The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 241

yon." Oh, let. us hasten to him who is the Source of the new life, the Giver of the living Bpirit!-T. F. L. Vert!. 12-17.-The adoption in (Jhnst. Is our desi:-e, is our vocation, life? Then we are bound in honour, bound by the necessity of the case, to li've, not after the flesh, but &fter t.he Spirit, But are we even then sure of the destiny of life? We are walk- ing in a wsy; whither does the way lead? The answer to this question lies in the preTililing characteristic of the life we live now-a life that is "led by the Spirit of God." These are oons ! Survey the life: only "sons" could live a life like that. And the life, being of God, is to God; "If children, then heirs." We have, then, to consider -sonship, beirship. I. THE 80NSHIP. In var. 15 he leads them back to the commencement of thia new life. What was the change which then passed over them? They were in bondage once -61lch bondage as he has described in eh. vii. And this bondage might be said to be of God, for it was the transition to liberty. God showed them the infinite claims of his holy Law, and thereby revealed to them their guilt, their helplessness, their doom. Oh, what bondage was theirs then! The whole purport of that period of their spiritual discipline was "unto fear." Nay, not the whole purport; they were but wounded that they might be made whole. God had prepared some better things for them. "In me dwelleth no good thing:" yes, this they learned. But, in Christ, they" received the Spirit of adoption;" in him they saw their sin forgiven, and in the power of God's boundless love they mount,ed upward as on eagles' wings. Accepted in the Beloved I L The o.dopt-ion. An alienation is here implied from the original sonship. Man's fall; each one's sin and wicked works. The potential adoption of all in Christ Jesus: hold fast to this great fact. But not this alone: each one's individuality resJ,ected, and hence the actual adoption only of those who voluntarily attach themselves to the new Headship of Christ Jesus. This the blessed concomitant of pardon; and love working by law (Roman custom), that in this also "he might be just." 2. Ths witness. Each one who mueignedly believes in Christ Jesus is adopted into the family of God. But may not this blessed adoption be realized? Thank God, it may: "The Spirit witnesseth with our spirit." "All things are of God" (2 Cor. v. 18), and so the whole of the great work of Balvation is his work, and when every holy confidence towards himself is inspired i~ the believer's mind, it is his inspiration. But he deals with men in harmony witli the laws of their own minds, and guides and inspires them through the processes of their own thought. Hence the expression, "witnesseth with our spirit." Our consciousness of God's forgiveness, our conviction of his love, are produced instru- mentally by our apprehension of his purposes and promises in Christ; but in and through the working of our own spirit his Spirit works. We are prompted by ouf perception of God's lave in Christ to cry, "Abbe., Father;" hut it is also by him that we thus cry. He works the assurance in and through the working of our thought and feeling: "witneseeth with our spirit." And thus is explained the failure, where there is failnre, t.o realize this assurance. God's inspiration is not wanting, but the instru- mentality is at fault. Perceptions, t.one, ten;iperament-these constitute the hindrance, And remediable by proper means. Such, then, the sonship which is the secret of the new life : adoption, and the realization of that adoption-all of God. Hie children I Hie beloved ones! Therefore we love him; therefore we live to hii:n. IL Tm: HEIBSHIP. But if sonship be the inspiration of this new life, what must its deetiny be? We are hein-" heirs of God; joint-heirs with Christ." 1. HeirB of God. The idea of fatherhood is the beet.owal of all benediction on the child. And "of him every fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named" (Eph. iii. 16). Therefore he him- eelf, and all that he can give, shall constitute our heritage. Now, in this world, God is olll'II; this is the great JXlll808Sion: his presence, his power, hie love. And thus the world itl!elf is transmuted into an inheritance of joy, even 110rrow11 yielding blessing. But we are not yet of age; our manhood then I And oh, the inheritance that shall be I Goo himself we shall eee face to face, knowln~ even ae we are known. And God's creation shall be made-bow fair and beautiful t.o us, who shall say? "In thy 1,n,se11ce ifs fulne:88 of joy ; at ~hy right hand there are pleasures for ev~rmor~" (~H. xvi. 11). And that "path of life" shall be "shown" us by God. 2. Jomt-kevrs with G?.riM. C,'hrin, the Anointed One, the Son (Jf man-God has adopted us in him ; God OIi, vtll, 1-89.] TilE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TllE ROMANS. 2-'39