Assurance of Salvation: Sons of God in Christ

 

Summary

In our study of Romans 8:14, we delve into the profound truth that those who are led by the Spirit of God are indeed the sons of God. This passage marks a new subsection in our exploration of Romans, emphasizing the importance of understanding scripture within its context. The Apostle Paul meticulously constructs his argument, highlighting the theme of assurance and certainty of salvation for believers. This assurance is rooted in the believer's union with Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees our sanctification and ultimate glorification.

The central theme of Romans 8 is the security and assurance of the Christian believer. Paul argues that the certainty of our salvation is not just a future hope but a present reality, grounded in our justification by faith and our union with Christ. This assurance is further reinforced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who works within us to mortify the deeds of the body and lead us into a life that pleases God. The Spirit's presence is a testament to our status as sons of God, a status that brings with it the promise of glorification.

Paul's argument is not merely about sanctification but about the ultimate glorification of believers. He emphasizes that sanctification is a part of the process leading to glorification, which is the end goal of God's plan for us. This perspective shifts our focus from a subjective view of our struggles to a broader understanding of God's eternal purpose. As sons of God, we are assured of our inheritance and the glory that awaits us, a truth that should fill us with joy and confidence.

The notion of sonship is not universal; it is exclusive to those who are led by the Spirit. This challenges the popular belief in the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man. Instead, scripture clearly divides humanity into those who are children of God and those who are not. Our adoption into God's family is a legal act, irreversible and grounded in God's eternal purpose. This adoption, coupled with our rebirth and participation in the divine nature, assures us of our place in God's family and our future glorification.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding scripture in context is crucial for accurate interpretation. Paul's argument in Romans 8 is a cumulative one, emphasizing the assurance and certainty of salvation for believers. This assurance is rooted in our union with Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees our sanctification and ultimate glorification. [02:00]

- The theme of Romans 8 is not merely sanctification but the ultimate glorification of believers. Sanctification is a part of the process leading to glorification, which is the end goal of God's plan for us. This perspective shifts our focus from a subjective view of our struggles to a broader understanding of God's eternal purpose. [16:00]

- The notion of sonship is exclusive to those who are led by the Spirit. This challenges the popular belief in the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man. Scripture clearly divides humanity into those who are children of God and those who are not. [21:39]

- Our adoption into God's family is a legal act, irreversible and grounded in God's eternal purpose. This adoption, coupled with our rebirth and participation in the divine nature, assures us of our place in God's family and our future glorification. [37:41]

- As sons of God, we are assured of our inheritance and the glory that awaits us. This truth should fill us with joy and confidence, enabling us to face life's challenges with the assurance of our ultimate glorification. [41:43]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction to Romans 8:14
[00:49] - Context and Importance of Scripture
[02:00] - The Theme of Assurance and Certainty
[03:59] - The Security of the Believer
[05:11] - Justification and Peace with God
[06:17] - Union with Christ
[07:11] - No Condemnation in Christ
[08:03] - The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
[09:59] - Mortifying the Deeds of the Body
[10:31] - Introduction to Sonship
[13:07] - Assurance through Sonship
[16:00] - Glorification as the Ultimate Goal
[19:54] - Not All Are Sons of God
[26:09] - The Doctrine of Adoption
[37:41] - Assurance in Adoption
[41:43] - The Life of God in the Soul of Man

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Romans 8:14

Bible Reading:
- Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
- John 1:12: "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."
- Ephesians 1:4-5: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

Observation Questions:
1. What does Romans 8:14 say about those who are led by the Spirit of God? How does this relate to the concept of sonship? [00:12]
2. According to the sermon, how does the Apostle Paul emphasize the importance of understanding scripture in context? [02:00]
3. What is the relationship between sanctification and glorification as discussed in the sermon? [16:00]
4. How does the sermon describe the notion of sonship and its exclusivity? [21:39]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the assurance and certainty of salvation for believers in terms of their union with Christ? [04:19]
2. In what way does the sermon challenge the popular belief in the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man? [21:39]
3. How does the concept of adoption into God's family provide assurance of our place in God's family and our future glorification? [37:41]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of the Holy Spirit in leading believers and confirming their status as sons of God? [12:38]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life. How do you experience being led by the Spirit of God? Are there areas where you feel you need more guidance? [12:38]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding scripture in context. How can you improve your approach to studying the Bible to ensure you grasp its full meaning? [02:00]
3. Consider the relationship between sanctification and glorification. How does this perspective shift your focus from daily struggles to God's eternal purpose for you? [16:00]
4. The sermon challenges the idea of universal sonship. How does this understanding affect your view of your relationship with God and others? [21:39]
5. Adoption into God's family is described as a legal and irreversible act. How does this assurance impact your confidence in your salvation and your daily walk with God? [37:41]
6. How can the truth of being a son of God fill you with joy and confidence in facing life's challenges? What practical steps can you take to remind yourself of this truth daily? [41:43]
7. Identify one area in your life where you struggle with assurance of salvation. How can the truths discussed in the sermon help you find peace and confidence in that area? [04:19]

Devotional

Day 1: Assurance in Context
Understanding scripture in context is crucial for accurate interpretation. Paul's argument in Romans 8 is a cumulative one, emphasizing the assurance and certainty of salvation for believers. This assurance is rooted in our union with Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees our sanctification and ultimate glorification. [02:00]

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: Think about a passage of scripture that has been challenging for you to understand. How can you seek to understand its context better this week, perhaps by reading the surrounding chapters or consulting a study guide?


