On Easter Sunday, we remember that Christ has risen and conquered death. In today's sermon, Pastor Phil shows from Romans 8 the blessings of being loved, chosen and adopted by God. The cross shows that God loved us even while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). The resurrection of Christ shows that Jesus has overcome the world, and that even as we know we will suffer in this world, we can take heart (John 16:33). And having been adopted into God's family, we have received the Spirit of adoption, so that we are no longer slaves to fear, but we can cry out, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)
Where do you find your identity? It can be tempting to find our identity in our career, our relationships, or our hobbies. In Romans 8, we learn that when we have a relationship with Jesus and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, we have a new identity. We are no longer under condemnation. We are adopted into God's family as his children. We have a promised inheritance. We have a new purpose. And we have a new power, help through the Holy Spirit to live a life of victory and experience God's comfort in the midst of difficult times. No matter what we face in life, we can have confidence that we serve a God who loves us and works all things together for the good of those who love him.
