The Church... (Part 1)

Rom 8:14 Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children.
Rom 8:15 For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father! my Father!"
Rom 8:16 God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.


Rom 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Rom 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

It's important to see that we have received a "spirit of adoption". Not to an organisation but into the family of God. When God sent a Redeemer to purchase us from the bondage of Satan's kingdom and his tyranny, He didn't send a pastor or a prophet (although Jesus was all that) But He sent His Son. Why?
God was revealing that His heart is for 'family'. He doesn't just make 'Christians' or believers or even members of the 'church'., but He adopts sons and children into His FAMILY.
No, God purchased with the blood of Jesus, our adoption into the family of God. Adoption papers have been issued for ALL. The opposite to that, and that's where we ALL found ourselves in the past, was in a "spirit of bondage" or slavery,leading us to fear. You see we may not think that is our case before we get "saved", but everyone suffers from 'fear' of death In fact, all fear stems from fear of death and leaves all men in bondage. But God...
He redeems us, meaning, He purchases our adoption, with the blood of Jesus and makes it available to ALL men. The GOOD NEWS is that we we are adopted, ALL, EVERYONE, but some just have never heard about it.
Somehow the message has been conveyed that you are born-again to go to church. But there is so much more than that.... Well, in fact, rather, we are adopted to be members OF HIS FAMILY!
The word "bondage" or "slavery" means to be enslaved; which means: The state of being prevented from enjoying and possessing life freely; a state opposed to liberty. Jesus came and revealed not Himself only, but the revelation of the Heavenly Father. Time and time again He would refer to the Fathers will and that it was the Father who had sent Him. Why? Jesus was bringing a revelation of the Father and His family to the earth, not just some austere God out there, but a real father who loves us and relates to us. Who makes makes us part of His family regardless of the past. Satan's system of "death" kept us enslaved, in bondage, so we could not enjoy the free abundant life or liberty that the Father wanted us to have, but would all our lives be in fear.
But hey! The GOOD NEWS is we are adopted and part of His family. Paper work done, all you need to to do is accept it and receive your adoption as children of God.
Check this out:

Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Gal 4:5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as his children.
Gal 4:6 Now because you are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if you are a child, then you are also an heir through God.
God sent His Son- relational,
to redeem us- legally its been taken care of,
to be adopted- not as Christians but as children.
(Now don't go around saying Shaun doesn't believe we are 'Christians'. But consider this, that only once was 'the church' called Christians, and that wasn't by God! In fact, the term Born-again is also only used once by Jesus, to a religious leader, at night, away from the crowd of people. I do believe we are Christians and I do believe we need to be born-again [John3:3-8]. However, the real emphasis should be on the fact that you are adopted into the family. With rights as an heir.
Let's look at another scripture:

2Co 6:16 What agreement can a temple of God make with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said: "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
2Co 6:17 Therefore, "Get away from them and separate yourselves from them," declares the Lord, "and don't touch anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.
2Co 6:18 I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters," declares the Lord Almighty.
Did I read this right?
Did God just say that we would be...sons and daughters?His sons and daughters?
OK! Now we can see that church is not just an organisational structure made up of 'members', but a real family,made up of children, with God being our Father. Jesus prayed at one time "Our Father..."
He was revealing a family and that is why the Jewish leaders of the day were getting so mad at Him. I mean, how can this man call God His Father?
"Adoption" in Romans 8 means: to be placed in the position of a son.
As family we don't have to earn or 'work' to be accepted or to try and make ourselves 'good enough' to be part of the family. We had NOTHING to do with the adoption process, except to receive the benefit of being called His sons and daughters. Heavenly Father, doesn't just pay the legal price, but gives us the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of adoption, so that with full assurance we too can cry out, with absolute certainty, FATHER, FATHER.....
So, today, Go to your Heavenly Father and settle with Him the fact that you ARE His child.Received, accepted, assured and identified. Just be!
My sons don't try and convince me that they are my sons, No they just know and act like it.
Next time we will look at some more of who we are as the 'church'.
[Hope this helps Cale: be blessed and GO FOR IT!]