The Sons of God

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Romans 8:16

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

I. A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE. "We are the children of God."

1. This is an act of pure grace. No man has any right to be a son of God. If we are born into His family it is a miracle of mercy.

2. This is a great dignity. The archangels are the most favoured of God's servants, but not His children. Speak of pedigrees, thou, poor Christian, hast more than heraldry could ever give thee, or all the pomp of ancestry could ever bestow.

II. A SPECIAL PROOF — "The Spirit itself beareth witness," etc. Notice that there are two witnesses. It is as if a poor man were called into court to prove his right to some piece of land which was disputed. He standeth up and beareth his own faithful testimony; but some great one of the land confirms his witness.

1. Our spirit bears witness —

(1) When it feels a filial love to God; when we can boldly say, "Abba, Father." If I were not a child, God would never have given to me that affection which dares to call Him "Father."(2) By trust. In the darkest hour we have been able to say, "The time is in my Father's hands; I cannot murmur; I feel it is but right that I should suffer, otherwise my Father would never have made me suffer." "Though Thou slay me, yet will I trust in Thee."(3)And are there not times when your hearts feel that they would be emptied and void unless God were in them? You feel you must have your Father, or else the gifts of His providence are nothing to you. That is, your spirit beareth witness that you are the child of God.

2. The Holy Ghost graciously condescendeth to say "Amen" to the testimony of our conscience. And whereas our experience sometimes leads our spirit to conclude that we are born of God, there are times when the eternal Spirit descends and fills our heart, and then we have the two witnesses bearing witness with each other that we are the children of God. Perhaps you ask me how is this.

(1) The Holy Spirit has written this Book, which contains an account of what a Christian should be, and of the feelings he must have. I have certain experiences and feelings; turning to the Word, I find similar experiences and feelings recorded; and so I prove that I am right, and the Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am born of God.

(2) But, again, everything that is good in a Christian is the work of the Holy Ghost. When at any time, then, the Holy Spirit comforts you, instructs you, opens to you a mystery, inspires you with an unwonted affection, an unusual faith in Christ, these are the works of the Spirit. Now, inasmuch as the Spirit works in you, He doth by that very working give His own infallible testimony to the fact that you are a child of God. If you had not been a child, He would have left you in your natural state.

(3) But I must go further. There is a supernatural way in which, apart from means, the Spirit of God communicates with the spirit of man. He assures and consoles directly, by coming into immediate contact with the heart.

III. A NOBLE DIGNITY.

1. "Heirs of God" with Christ.

(1) It does not always follow in human reasoning "if children, then heirs," because in our families but one is the heir. All God's children are heirs, however numerous the family, and he that shall be born of God last shall be as much His heir as he who was born first.

(2) And see what it is that we are heirs of; not of God's gifts and God's works, but of God Himself. It was said of Cyrus that when he sat down at meat, if there were aught that pleased his appetite, he would order it to be given to his friends with this message, "King Cyrus found that this food pleased his palate, and he thought his friend should feed upon that which he enjoyed himself." This was thought to be a singular instance of his kindness to his courtiers. But our God doth not send merely bread from His table; He gives Himself — Himself to us. Talk we of His omnipotence? — His Almightiness is ours. Speak we of His omniscience? — all His wisdom is engaged in our behalf. Do we say that He is love? — that love belongs to us.

2. "Joint heirs with Christ." That is, whatever Christ possesses, as Heir of all things, belongs to us. He gives us His raiment, and His righteousness becomes our beauty. He gave to us His Person; we eat His flesh and drink His blood. He gives us His inmost heart, His crown, His throne. "All things are yours," etc. We must never quarrel with this Divine arrangement. "Oh," say you, "we never shall." Stay; for when all that is Christ's belongs to you, do ye forget that Christ once had a cross, and that belongs to you? "If so be that we suffer with Him that we also may be glorified together."

IV. THE SPECIAL CONDUCT naturally expected from the children of God. In the golden age of Rome, if a man were tempted to dishonesty, he would stand upright, look the tempter in the face, and say to him, "I am a Roman." It ought to be a ten times more than sufficient answer to every temptation for a man to be able to say, "I am a son of God; shall such a man as I yield to sin?" I have been astonished, in looking through old Roman history, at the wonderful prodigies of integrity and valour which were produced by patriotism or love of fame. And it is a shameful thing that ever idolatry should be able to breed better men than some who profess Christianity.

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