WORDS OF OUR SALVATION [PART 8]: PASTOR MENSA – SUNDAY SERVICE, 28TH NOVEMBER, 2021
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSAH OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: WORDS OF OUR SALVATION – PART 8.
DATE: 28TH NOVEMBER, 2021
TEXT: ROMANS 8:15-16
Amen and Amen! Let’s keep Standing, as we make our DECLARATION OF FRUITFULNESS in this Year of Fruitfulness:
Are you ready? Well say with me:
The Eternal God is our Refuge. He opens Rivers in desolate Heights.The Lord makes the wilderness a Pool of water.
The LORD God is my Sun and Shield; The LORD gives Grace and Glory.
Therefore, I delight myself in Him. Those who are Planted in the House of the LORD shall be Fresh and Flourishing.
Though the Earth be shaken; the Name of the Lord is my Strong Tower. By Faith I affirm that: In Christ alone is my Salvation. In Him I live, and move and have my Being.
It is written: The Righteous are like trees Planted by the waters; bearing Fruits in its Season.
So I boldly declare: As for me, my God has made me Exceedingly Fruitful.
In this Season, my Spirit bears Fruits of Righteousness, my Talents make Way for me. With my hands, I will Plant, I will Build, I will Harvest – Day by Day, Step by Step.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
Today I am doing “WORDS OF OUR SALVATION – PART 8.” And the Sub-title is ADOPTION.
… We are going to talk about ADOPTION in the Christian sense.
Under WORDS OF OUR SALVATION, we have dealt with: Born Again, Redemption, New Creation, Justification, Sanctification, Atonement.
Last Month we looked at Righteousness and today is ADOPTION.
DMC NOTES: Kindly find below the Link to access all the Previous 7 Series on this Topic:
I suppose you have heard that term, in relation to out Christian Life – Believers in Christ have called ourselves children of God. We say we are sons (and daughters) of God.
How did we become sons (and daughters) of God; and in what sense are.we sons and daughters of God? – It is through the Process of Adoption.
Let me define what I mean by Adoption:
Adoption is the Divine Work by which God receives Born Again believers as His sons and daughters.
When we say something is a Divine Work, we mean that it is work initiated by God; it is a work that God does.
And God does this work of Adoption through Born Again Believers.
It is one thing to be Born Again, it is another thing to be Adopted by God. And when God adopts us, He receives us as His sons and daughters.
Let’s get into a Bible Study a little bit about it.
Romans 8:15-16.
And just let me say this, whilst you are turning to the Scriptures:
It is important for every Believers to know what they believe – And I have become very Passionate about that because I see more and more Christians, they don’t know what they believe.
They believe what their Pastor teaches, it is what a Prophet says, or what a Man or Woman of God says.
And so sometimes we believe all kind of Bizzare things – Things that are not consistent with the Scriptures.
… Whatever a Preacher says, we.just follow it.
What I am trying to do (and I have been doing for some time now, these Years) is to dig down the Foundations of our Christian Faith
What are the things we believe in as Christians? These are the things that I am teaching on.
They are not to give you a Breakthrough instantly, but to give you a Foundation on which you get your Breakthrough later on.
If you don’t understand these things, your Christian Life will be shallow, it will be surface – It will not be deep!
So Adoption is one of those things you need to understand! Just like you need to understand Justification, Redemption and all of that.
Romans 8:15-16 (NKJV):
15 For you did not receive the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears Witness with our Spirit that we are Children of God.
It’s a very interesting Passage!
The word Adoption is used in the New Testament a few times; and this is one of those verses where Adoption is mentioned.
… I will make Three (3) Observations about this Verse:
- First, it tells us what happened the time we are adopted into God. And it says when that happens; we receive the Spirit of Adoption.
You have not received the Spirit of Bondage, but you have received the Spirit of Adoption.
So Adoption is effected by a Spirit, and that Spirit is the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is the One Who effects Adoption in us.
In a normal sense you would say – The Holy Spirit is the Adoption Agent. He is the One Who impacts the spirit of Adoption. He is.the One Who has the details that bring us into Adoption with God.
- The Second thing I want you to note from the Verse is that, when we become Adopted, God becomes our Father.
It says that when we receive the Spirit of Adoption, we are able to cry out, Abba Father.
“ABBA” is the Hebrew word of father, similar to ‘Papa’ or ‘Daddy’ – ABBA FATHER.
The Spirit of Adoption makes God our Father. It gives us the right word to call God.
So when we receive the Spirit of Adoption, God is not just the Creator, the Almighty, the Great I AM; He is also Our Father. The Great One is related to us! A Family Relationship develops when we receive the Spirit of Adoption.
And when God becomes our Father, we Become God’s Children. The Holy Spirit gives us a deep assurance that we are God’s children.
