PCRT Grand Rapids addresses 4-5

Guest blogger
Rick Phillips:  The Family Privileges  

Working from Luke 11:11-13, and other texts, Rick Phillips taught us about the tremendous privileges of being adopted into God's family.  The first such privilege is the tender care we receive from our Father. Rick reflected on the relationship between earthly fathers and their children and how its import points us to our heavenly Father.  The second privilege that belongs to God's children is our Father's faithful provision.  If earthly fathers are bound to provide for their children, then our heavenly Father is bound all the more.  God will always provide what is for our ultimate good and is bound to provide our needs, which should not be confused with our wants.  The third privilege is access to the Father in prayer.  This access is not that of a customer or a client but one of a beloved child.  The fourth privilege is God's loving discipline.  While this may not seem at first glance to be a privilege, a long look at an undisciplined child will reveal it to be so.  The fifth privilege is sharing as heirs of the eternal glory.  What a great blessing to not only have the down payment of the blessings in this life but their fullness in the life to come.

These family privileges come with duties.  Our Christian duties are not loathsome but are in fact yet another privilege.  We are not alone to fulfill these duties, however; Phillips made it clear from Luke 11 that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.  Let us ask that the Spirit help us more fully enjoy these privileges and walk in our family responsibilities.


Derek Thomas: Many Sons to Glory

Expounding from what he considers to be the greatest chapter of the Bible, Derek Thomas took us through Romans 8:18-25.  Thomas set the tone for his address with this quote from John Owen, "the central cause of our spiritual lethargy is a failure to recognize the privileges which are ours in Christ."

Lest we neglect our privileges as sons of God (sons referring to our position as heirs of God; sons - and not daughters - were the heirs of their father in the first century and therefore the apostles use the designation sons to refer to the children who have been adopted to highlight our status as heirs; Christian women are therefore sons of God just as Christian men are part of the bride of Christ), Thomas pointed out the four characteristics of sons of God from our text.

(1) Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God.  In this case, leading does not refer to discerning God's will but rather being led by the Spirit into righteousness rather than by our sinful flesh.

(2)  Sons are not slaves but members of God's family.  A helpful test of the depth of our Christianity is the comfort with which we can refer to God as Father.

(3)  Sons have the Spirit as a witness to their status.  Thomas noted that the verb Paul used for 'cry' in the familiar v 15, "by him we cry, 'Abba, Father,'" is used not as a victory cry but a cry from the depths of sorrow.  The Spirit reminds us that God is our loving Father even in our most difficult of trials.

(4) Sons of God are promised everything.  Amazingly, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.  All that is Christ's is ours provided we suffer with him.  This too is part of our sonship.  If the world persecuted the only begotten Son, they will also persecute His fellow heirs.  Even in our worst sufferings, we have the promise that they are minuscule in comparison to the weight of glory that is being laid up for us with our heavenly Father.