Series: Saints
Message: Adoption
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Japhet De Oliveira
Live Wonder: Jessyka Albert
Live Adventure: Jessyka Albert
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Romans 8:12-17 in the New Living Translation (NLT). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: Yesterday, I was working with a small group on the final preaching plan for 2019. This is part of what the Global Resource Collective (GRC) creates together. We collaborate on designing the study focus for the year, and share our format with several other churches around the world. Some churches participate every week; others join when they can, making the needs of the local congregation the top priority always. The passages we choose form the foundation for the Daily Walk that you are reading at this moment, as well as for the Connect Group (Sabbath School) materials we develop each week for all ages.
Our group processed the idea that the Gospel is about what God has done and not what we are supposed to do for God. This, of course, is wonderful to hear and means so much at first glance—until you start to put it into practice. Is it really true? Is this what Paul is really teaching us in our passage this week? Does that “debt” metaphor feel inviting and intimate? Let me unpack that a little more later in the week. For now, let’s look at how Paul seems to get “distracted” again as he breaks off mid-sentence. At first, he seems to intend to show that we are indebted to the gift of the Spirit for life, but then he quickly switches to the assertion that we are not debtors to the flesh, as that orientation leads to death instead of life. Welcome to being indebted.
It depends, really, on how you perceive the gift to which you are indebted. Some people find it really hard to ask for help. Some find it really hard to receive help, even if it comes with their having to ask. This, of course, can be translated into how we see our relationship with Jesus.
During my very first quarter at Newbold College, in England, in the early 1990, I had registered to study theology. Even with the work I had done that summer, the bill was going to be hefty. I honestly was not sure how I was going to make it. The late Pastor Robert Surridge visited me a few weeks before school was to begin. He said that he had a check for £400, which combined with what I had, was exactly what I needed to pay my first quarter’s fees. I was overcome with gratitude to the anonymous donor at my home church who changed the trajectory of my life. I have never been able to pay them back, or even thank them, since I don’t know who they are. However, I am able to love more, give more, share more, and care more for others because of their gift. I am indebted—and happy to be. Perhaps we should start there when we think about what the Spirit does in us. Perhaps we could move our indebtedness to a kind of gratitude that serves others.
Recalibrate: What do you think about this statement: “The Gospel is about what God has done and not what we are supposed to do for God”?
Respond: Share a prayer of gratitude for others in your life.
Research: What parallel texts in the Bible help you understand the Gospel? Is Paul referring to them in this passage?
Remember: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” Romans 8:16 (NIV).
Japhet is senior pastor at Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, Colorado, and was co-founder of the One project. Originally from southeast London, he served in the South England Conference for nine years—as a pastor and later as conference youth director—before moving to the United States in 2006. He is married to Becky and they have two sons, Joshua (18) and Jonah (14).
What stresses do you have as a parent of a 0-3 year-old? When you think of your child as a son or daughter of Christ, does that image give you peace about those stressful things? Today, take a photo of you and your child and set it as your phone’s lock screen. Every time you look down, remind yourself that you are both children of God. Show your child the photo throughout the day and remind them that you are both God’s children and that He loves you both more than anything.
Make a photo of you and all your family today! Write everyone’s name by their picture. Now read the Words to Remember. If you can write really well, write them on your picture. Add God to your family photo. The Bible tells us that we are all God’s children. Isn’t that such great news? Being a part of God’s family is so special. God loves you just like He loves His son, Jesus. That means you, your brother(s) and sister(s), your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles—everyone. What does it feel like to know that you are in God’s family?
Imagine you wanted to get healthier, so you went to a dietician and the dietician told you to eat nothing but McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. At first it would be pretty sweet! You would get to eat all the junk food you want. Yet after a week or so, two things would happen: 1) You would start to feel terrible, and 2) you would start to gain weight. The reasonable thing to do would be to stop the diet and move on to another dietician. A better dietician. That is because you know if you continue living under the mandates of the first dietician you will feel terrible and your health will decrease significantly. Many of us are in a relationship with sin that we know is killing us but we continue to follow its mandates. I know for me there are sins that I enjoy, and that I just can’t seem to swing. The battle within many of us is that as much as we know how harmful sin is, we keep listening to the whisper of Satan when he tells us, “Just one more time.” Sin always kills joy. Some sin actually kills you. Satan is a bad dietician. He tells us his dictates are good and that his advice is on the money. Don’t buy into his lies. Go to the one who is the “better” dietician, Jesus. Jesus’ ways lead to life and life more abundantly. Satan’s ways lead to death. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power you need to listen to the voice of Jesus when choosing between life and death.