… It is an inner confidence that makes us aware that God had accepted us.
Now, when I Preached on Justification, I explained that Justification is a Legal Statement.
Justification simply, is when a Judge legally Pronounces you ‘NOT GUILTY.’ You are Justified – there is no case against you. But Justification is not the same as Adoption.
And let me explain it this way: It is as if you go to a Law Court, you have a case and you are taken to Court. The Judge Presides over your case. And after the Judge has Presided over your case, your case is read and the Judge Pronounces you ‘NOT GUILTY, ACQUITTED AND DISCHARGED’ – So go home!
At that time, you can say your case has been Justified – There is no sin against you.
But when the Judge tells you, Go! You are acquired, discharged, go home. You don’t become his child. You don’t become his family member. He will get up afterwards, go back to his chamber, take off his gown and go home. And you will go home and celebrate with whoever you want to celebrate with.
There is no relationship between the two of you. All he did was, justify you. And then go his way.
When we add Adoption to Justification, it is as if this Judge who says ‘go home, there is no case against you’ now determines that; in addition to justifying you, he wants to become your father – and so, starts the Process of Adoption, and makes you his father.
One sets you free, the other gives you a relationship! And that’s what Adoption does for us as Christians.
When we are Justified God says: ‘There is no sin against you.’ But when we are Adopted, He says,’ now you are my Child.’
So Adoption is a step after Justification,after Redemption – It doesn’t just forgive us of our sins, it doesn’t just free us from sins. But it establishes a relationship between us and God.
Without Adoption, we would be Born Again Christians, redeemed Christians, but not Children of God.
Without Adoption, we would be saved, we would have New Life, but we would not be children of God – It is Adoption that comes after Redemption, that makes us Children of God.
He Justified us, and then He Adopted us. Redeemed us and Adopted us. Santified us and Adopted us
Adoption is so important in the Christian Faith, because that is what qualifies us to call ourselves sons and daughters of God.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
John 1:12-13 (NKJV) this is what it says: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name: who were born, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the flesh, nor of the Will of man, but of God.
As many as received Jesus, Jesus gave them the right to become Children of God.
What that statement simply means is that Christ is the One Who Authorised our Adoption – He gave the right!
If you read your Bible in the Old Kings James Version, John 1:12-13 says – But as many as received Him, to them gave He Power to become the sons of God;
The New King James Version (which I read) says, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the RIGHT to become Children of God.
Two (2) different words, two (2) different meanings – POWER to become, RIGHT to become.
The Greek word that is used in that sentence is the Greek word, “Exocia” – The two (2) different words that can be translated Power or Authority is Dunamis. Dunamis is the ability to do something.
When He says, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the RIGHT – He didn’t us Dunamis. If He used Dunamis, it means that when you receive Christ, He gives you the POWER to become the sons of God.
But He used the word “Exocia” – Exocia means Authorization or Permission to do something.
So as many as received Christ, He doesn’t give you the POWER to become the son of God; He gives you the RIGHT to become the son of God.
If He gives you the Power, then you can be the Son of God by yourself. But when he gives you Authorization, then it means that He allows you to Become that.
Do you see the difference?
That’s why He says: You don’t become a Child by your own Will. You cannot come and say, ‘From today I decide, I am a Child of God.’ You don’t have that Power!
We can’t make ourselves Children of God; we have to be Authorized.
Somebody had to Sign off and say – ‘Now you have the right to become a Child of God.’ And that Person Who Authorizes us, Who signs off the Certificate of our Adoption is the Lord Jesus Christ.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the Authorization to become Sons of God.
Words are very important in their meaning – He gave us the AUTHORITY, the RIGHT, to become the Sons of God.
HOW DID JESUS GIVE US THE AUTHORIZATION TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD?
- HE FREE US FROM SIN.
Sin made us unacceptable before God, sin put us into bondage. And He took us out of sin, out of bondage and freed us from sin – Washed away our sin.
Now I want you to imagine this – I am going to use a Natural Analogy to explain this Spiritual Truth:
Let’s say somebody goes to the Orphanage, and he is going to adopt a child. The “Prospective Parent” who wants to adopt somebody from the Orphanage; he goes to the Orphanage, and he wants to adopt a child and somebody must facilitate the Process of Adoption.
The Person who.goes to facilitate the Process of Adoption, goes and find a child. But he sees that this child (who must be adopted) doesn’t look Good, he is dirty, he is dishevel, not smelling right.
The first thing he does is – He takes the Child to the Shower and bath the child, clean the child. Because this child who must be adopted must be made Right before the Person who is going to adopt him.
That’s the first thing Jesus did – He washed us from our sin, from our filth, from our dirt; so that we can come before the Father.
