next two sermons coming.

Today it is important to remember that even though our sinful human flesh makes us debtors to the flesh — which gives death! God for Christ sake, forgives us those debts and claims us as his children and heirs of his eternal kingdom. The Christian is a child of God — free of the condemnation of sin, confident of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and expectant in the glories of the World to come. Let us rejoice in the grace and forgiveness which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.