SERIES: 20/20: Seeing Truth Clearly
MESSAGE: I’m a Christian—Now What?
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:12-17

MESSAGE SUMMARY
Once you decide to repent from your past, say yes to Jesus Christ, and invite Him into your heart, you begin a lifelong relationship with Him. Nothing stays the same. Paul wrote, “Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Conversion is the gateway to transformation. Let’s consider four clear experiences that happen in the life of everyone who believes.

STUDY GUIDE
Connect Group Recap Notes: November 22, 2020
Speaker: Skip Heitzig
Teaching: "I'm a Christian—Now What?"
Text: Romans 8:12-17

Path

Once you decide to repent from your past, say yes to Jesus Christ, and invite Him into your heart, you begin a lifelong relationship with Him. Nothing stays the same. Paul wrote, "Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Conversion is the gateway to transformation. Pastor Skip considers four clear experiences that happen in the life of everyone who believes.

  1. Position: Adopted into a Family (vv. 14-16)
  2. Progress: Victory Over the Flesh (vv. 12-13)
  3. Proof: Increase of Fruit (v. 16)
  4. Promise: Glory in the Future (v. 17)
Points

Position: Adopted into a Family (vv. 14-16)Progress: Victory Over the Flesh (vv. 12-13)Proof: Increase of Fruit (v. 16)Promise: Glory in the Future (v. 17)Practice

Connect Up: Discuss the outline of salvation as presented by Pastor Skip.Connect In: Christians are called to be producers of spiritual fruit. Beginning with love (see 1 Corinthians 13), discuss the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). How is this fruit cultivated in your life? What keeps the Spirit from producing this fruit in your life?

Connect Out: As Christians, we want all people to experience the promise of glory. Talk about how this message can act as a template for outreach and evangelism:

DETAILED NOTES
November 22, 2020
Skip Heitzig
"I'm a Christian—Now What?"
Romans 8:12-17

  1. Introduction
    1. Behaviors we expect from babies and children are tragic in adults
      1. Being demanding, irritable, driven by impulses, demanding to be the center of attention, unwilling and unable to clean up their own messes
      2. A birth should lead to a walk—to mature mannerisms
      3. It's true in the spiritual world too
    2. Romans 8 is the crown jewel of the New Testament
      1. If Scripture was a ring and Romans the diamond, then Romans 8 is the sparkle on the diamond
      2. It describes four experiences we should expect to see in Christians
  2. Position: Adopted into a Family (vv. 14-16)
    1. In the last teaching, we saw a panoramic view of our salvation: we were once dead but are now alive in Christ (see Ephesians 2:1-7)
    2. In Romans 8, Paul listed the stages of our salvation
      1. The first is our position: we are adopted into a family
      2. Notice Paul used relational terms: "sons of God" (v. 14), "adoption" (v. 15), "children of God" (v. 16)
    3. Adoption is an act of God whereby He makes us members of His family
      1. Before we were saved, our relationship with God was distant and separated because of sin (see Isaiah 59:2)
      2. But by saying yes to Christ, we are saved
      3. The relationship has changed (see John 1:12)
        1. Not God and human, but Father in heaven and child of God
        2. All people are God's children by creation (natural birth)
        3. But only Christians are His via adoption (second birth, born from above)
    4. Paul had in mind Roman adoption
      1. In Rome, an adopted son lost all rights from his previous family
      2. But he gained all rights of inheritance in his new family
      3. He was considered equal with natural-born children, coheirs of the estate
      4. Similar to biblical idea of adoption
        1. Christians are appointed to receive God's promises according to His will from the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4-5)
        2. Once adopted, we have the right to call God AbbaDaddy
  3. Progress: Victory Over the Flesh (vv. 12-13)
    1. Once saved, we get victory steadily over time over the flesh
    2. Paul said we don't owe the old nature anything
    3. This stage is called sanctification
      1. A progressive work of both God and humans that makes us freer of sin and more like Jesus
      2. We began to conquer old patterns as we grow spiritually
      3. It doesn't mean we're sinless, but that we sin less—sin's grip on us lessens
    4. Here are the general stages of the Christian life:
      1. Regeneration
        1. God awakens life in us
        2. We see our need for Jesus
      2. Justification
        1. Entirely God's work
        2. We can't earn it or add to it
        3. God declares you're right before Him
        4. It's instantaneous
      3. Adoption: God places you in His family
      4. Sanctification
        1. God cleans you up; you become more Christlike and mature
        2. Not instantaneous, but a process
        3. We're not passive in our sanctification
          1. We actively cooperate with the Holy Spirit for victory over sin and evil
          2. We reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to Christ (see Romans 6:11-14)
  4. Proof: Increase of Fruit (v. 16)
    1. As we progress, we display what others can see
      1. The fruit of our faith demonstrates that God is at work in us
      2. We're living a Spirit-directed life (see v. 14)
    2. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He doesn't force you but directs and guides you
    3. The Holy Spirit validates our sonship
      1. He witnessed our regeneration and is leading us in our renewal
      2. In Roman adoption, there were witnesses to verify and testify it happened
      3. The Spirit testifies in our lives that we are adopted children of God and coheirs (see v. 17)
    4. How does the Spirit bear witness?
      1. The fruit of the Spirit, the benchmarks that we're His (see Galatians 5:16-25)
      2. Jesus said that "every tree is known by its own fruit" (Luke 6:44)
      3. "The Christian should resemble a fruit tree, not a Christmas tree! For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on, whereas fruit grows on a fruit tree" —John Stott
    5. If we stay close to Jesus, being led by the Spirit, He will bear fruit in our lives
      1. We have to act of our own will and submit to His leadership
      2. The Holy Spirit is like a conductor, leading His orchestra
      3. When we keep our eyes on Him, we will play our part in a harmonious whole
      4. When you let Him lead you, the proof will be there in the fruit produced
  5. Promise: Glory in the Future (v. 17)
    1. We have an amazing promise: eternity with God, where we are "joint heirs with Christ" (v. 17)
      1. Everything that Jesus receives by divine right, we receive by divine grace
      2. "The sufferings and the glory belong together…. They are welded; they cannot be broken apart" —John Stott
        1. Suffering characterizes this age
        2. Glory characterizes the age to come
    2. As adopted children of God, we can endure suffering here because we look forward to glory (see 2 Corinthians 4:17)
      1. We should expect suffering
        1. Not just because we live in this world
        2. But principally because we follow Jesus Christ in this world
      2. We have no right to expect better treatment from the world than Jesus did
        1. It is an honor to suffer for the right reason
        2. It's even an indicator that we belong to Jesus (see 1 Peter 4:12-14)
      3. We may suffer here, but glory awaits—eternity with Christ
    3. To summarize the Christian life:
      1. God saved you, adopted you, and is working in you via the Holy Spirit
      2. The Spirit is directing and producing fruit in you until the day He takes you to glory
Figures referenced: John Stott

Cross references: Isaiah 59:2; Luke 6:44; John 1:12; 16:7-15; Romans 6:11-14; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:1-7; 1 Peter 4:12-14

Topic: Christian living

Keywords: adoption, child of God, Christian walk, the flesh, fruit, glory, Holy Spirit, justification, regeneration, salvation, sanctification, sin, suffering

Topic: Christian living

Keywords: adoption, child of God, Christian walk, the flesh, fruit, glory, Holy Spirit, justification, regeneration, salvation, sanctification, sin, suffering


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