Being a child, heir, heir of God, and coheir with Christ raises the obvious question, what exactly does the Son of God inherit, which I inherit along with Him?
There are a couple of ways to approach a text that talks about “being led by the Spirit.” What does a “Spirit-led” Christian sermon do? One message would emphasize what it is Christians do. The other message would emphasize, rather, what the Spirit does. For my money, I lean on the latter. Why? Because theology is always asking the question, “What is God doing here?” You, preacher, are a practical theologian. Ask that question, get your people to ask that question, and let the scripture itself answer it by delivering the Word that proclaims what God is doing. That is biblical preaching, because here, Paul is not as interested in describing the behaviors and attitudes of “spiritual people” as he is in describing the Spirit’s activity of turning slaves into sons. That is a gift; the proper domain, indeed, the opus proprium of God the Holy Spirit.
When I think about the person and work of the Holy Spirit, it moves broadly to the category we call “sanctification,” the “holying” of God’s holy people. It seems that when most folks who are hep to theological jargon think about “sanctification” they tend to move immediately to “good works,” the holiness of the actual lived life of the regenerated saint. And, no doubt, we do well to include our lives of service to neighbor in vocations according to our stations in life in any of our discussions about the sanctified life. But let us not let the cart get ahead of the horse here. Sanctification is what God does. It is His work, His gifting, His doing. And how does He do it? God the Holy Spirit is always active to make people holy by calling them, gathering them, enlightening them, and sanctifying them. He is the one who saves by calling people through the Gospel, enlightening them with His gifts, and setting them apart in the true faith. This is even at the root of Paul’s words here to the Spirit-led sons of God (Romans 8:14) who first received his teaching from this epistle. This is why we do well as biblical preachers to emphasize most what it is the Holy Spirit is doing. Paul certainly expects holy living, but notice how he grounds his teaching, not in making better ethical decisions or human activity, but rather, in God’s activity.
Two paired images Paul offers in this pericope can help you organize a sermon this week: Slave/Son and Inheritance/Heir. These are not just ideas in the ether. Appreciate the materiality of these images. They are legal realities that folks in your pews can still appreciate, familial realities which are still relevant to your contemporary hearers. And the Spirit is active for your hearer in these realities. Notice where He is the subject of the verbs in this pericope! The Spirit is the one who adopts (Romans 8:15), who testifies (8:16), who cries (8:15), leads (8:14), and gives the inheritance (8:17). Just as the verbs of this passage belong overwhelmingly to God as subject, so also should the verbs of your sermon. God’s driving the truck in the pericope. Keep Him in the driver’s seat in your message too.
Being a child, heir, heir of God, and coheir with Christ (Romans 8:17) raises the obvious question, what exactly does the Son of God inherit, which I inherit along with Him? The emphasis in your message here must be whatever belongs to Christ now belongs to those who are united with Him. So, consider what belongs to Christ, and roll out the catalogue in an appropriate cadence for your hearer. The Father’s love, it belongs to Christ. And in Christ (in Christ, in Christ, in Christ – the most important prepositional phrase of the entire scripture! – all of this Romans 8 stuff rolling right out of Romans 8:1 – no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!), it belongs to you. The Father’s family name, it belongs to Christ. And in Christ, it belongs to you. The Father’s house, it belongs to Christ. And in Christ, it belongs to you. And the rest of the catalogue: The resurrection, the new creation, the kingdom, and the world made new. It belongs to Christ. And in Christ, it belongs to you.
Even now, we inherit Christ’s access to the Father and we cry, “Abba!” because the eternal Son first cried “Father!” His prayer has become ours. This access belongs to Christ and in Christ it belongs to you, too. “Inheritance” is so much more than sentimental! It is delightfully tangible, really ready to hand (or to use Paul’s Romans 10 language, it is near you, in your mouth, in your heart, Romans 10:8), as material as bodies that are raised from the dead (Romans 8:13).
Even now, we inherit Christ’s access to the Father and we cry, “Abba!” because the eternal Son first cried “Father!” His prayer has become ours.
