Alive in Christ 7

29/11/06 am

Romans 8: 14-17

Adoption and sonship

1. Because you are a Christian you are led by the Spirit.
2. Because you are led by the Spirit you are a child of God.  [See Sarah Edwards' testimony, below.]
3. Because you are a child of God you are an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ.
   We can have confidence in relation to –
   • God
   • Other people
   • Ourselves

Sarah Edwards’ testimony

“I felt a strong desire to be alone with God, to go to him, without having anyone to interrupt the silent and soft communion which I earnestly desired between God my own soul, and accordingly withdrew to my chamber…  [She read Romans 8.]  The words appeared to me with undoubted certainty as the words of God, which God did pronounce concerning me.    I had no more doubt of it than I had of my being.  I seemed, as it were, to hear the great God proclaiming thus to the world concerning me, ‘Who shall lay anything to thy charge?’  It was strongly impressed upon me that how impossible it was for anything in heaven or earth, in this world or in the future, ever to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.  I cannot find language to express how certain this appeared – the everlasting mountains and hills were but shadows of it.  My safety and happiness and eternal enjoyment of God’s unchanging love seemed as durable and unchangeable as God himself.  Melted and overcome by the sweetness of this assurance, I fell into a great flow of tears and could not help weeping aloud.”

Listen