… That’s the first thing – He free us from sin, washed us from sin, cleansed us.
- Second thing He did after He had cleansed us from sin; He Presented us to the Father.
And how did He Present us? – He put on us a New Garment. The Garment of Righteousness. His own unsoiled Garment. He put it on us because He knows what the Father is looking for.
So He washed us, and then He put on us the Right Garment before Presenting us before the Father.
That’s how He Authorizes us!
If He didn’t wash us, we couldn’t be in the Father’s Presence. If He didn’t clothe us, we couldn’t be in the Father’s Presence.
But He washed us, and He clothed us and made us Presentable, and Acceptable before the Father.
- And the third thing Jesus did is that, He shared His Sonship with us.
He is the Only Begotten Son.
And so He comes to the Father, and says to the Father: “I Present this one to You, whom I have washed,and clothed, so that You will have a relationship with him as You have with me”.
… Because without Him, we cannot relate to the Father.
He is the Son Who shared His Sonship with us – Jesus shared His Sonship with us. He did not remain the only Begotten Son of God; but He shared Sonship with us.
Does it means that when Jesus shared His Sonship with us, then we became exactly like Him? – YES and NO.
Yes, we become Sons of God. And No, we don’t become a Son like Jesus. Because Jesus’ Sonship makes Him equal with God; makes Him Part of the Godhead.
We don’t become part of the Godhead; we don’t become equal with God, we don’t become Part of the Trinity. But God has a relationship with us. Jesus then becomes the Vine, and we are the Branches.
So God does not create different vines: Jesus is the Vine, you are the vine, I am.the vine, everybody is a vine – When we are adopted. No!
There is only One Vine. And He takes the Adopted Children and graft them into the Vine – So that they become Part of the Vine.
And that’s why Jesus says,”I am the Vine, you are the branches; without ME you can do nothing.”
Our Sonship is only valid as long as we remain in the Son Jesus Christ. Because He is the One Who shares His Sonship with us.
We are not equal with Him (in essence) but Relationally, we enjoy what He has.
The Bible says, that we are Joint Heirs with Him.
He is the Head, we are the Body. God does not create many heads when we become Born Again. There is only one head. But all that He does is fit ALL of us into the Head.
The Fullness of the Godhead bodily, dwells in Christ Jesus, not in us.
The Fullness of the Godhead bodily, dwells in Christ, we are complete in Jesus Christ. He still is connected to us, but we are not the same with Him.
When I say, ‘I am a Child of God’ it is not the same thing as Jesus being the Son of God.
It simply means that He has allowed me to Participate in His Sonship. He has Plunged me as a branch into the Vine, so that in Him I can grow to the life that God wants me to have.
Jesus is the One Who authorized our Adoption. Without His authorization, our Adoption would be impossible.
If Jesus did not say, ‘we could be saved and become children of God’s; we would never have become Children of God.
You cannot walk your way to being a Child of God. You cannot Pay your way to be a Child of God. You cannot influence your way to be a child of God.
You only become a Child of God because Jesus accepts you into Himself. And when you come into HIMSELF, you receive the spirit of Adoption.
THERE (3) THINGS ADOPTION DOES FOR US.
- Adoption brings us into God’s Family.
God puts His Name on us, we become Part of His Family.
The Family of God is very large. it has all kinds of People in it – And we are Included in that Family.
And because we are Adopted in God’s Family – I am adopted, you are adopted, we are adopted. We become brothers and sisters, with other Believers in Christ.
Sometimes People think that we are just Church Members.
We hear People say, ‘if it wasn’t for Church, where do I know you?
It’s in the Church that I knew you, you are not my family Member or do I know you anywhere?’
Are you sure we are not family Members? – We are!
Because in Christ Jesus, we are Members of the same Family (of God). Christ Jesus has made us brothers and sisters.
You know, when I was a Younger Christian in the seventies (70s) we used to call each other ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’ – This is Brother Dan, this is Sister Joan.
We saw each other as brothers and sisters in Christ – No matter the age. We all acknowledged, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thess days, I don’t hear People call each other, brothers and sisters. I think we have to go back to the Practice of calling each other ‘brothers and sisters in Christ.’ Because that is what we are!
And if you think your deepest relationship is with your Biological brothers and sisters, that’s not true!
Your relationshio with your brothers and sisters ends here on Earth. The day anyone of you leaves, the Brotherliness is gone!
*But your brothers and sisters in Christ, our Brotherliness is Eternal ! – It never ends, death cannot stop it. We are brothers and sisters in Christ here on Earth, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ – there in Heaven.
It is a life long relationship – Superior to the Blood Relationships that we have.
What we have as Christians, is deeper than what we have as blood relationships.