Maybe, the best way to get at the link between the adoption/inheritance image and the slave/son dichotomy is to preach it as glorious exchange. This is Christ the son becoming slave, slaves to sin becoming sons. It is not sufficient to simply restate what Paul says here in a Christian sermon and call it a day. Better than merely saying we have become sons is to rehearse for your hearers what happened to the Son. Elsewhere, Paul says Christ took the form of a slave (Philippians 2:7), Christ was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4; one of the most integral intertexts for much of this Romans 8 passage!), and Christ submitted Himself beneath obligations He never owed, and bore the curse that only slaves were cursed with (Galatians 3:13). He obeyed God’s Law where slaves to sin failed but, nevertheless, died a slave’s death outside the city (Hebrews 13:12). And he did this so slaves could inherit what only sons get to inherit. There is the sweet swap, the happy exchange, the glorious switcheroo. The Son receives the slave’s curse, and the slave receives the Son’s inheritance. Do not just tell your hearers they are adopted. Tell them what it cost. And lead them to rejoice in a new standing. They are, in fact, standing where Christ stood, where Christ now stands. They stand in his place because He stood in theirs. That is glorious. The Father does not just tolerate us. He loves us with the very love He has for His own beloved Son.
A word of caution: “Abba” can get sappy. I have heard it and, no doubt, you have too. I am not the kind of partygoer or casual conversation partner that is into nit-picky corrections of this or that theological fine point. So, I will not be the one zealously or snootily saying, “Actually, this does not mean an Aramaic equivalent of “Daddy,” in spite of what your youth director told you at that retreat those years ago.” There is nothing wrong with affection. There is nothing wrong with sentiment. I am an emotional guy! But a better direction here is forensic. It is legal. Here, sonship rings with the nuance of legitimacy. Paul uses both teknon (child) and huios (son), and he is getting legal with the son-father relationship connection, in contradistinction to the lack of legal rights a slave would have. The adoption language is objective rather than emotional. So, get that message out. The miracle is not that Christians feel close to God. Rather, people who had no standing before Him now possess the Son’s own standing. And the miracles keep coming. The Spirit puts the Son’s own prayer (Abba!) into our mouths. We are not tasked with climbing up to God. The Son’s relationship to the Father has been delivered to us. Notice the passivity. We are the objects of His work, and the Spirit is the subject! The Spirit cries, testifies, leads, delivers Christ’s sonship, and the utterance of, “Father!” from the lips of the Christian come out as if by surprise, the very gift of God in Christ.
One final note, which is near the final chord Paul strikes in this passage of Romans 8. This inheritance comes by union with Christ, and union with Christ will always mean a cross. This is good news, but it is not prosperity. It is gospel, but it is gospel because it is a theology of the cross. “Since, after all, we suffer with Him” (or as other English versions have it, if indeed we suffer), this inheritance, this union with Christ, means sharing both His cross and His resurrection. Suffering is not evidence you have lost your inheritance. Much to the contrary! It is evidence you look like the Son, whose suffering is shaped like the cross, and whose scars bear the story of your salvation. The heir will bear a family resemblance! Yes, there will be a cross before glory, death before resurrection, but we have the promise that Christ is raised. So, we know suffering is the path and not the destination. This is a point Paul anticipates and dilates on in the next pericope.
Thanks be to God that our Lord continues to “holy” His people, to sanctify hearers by putting Christ on them. You, preacher, are a tool in the hands of this Spirit who uses you as a means to deliver this Christ, to place Christ’s inheritance into the empty hands of faith, and to teach frightened consciences to cry out “Abba, Father!” The Spirit is the one who will gather your people to receive the gifts He gives through you. He is gathering them there to have you deliver Christ into their ears, their mouths, their bodies, and to send them forth as sons and daughters who possess an inheritance.
You too are an heir of this glorious inheritance. You are no longer a slave, but a son. God bless you as your share that gift with your fellow heirs this week!
Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Romans 8:12-17.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching Romans 8:12-17.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