Day 2: Glorification as the Goal
The theme of Romans 8 is not merely sanctification but the ultimate glorification of believers. Sanctification is a part of the process leading to glorification, which is the end goal of God's plan for us. This perspective shifts our focus from a subjective view of our struggles to a broader understanding of God's eternal purpose. [16:00]

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a current struggle or challenge in your life. How might viewing it through the lens of God's ultimate purpose for your glorification change your perspective or response to it?


Day 3: Exclusive Sonship
The notion of sonship is exclusive to those who are led by the Spirit. This challenges the popular belief in the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man. Scripture clearly divides humanity into those who are children of God and those who are not. [21:39]

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. How does knowing that sonship is exclusive to those led by the Spirit impact your understanding of your identity in Christ?


Day 4: Assurance in Adoption
Our adoption into God's family is a legal act, irreversible and grounded in God's eternal purpose. This adoption, coupled with our rebirth and participation in the divine nature, assures us of our place in God's family and our future glorification. [37:41]

"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, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15, ESV)

Reflection: How does the assurance of your adoption into God's family influence the way you approach God in prayer and in your daily life?


Day 5: Inheritance and Glory
As sons of God, we are assured of our inheritance and the glory that awaits us. This truth should fill us with joy and confidence, enabling us to face life's challenges with the assurance of our ultimate glorification. [41:43]

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to embrace the joy and confidence that comes from knowing your inheritance in Christ? How can you actively remind yourself of this truth today?

Quotes

"Now we are never tired of emphasizing that nothing is more important in the interpretation of scripture than to bear in mind the context. It's a fatal thing just as it were to pounce upon a verse or to select or extract a verse on its own. It's essential if we're to have a true interpretation that we should see the setting and be clear about the context." [00:11:34]

"The theme of this entire chapter is the theme of the security of the Christian believer. The message of the chapter, if you like, is Assurance of Salvation or, as I would prefer to put it, the absolute certainty of the final perseverance of all who are truly justified in Christ Jesus by faith." [00:03:59]

"The Apostle is working out and developing a very sustained and closely knit cumulative kind of argument, and it's therefore impossible to understand the real import of any one subsection if we haven't got an idea of the whole and the relationship of this particular subsection to the other subsections and to the entire massive argument." [00:02:41]

"The grounds of assurance there is this: that the spirit is dwelling in us, and that's an absolute guarantee, as we've already seen. And then you remember the practical exaltation of verses 12 and 13 again, so typical of him. In the light of all this, he says, you are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh." [00:09:43]

"Sanctification is always subsidiary. There is nothing which is more fatal than to regard sanctification as an end in and of itself. But that is what many people do, and they do it, of course, because they approach the whole of the Christian life in a thoroughly subjective manner." [00:15:34]

"Sanctification is only a part of the process that leads to glorification. The Apostle's interest always is in glorification. As I've told you, he introduced it at chapter 5 in verse 2: we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And of course, we shall find it later on in this very chapter." [00:17:36]

"Adoption, coupled with our rebirth and participation in the divine nature, assures us of our place in God's family and our future glorification. This adoption is a legal act, irreversible and grounded in God's eternal purpose. It is the act of God in which he takes us into his own family." [00:37:41]

"Not all are sons of God. These and these alone are the sons of God, says the Apostle. And of course, the whole notion of adoption makes this absolutely essential. There's no meaning in the whole doctrine of adoption unless this is our basic and fundamental postulate." [00:26:09]

"Christians are sons of God. They are the sons of God. I'm bearing the emphasis: they and they alone are sons of God. That's his thing now. Again, unfortunately, I've got to turn for a moment to a matter which is of great importance to some people." [00:27:34]

"Something's happened to him. There's been a change of nature in him. He has undergone a rebirth. He's been born again. He has been born of the spirit. Indeed, John in his first epistle says that we have been born of God. He that is born of God sinneth not." [00:39:34]

"Let us notice this point. To me, it's a very important one: the way in which the Apostle handles the doctrine of sonship in this little paragraph is again, I think, a proof positive of my contention that the theme of this chapter is this theme of certainty and assurance, not sanctification." [00:13:47]

"Now, it's not surprising, is it, my friends, that the Apostle is emphasizing this: they that are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. That's what we are, you know, nothing less. And we should ever therefore think of ourselves in these terms." [00:41:43]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from May 24, 2017. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?