Adopted Debtors & Heirs

July 2, 2024

Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

Sermon text: Romans 8:12-17


God cares how you think. He cares about the content and aim of your thoughts. He has designed us to think, and tells us that we can and should be transformed by the renewal of our minds. This assumes that you need to change... and that you can change. Holy living is preceded by holy thinking. When the Philippian jailer asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, their answer was, "Believe". In John 6, the crowd asks Jesus,"What must we DO, to be DOING the works of God" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE in Him who he has sent." Pastors stand in pulpits week after week throughout the entire world because your thoughts matter. We have community groups that meet every week to discuss what we heard in the sermon, because your thoughts matter. In the previous verses we saw that, as those who live by the Spirit, we are supposed to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Why? Because setting the mind on the flesh is death. The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. Where do you set your mind? What is the content of your thoughts? What do you believe?


Paul has gone to great lengths to help us think and believe rightly about our lives, to help us understand how the law relates to us, how life should look in Christ, how we can tell if we are moving in the flesh or according to the Spirit. And in the verse before our focus this morning, we see Paul say this, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through his Spirit who dwells in you."


In light of that, Paul focuses in on our identity... who we are... or perhaps more specifically, whose we are... "so then, brothers, we are debtors"


1.) We are debtors.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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.

- NOT to the flesh, to live according to the flesh... You don't owe the flesh anything. Part of your new identity in Christ is that when your flesh makes demands, you do not have to pay that demand. [ESAU] You are not a debtor to the flesh. In fact, the grave warning is that, if your life is lived as a debtor to the flesh, you will die. Some of the most graphic and violent language in the Bible is used to describe our response to sin and temptation.Kill it. Murder it.

- TO the Spirit… We are debtors to the Spirit. That is our identity now. If someone was to ask you about your identity in Christ, it would be perfectly fitting to say, “I am a debtor. I am in debt to God. That is who I am.” Now, in this Dave Ramsey world we live in, some of you may hear, “We are debtors” and say “Oh no. Not debtors! We gotta pay that back. We gotta eliminate that debt! What we’ll do is make a list of all of our debts to God and we will start with the smallest ones to get the snowball rolling and then we will move on to paying off our bigger debts to God.” No! No! No!

- The Debtor’s Ethic: “God has done so much for you; now what will you do for Him? He gave you His life, how much will you give to Him?” We are debtors to God. But we are never ever paying God back for anything.

- John Piper: “Every good deed we do in dependence on God does just the opposite of paying Him back; it puts us ever deeper in debt to His grace. And that is exactly where God wants us to be through all eternity… Good deeds do not pay back grace; they borrow more grace.”

Embrace your identity as a debtor. We will be in the most beautiful debt to the most benevolent God for all of eternity. We are debtors. God changes us and calls us to a life of good works in the Spirit, and he gives us His Spirit and all that we need to live a beautiful life that shines brightly for His glory, but it is all for just that… HIS GLORY. We will all one day pass from this world and into the joy or our Master, beautifully saddled with outrageously gracious debt. Now and forever, we are debtors.

Kiddos: You will always need God. God will always meet your needs.


2.) We are adopted.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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!”

- We become sons and daughters of God through adoption. It is impossible to overemphasize the importance and beauty of this adoption, but I would like to try. In Roman culture, adoption was a common practice, and usually occurred when a wealthy adult had no heir for their estate. Keller describes, “The moment adoption occurred, several things were immediately true of the new son. First, his old debts and legal obligations were paid; second, he got a new name and was instantly heir of all the father had; third, his new father became instantly liable for all of his actions; but fourth, the new son also had new obligations to honor and please his father.” In fact, Augustus, one of Rome’s most notable leaders, was actually adopted by Julius Caesar. Augustus was a sickly child whose father died when he was only 4 years old. Julius Caesar needed an heir to continue his reign and rule into the next generation. Augustus didn’t actually find out about the adoption until he was 19 years old and it was already complete. One day someone said, “Augustus, this is your father now. This is your family now. Your life is completely changed. You have no debts. You have these riches. This is your role now…you have these responsibilities.”

- A few things to consider…

o The only way in is through adoption.

o God initiates our adoption. We simply receive it.

o You can’t lose your adoption.

o We did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear

o We are sons and daughters who cry “Abba, Father.”


