July 13, 2008
Romans 8:12-17

SECOND LESSON: Romans 8:12-17 [You received a spirit of sonship.]
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, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For 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, gAbba! Father!h 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, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Think about God. What first image do you have? Think about yourself. What first image do you have? That is, what is the image that you have between yourself and God? What is that relationship? Our relationship with God can be described in many ways.

In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul has tried to paint a number of pictures of our relationship with God: Creator & creature, Employer & worker, Spouse & spouse, and today, Father & child.

In this fallen world, we are not born as children of God; but, we are born as children of the flesh. We naturally live according to the flesh, according to the desires of this world, slaves of sin. We worry about today and tomorrow and regret the past. It is a life of fear. We strive to get ahead, even if we have to fight and hurt other people. Our world turns around ourselves. We do not think anything is sin because we do not have God in our life to define what sin is. St. Paul says it is a type of slavery. We cannot free ourselves.

But the Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel. The Holy Spirit has shown us God. The Holy Spirit has led us to faith and to the water of Baptism. Baptism is like an adoption ceremony. Water plus the Word of God's Promise plus our faith that believes that Promise is the adoption ceremony. Now we are children of God.

Human flesh dies. If we are children of flesh, we inherit death. God, however, is immortal. If we are children of God, we inherit immortality, that is, we inherit eternal life.

When we were slaves to sin and death, we could only say, "Yes, Master" or "Yes, Sir." When we are children of God, we say the words, "Abba! Father!" "Abba" is not a Swedish Disco group. "Abba" comes from the Hebrew word for "father." For example, the father of Israel is named, "Abraham," which means, "father of many," the "father of many nations" (Gen. 17:5). However, "Abba" should be translated not just as "father," but as "daddy." It is the child's word when speaking to their father. "Hey, Daddy! Daddy, can I have a glass of water? Daddy, I love you." This is our relationship to God our Heavenly Father. We might feel silly praying the Lord's Prayer if we have to say, "Our Daddy who art in heaven." But that is the proper way to pray the Lord's Prayer. We should pray in confidence and joy and love. This is the Father that can really take care of us. This is the Father who loves us. This is the Father who sent his other Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to save all of us other sons and daughters.

Usually an inheritance comes only after the father dies. But God cannot die, so we will receive our inheritance in full only after we die. But we will receive it because Jesus first died. In Jesusf death and resurrection, the treasures of heaven have been given us, especially the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life.

As children of God, St. Paul wants us to act as children of God. We are led by the Holy Spirit. We are to put behind us the deeds of the flesh, the deeds of the body of sin. We are no longer slaves who fear our slave master; rather we are sons and daughters who love our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit leads us to live as Christ did. That means that we suffer with him, and also that we are glorified with him. If there are inconveniencies to being a Christian, there are also great joys. This is the joy of being the in the family of Christ.

As children of our Heavenly Father, maybe we have some house chores: like setting the table and welcoming guests, like cleaning the church home, like inviting people to come to church, like spreading the seed of the Word of God. But our biggest chore is to come to the House of God and worship. And there we sing and pray. We pray the Lord's Prayer and say, "Abba! Father!"

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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