THE PREACHER: Theme, “THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR ADOPTION”
By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
TUESDAY
THEME: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR ADOPTION
SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:14
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
REFLECTIONS
One of the greatest needs of human beings is to belong. We sacrifice so much to keep relationships because we want to remain connected and feel like we belong. Likewise, to be ostracized or ignored is not a pleasant experience. Relationships, belongingness, and connectedness are essential to our survival. Besides the spiritual benefits, belonging has social, physical, mental, and emotional implications. God established the family to provide an enabling environment for the sense and practice of belonging. As the family practices it, society and the nation will also exude and live it.
With the onset of sin and our connection with God broken, we lost our membership in God’s family. Our only hope is to have the Lord Jesus reconcile us back to God through His self-abnegation. His sacrifice – leaving heaven for our sinful planet, suffering during His sojourn, and His death on the cross – paved the way for us to be reconnected to the great family we dropped out from – the family of God. John 3:16-17 testifies, “[16]For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [17]For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” This is excellent news!
As Christ offers us grace, the Holy Spirit convicts us, creating a yearning for righteousness and a burning desire to return to God’s family. So, Romans 8:13 states, “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.” Verse 14 adds, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we become members of God’s glorious and everlasting family – what a privilege. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the encouragement from the Holy Spirit, we remain adopted children of God. For this experience, “[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 joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” – Romans 8:16-17.
The evidence of our membership in God’s family is seen in Galatians 5:22-23, “[22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23]gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.” Beloved, the fruit of the Spirit must be evident because 2 Corinthians 5:17 concludes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Walk in the Spirit, and you will see your way clear. Indeed, as many as are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. You have access to all the privileges of the children of the family. There is no single need that cannot be supplied or sorrow that heaven could not heal. Those the Holy Spirit leads, pray, trust God, wait on Him, are hopeful in life, and have a clear mission and purpose for life.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 468 – “A Child of the King”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life; thank God for your adoption through the Holy Spirit; pray for the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit;
– Pray for new converts in Christ, Christians who are struggling to remain in the family of God, and backsliders; pray for our families to exude love, care, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the home;
– Pray for young people who face social exclusion, youth who belong to associations that perpetuate evil, and the spread of the gospel to unreached parts of the world;
– Pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation, the easing of the economic challenges, and the sick who have difficulties covering their medical bills; pray for friends, family, and those who have requested prayer from you.