In a sense, we are born as spiritual orphans in need of a spiritual father to save us from an inevitable life of hardship caused by our condition. The only way into the family of God is through adoption. Not through works. Not through affiliation… meaning you can’t say that you are a Christian simply because your parents are Christians or you have some friends who are Christians.

What does it mean to CRY, “Abba! Father!”

2 Stories:

- Ruthie barging into my office during sermon prep

- Haddie’s morning greeting while eating cereal

Kiddos: You can always cry out to God. In Jesus, we all have a good Father.


3.) We are heirs.

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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. 

- While I have 4 biological children and 1 adopted child, God only had one biological Son, and the rest of us are all adopted. We are heirs through adoption. Next week we will consider the glory that awaits the heirs of God. But this morning we will close with this question…

- Why is suffering mentioned here? I think it is because many people believe that if we are suffering, God must not be there for us.

- Romans 5:3-5 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

- John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

o Christ suffered and we are united to Him through suffering.

o Sometimes we sin to avoid suffering.

- The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. So rather than sinning to avoid suffering, we suffer in anticipation of eternal glory that has been secured for us by Christ.


Parents: Some of you have the mentality that you are ok if suffering comes upon you, as long as your children don’t have to suffer. But if you are leading them in faith, you are leading them to suffer.


Kiddos: Jesus suffered for you. Suffering is real, but very short compared to eternity. Remember, you will always need God. And you can always cry out to God.


Discipleship Questions:


1.) In what ways are we in debt to God?

2.) What are some ways we might try to wrongly "pay back" God for his grace?

3.) What are some ways that we can rightly celebrate and embrace our identity as debtors?

4.) Why do we need to be reminded that we are not debtors to the flesh?

5.) What are some demands that our flesh makes? How can we use the truth about our identity to fight against those temptations? 

6.) Why is it important to understand that we only enter the family of God through adoption?

7.) How would you explain to your children, friends, neighbors, and co-workers what it means to be adopted into the family of God? 

8.) What are the blessings and benefits of being adopted by God?

9.) What happens if we are not adopted by God? 

10.) How are we united to Christ through suffering?

11.) What are some ways that we try to escape suffering through sinning? 

12.) In those moments, how should we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Everything We Need

July 29, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Sermon text: 2 Peter 1:3-4 We have everything we need for a godly life. Sentence has: 68 words 9 prepositional phrases 5 dependent clauses God called us. “By His divine power” The word here is summon Like Lazarus, come forth. English readers are apt to understand calling in terms of an invitation that can be accepted or rejected. Peter has something deeper in mind. Christ’s call is effective, awakening and creating faith. -Thomas R. Schreiner 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. By revealing Christ to us. “Through the knowledge of Him” Side note, ambiguity: The ambiguity in the text indicates that Peter does not clearly distinguish between God and Christ, which indicates that God and Christ were venerated equally. - Thomas R. Schreiner Excuses are Eliminated We need to note that this comes to us by grace, but also that we have a part to play here. Effort is not a 4 letter word. You have no excuse for: Pornography- You have everything you need. Substance Abuse- You have everything you need. Pride- You have everything you need Laziness- You have everything you need Anger- You have everything you need. Prayer and Scripture Reading- You have everything you need. Evangelism- You have everything you need. He’ll go on to mention supplementing He has given us what we need for godliness now, and He promises us even greater things to come. We will share in Christ’s Divine Nature 2 Pe 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature Unusual word… The “divine nature” (Theos) appears only here and in Acts where Paul addresses the Areopagus an odd work choice and would have appealed to his pagan readers. Acts 17:29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. Redefining what it means to become like God. Christ shared in our nature that we might share in His. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. In 1:3, it’s through the knowledge of Christ that we are called to Him. Here, we see that a fuller revelation of Christ will conform us even more fully into His likeness. How so? Purity Immortality Restoration to Eden Christians also share in God’s immortality. They are not trapped in this world. Though ‘perishable’ now, Christians will be raised ‘imperishable’ -Paul Gardner Glory John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, We have everything we need for a godly life. English readers are apt to understand calling in terms of an invitation that can be accepted or rejected. Peter has something deeper in mind. Christ’s call is effective, awakening and creating faith. -Thomas R. Schreiner 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The ambiguity in the text indicates that Peter does not clearly distinguish between God and Christ, which indicates that God and Christ were venerated equally. - Thomas R. Schreiner Excuses are Eliminated We will share in Christ’s Divine Nature Acts 17:29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Purity Immortality Christians also share in God’s immortality. They are not trapped in this world. Though ‘perishable’ now, Christians will be raised ‘imperishable.’ -Paul Gardner Glory John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. Discipleship Questions: 2 Peter 1:3 says we’ve been given everything we need for life and godliness… Do you find that verse encouraging, challenging or both? Are there any areas of your walk where you struggle to believe that you already have everything you need for success? Do you ever make excuses to yourself or others for a lack of godliness? If yes, explain. How much work does it take to live as a Christian? What does it mean that we will be “partakers in the divine nature”?

