November 1, 2008
After a delay of fiddling with CoverItLive software, we are in the midst of the preaching of Rick Phillips.
Our adoption is not regeneration; we need both. We are justified by legal decree and regeneration gives the ability to live out our justification.
Does prayer work via our technique? No. Prayer works because of our Sonship with Christ. We have access to the Father because of His love for us in Christ, in the Gospel. Why does prayer work? Because God has taken it upon Himself to adopt us as children of God through the great grace He has bestowed upon us in Christ.
Paul says, "I will cast all my care upon you because you care for me." We have God the Father taking upon Himself the obligation to take care of us in this life. This is not prosperity teaching. He is not Santa Claus. But God takes care of us. The Psalmist says, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken."
Because of Christ we can call God, "Father" Even in death God takes care of us. We are a beloved child of God; He will receive us.
Because God's name is upon us, we have the privilege of discipline. He describes a plane ride in which a young boy was disobedient to his father and showing disrespect. Rick would not discipline the boy because he doesn't love him. But God LOVES us, therefore He disciplines us.
I love myself and have a wonderful plan for my life. I desire children who are all-star athletes, beauty queens, but God loves me even more than I love myself and He gives me trials to make me what He wants me to be- righteous, holy, blameless. How do we understand our trials and struggles? "Father,you love me. You have sent your Son and care for me. You have dreams for me that I scarcely dream for myself. There is a day that I will be glorious. As CS Lewis says, "If we see others as they will be, we would be tempted to worship each other."
We can come to God's presence because of Christ. All whom are Sons of God will come into the full inheritance of all that God has given us.
We are heirs of the Glory of God. Adoption answers the question, "what do we look forward to as a Christian?" We are heirs of the Father- incomplete in this life, but we have by the promise in the Word of God that we will possess the full inheritance which is rightly Christ's but given to us also.
"My Son give me your heart" says Proverbs. God wants our heart and desires our affection because He loves us- He is our Father. When we understand how God has adopted us, we will approch the orphans in the world in a new way. We will seek out a new manner in which we live out what God has done for us.
God has chosen us to be adopted because of Christ. There is nothing in us that merits God's choosing to adopt us in Christ. God did not come to the cosmic adoption clinic to pick people who have something to offer God. There is nothing good in us with which to offer God- all we have is demerit and corruption.
When we live in the freedom of the Son, we know that our adoption is all of grace. We possess love to give as we have been given by God in Christ.