And that’s why it is important, when we become Christians, we nurture our Fellowship with each other. Because what God creates with this family is deeper than what your father and mother created when they gave birth to their children.
… We are brothers and sisters; we are Part of God’s Family.
- Adoption gives us access to God’s Presence.
Because we are in His Family, we can go before Him anytime, any day – without any sense of shame. We have boldness to come into God’s Presence because He is our Father.
If we were just Born Again and God was not our Father, we would be Born Again People just living our lives.
But because He has made us His Children, we now have access to Him.
Without Adoption, we would be Born Again without Access to God, we would be Justified without Access to God; we would be Redeemed without Access to God.
But with Adoption, we have Access to God, in addition to the Salvation that He has given to us.
- Adoption grants us Privileges in God’s Family.
… We don’t just have Access; we have Privileges in God’s Family.
We are Joint Heirs with Christ, we are Partakers of the Divine Nature, we are Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Life. We have Peace with God, we have the Name of Jesus give to us to use.
We become co-labourers with Christ; and we are assured of Eternity with God after this time here on Earth.
There are Privileges to being a part of God’s Family.
And I Pray that the Privileges of Life that Christ has made available to us through Adoption; He has made us Part of the Divine Family.
There are Believers all over the world; in every Parts of the world, in every Nations, in China, Russia, Germany, United States, Ghana, Namibia, Norway, Nigeria – Born Again Christians, all belonging to the same Family; all Adopted by the same Father. We are one together, in Christ Jesus.
NATURAL ADOPTION.
Permit me to make a statement relating to Adoption – Not the Spiritual Adoption (that I just talked about) but Natural Adoption.
There are Christians who have Problems with Adopting Children. Because People would say, is it real? Or, ‘I want my own blood.’
The highest Relationship that God has with each one of us is by Adoption.
… That is how we became Children of God.
And in the same way, we can confer that same relationship to other human beings,and adopt them into our families.
And so for every Couple hearing me or reading this Message on the label of DMC; believing God for children, who is yet to to have a Child, I will suggest to you very strongly: That God has many People that He wants to bring into your family. Just like He brought you into His Family through Adoption, He can also bring other People into your family through Adoption.
Adoption is a Legitimate God’s approved way of building families And we can build families – Amen!
You have to remember that God approves of it! And we (Believers) approve of Adoption.
There are many Christian Families who have Adopted children.
Some of them have grown up – Very well adjusted in their families. Noble children,who otherwise would not have had the opportunities of a stable family.
And families who otherwise, would not have had the joy of Parenting; both connecting through Adoption. Just as God became Father by Adopting us, and we became children by receiving His Adoption.
So, if you are a family here or reading this Message now on the Label of DMC, and you are thinking of having children; and for some Biological reasons it’s becoming difficult, God has already given you the way by which you can have your family – Through the Process of Adoption.
And don’t let any ignorant family Member tell you that ‘he is not our blood, she is not our blood, we want our own blood.’
… Are they even sure of whose blood is in them? Are you even sure?
As somebody said: “Motherhood is a fact. Fatherhood is a believe.”
You are thinking you belong; one day they will do your Blood Test and you will have the shock of your Life!
Forget about Blood – It’s Adoption!
And that’s how we came into the Family of God and that’s how God want to bring a Child into your family.
And you really want Guidance, please talk to those concerned.
It’s a long Process because there is a Legal Process that has to be followed – There is a Biological Health Process, there are all kinds of Process. It takes time – Sometimes two (2) Years to complete the Process.
Don’t go an hide somewhere and pick a child somewhere from the Village and come and tell us you didn’t know you were Pregnant – ‘Oh, i went to the Village,look at what I have given birth to.’ What kind of like is that? You are too grown to tell such a lie.
… Please, Adopt and be Proud of the Adoption!
This is how the Bible puts out Adoption, it says: “For Jesus is not ashamed to call us Brethren.”
We are adopted, but Jesus embraces us as His brothers and sisters because He values Adoption!
An Adopted Child is as Good as a Natural child.
And may the Lord help every families that need to adopt – Amen.
If you are in need of an Adopted Child, Please talk to Pastors, Lawyers añd the Social Workers who understand it and can show you the Process.
But by all means, it is a Legitimate Process that you can start to raise a family for yourself.
And God used it for you, and you can use it also for your family.. ÀMEN!
That has nothing to do with the Adoption I Preached about! But it had a correlation, that’s why I needed to throw that in.
Because there are People fighting all kinds of Battle that God has already won the Victory for them.
Somebody has gone through the nine (9) Months of hardship to give birth to the child. All you need to do is to recognize and go to the appropriate Place and Adopt a child.
And give that child the Privileges, the Rights of fatherhood and motherhood. And embrace them in a family – AMEN.
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