The Genuine Gospel

July 21, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Sermon text: 2 Peter 1:1-2  Peter is warning us about counterfeit teaching and false teachers The genuine gospel came from Jesus through His apostles —servant (humility and honor) —apostle (called, unique, sent) The genuine gospel is just as precious to us today —received and believed “How does someone become a Christian? One person might say, ‘Because I believe,’ and another, ‘Because God chose me.’ According to Peter, both ways of stating it are correct. On the one hand, we believe. It is a fundamental definition of a Christian that he or she is a ‘believe-er’; that he or she ‘has faith’ But Peter also knows that it is not our feeble faith that holds us close to God. It is God who does all the holding, and that is the reality behind the word received.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel is centered on the person and work of Jesus —God —Savior —Christ —Lord “This fourfold description of Jesus is important because it puts him at the focal point of human history. As God, he guarantees that his words and his works cannot be replaced or revoked; as Christ, he fulfills all the Old Testament promises; as Savior, he died on the cross for our salvation in the past, present and future; and as Lord he claims the right to our individual love and obedience—notice how Peter calls him our Lord.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel transforms us as we grow in knowledge of Jesus —grace and peace multiplied Discipleship Questions: Why is false teaching so dangerous? How does remembering and focusing on the true gospel help us stand against false teaching? In what ways is the gospel just as precious to us as it was to the apostles? How do you relate to Jesus as God, Savior, Christ, and Lord? What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him?

The God of All Grace

July 16, 2025
Notes from Zach Snow's sermon on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:8-14 Why is the lion roaring? Wouldn’t it be a better strategy to be quiet…subtle…sneaky, in an attempt to “devour” Christians? I think that Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, was very intentional with his description here of the devil being a roaring lion. Went into a rabbit hole on a lion's roar…there are some spiritual applications to these: Can reach up to 114 decibels…almost as loud as a jet engine taking off They roar for social reasons (territory, create bonds, locate other members of their pride) as well as for purposes of intimidation. One of the primary purposes of the lion's roar is to strike fear in the heart of their prey. The lion will always start with a psychological advantage Fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred - these things can absolutely paralyse you spiritually The lion is not necessarily trying to kill you, but to destroy your faith Prayer: Be sober-minded - Have a clear and self disciplined mind - Titus 2 Exercise self control in thoughts, words, and action this is the 3rd time Peter has said this to us in 1 Peter - 1:13, 4:7 - it’s a call to remain alert and focused Being sober-minded means waging war against the things that are detrimental to the mind: fear, hatred, anxiety, depression, anger I believe these are specific things the enemy uses to derail our mental health and cause us to take our guard down Be watchful - this is the same word that Jesus used in the garden before he was arrested and crucified - this is a call to pray Prayers for others - Eph. 6:18 - Ephesians 6:18 - [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Prayers for yourself - James 1:5 - 5 j If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. So here’s the question… Do you believe in prayer? How much do you trust that God can do the things that you are not able to do? Do you trust God with the big stuff AND the small stuff? Discipleship Questions: 1.) In your personal life, what does being sober minded and watchful look like to you? 2.) Who are the people who help you stand firm in your faith the most? 3.) As a CG look at each of the points of the Theology of Suffering and find Scripture to support each one of those statements: God is ALWAYS good God is ALWAYS enough God will ALWAYS love you 4.) Discuss ways that the God of all grace has restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established you.
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