Romans 8
Inheritance
I think everyone in the world today would agree on one thing
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:22
The world is in pain, the voices crying out in pain are crying out for change
Change is happening faster than anyone can keep up with.
Too often the change only shifts the pain around
It does not bring long lasting relief
The Kingdom of God, our inheritance, has always been under attack
Even though it is a kingdom of love, it seeks to help all who are in need
Paul asks a question
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:35
Never forget love is the reason we became co-heirs with Christ
Love is the reason we love sinners and lay down our lives to help them
You and I will only become conquerors through the love of Christ Romans 8:37
With being co-heirs with Christ comes Glory and Suffering
Inheritance
Inheritance…
What comes to mind when you think of inheritance?
I think when I was younger and struggling to make a living,
I would think of how wonderful it would be to have
a unknown relative leave a large sum of money for me.
But I did not marry into a wealthy family
or come from a wealthy family,
so I worked hard for a better life.
When my dad died,
he spread out his gains in life
to his ten children,
My dad moved from Toledo and had three houses,
because it was hard to be an absent landlord,
he sold two houses on land contract and one he rented.
Long before he passed, I took
over the management of the houses.
These houses were in a part of town
where crime, drugs, prostitution, is high.
My dad was a person who cared about others.
At the time I started to help manage the properties
you could easily see he was a generous man.
The whole neighborhood loved him
and that respect was passed on to me.
All though many would fear to
walk the streets in that neighborhood…
I never was afraid, because during the day the neighbors
were quick to yell from their houses down the street,
every time they saw me, “Hi, Mister Self”.
The land contract houses were falling apart
as the owners did not know how to take care of
their house and did not have money to fix them.
My dad would have the repairs done
and loan them the money.
When I started to help my dad…
I saw my dad was not making anything from the houses,
yet he kept pouring more money into helping these people.
The land contract houses were months behind.
The rental house had a lady in it who paid a half month rent
when she moved in and lived there for over a year.
Over the years, I suggested my dad get rid of the houses
but he could not because he cared for the people.
My dad knew no one would want the houses
and I did not want them.
So he said when he died, he would let them
go to the people who lived in them.
Over the years I worked with my dad,
I know the people living in these homes needed
to learn life skills or would need to move on.
My dad, as we talked about the hardships on the tenants,
would always with compassion look for a win, win situation.
He had taught me a lot.
Over time much had changed…
We had made a positive impact on the neighborhood.
Yet, when my dad died…
There were still major problems
of prostitution, drugs and crime.
The nine other siblings inherited money.
My inheritance was the houses
and the people who lived in them.
I inherited responsibility.
I invested a lot of time and money
to make these house nice and desirable.
I tried continuing to work with the tenants
and some changes have been made.
I now, along with the responsibility,
have a monthly income that has been needed
for me to be a provider for my family.
Romans 8 gives us a beautiful picture…
Of you and I being adopted by God the Father
through the deposit of the Holy Spirit…
…you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession
— to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14
Romans 8:17 not only tells us this inheritance
is glorious, but it comes with suffering.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs —
heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order
that we may also share in his glory.
Your inheritance is not like a cash gift,
of money, you can spend any way you want.
We have the promise of many gifts from
physical deliverance here
to spiritual eternality in heaven.
But being an heir with Christ
comes with responsibility and
with responsibility comes suffering.
God’s promise to Abraham and his heirs
was not without suffering.
The heirs had to take the land,
to remove the idol worship and
establish the government of God.
The parable of the land owner who
hired at different times of the day.
Some worked more than others,
some in hotter times of the day.
But all received the generosity of the land owner.
This story does not stop here…
But as the mother of Zebedee’s sons comes to Jesus
and asked for them to sit next to his throne.
Jesus says…
"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them.
"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
Matthew 20:22
The inheritance is not just glory and honor.
But it comes with suffering.
Just after this parable.
Jesus speaks another parable in Matthew 21…
Of a land owner who went away
and rented the care of the vineyard
in the hands of some farmers.
When harvest time came the land owner
sent servants to collect his fruit.
"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them.
'They will respect my son,' he said.
"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other,
'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'
So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Matthew 21:35-39
Jesus suffered and died as a result of His inheritance
and His heirs or servants suffered, too.
If you are like me, you would like your inheritance
in cash to spend any way you want.
But our inheritance is a kingdom
which we are ambassadors in.
2 Corinthians 5:16 - 21
Our adoption, as children, is to grow up
as sons and rule for the One who shed
His blood in love for the world.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:6
There are many powers who hate the Kingdom of God
persecuting anyone who believes in the name of the Lord.
You don’t have to live in
Afghanistan to suffer for Jesus’ sake…
Atheist, pro-abortion, LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender) and many other political groups
and religions and cult groups
are fighting against the Kingdom of God.
Paul uses Romans 8 17 -39 to remind us…
With the glory of being an heir
there is also suffering we must endure.
I think everyone in the world today
would agree on one thing.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Romans 8:22
The world is in pain, the voices crying
out in pain are crying out for change.
Change is happening faster than anyone can keep up with.
Too often the change only shifts the pain around
and does not bring long lasting relief.
The Kingdom of God, our inheritance,
has always been under attack
Even though it is a kingdom of love,
it seeks to help all who are in need.
Paul asks a question…
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35
Never forget love is the reason
we became co-heirs with Christ.
Love is the reason we love sinners
and lay down our lives to help them.
You and I will only become conquerors
through the love of Christ.
Romans 8:37
With being co-heirs with Christ
comes Glory and Suffering.
Scripture Reading
Romans 8:12-39 NIV
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For 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." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
