Romans 8:15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

We need to understand that our identity as the church is not found in an organization, or in a man, or in building. Our identity should be in what the Lord has established; What the Word establishes. If our identity is is wrongly associated, we will be constantly be trying to find our approval and acceptance in that which cannot give us any. By God’s design, we are only meant to find our significance, our identity in Him.

Identity is defined as:

Collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is recognizable or known.

Is it possible that many in the church suffer defeat and dysfunctionality due to a lack of identity? Identity to their Heavenly Father. We see Jesus although fulfilling all the law, never breaking the traditions of the elders, never identifying His Sonship, or who He was with any of these things, but with His Heavenly Father.

“This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him“

This is…. Identity

In whom I am well pleased… Acceptance

Hear ye Him… Approval

“I and MY Father are one...”

“If you have seen Me, you have seen My Father“

And many more like this, show Jesus intimate identity with His Father, not with anything here on the earth. In the church, though, we will still direct people to a very earthly source and it gives the church no confidence, no security, no stability, no faith, no identity.

Christians

God did not call us “Christians”, the unbelievers in Antioch called the disciples, whom were constantly talking about the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ of God, called them this. Little Christ’s is what it means. Little anointed one’s. “Born-again” is a term Jesus used with a Pharisee in the night behind the scenes where no one was listening. Peter used the term to describe the work the regenerating Word would do in the spirit of man as he receives and believes that indestructible seed. And all these are good and right terms, but the one we do not hear a lot of. The one that we do not get identified with early in our walk with the Lord. The one can change our destiny and relationship spiritually, is our sonship to the Father.

Adoption
Romans 8:15 talks about the “spirit of adoption“. Hiuothesia: meaning – to be placed as a son. Not as an object or or some unknown entity, but as a SON. And then Father places the spirit of His Son in our hearts crying:”Daddy, Father”.

Romans 8:15 For you* did not receive a spirit of slavery again for fear, _but_ you* received [the] Spirit of adoption [i.e., the formal and legal declaration that we are His children] in which we cry out, “Dad [Gr. Abba], Father!”

At first we were in a bondage of fear. fear of what? Fear of death!

Hebrews 2:14 -15 Therefore, since the young children have shared of flesh and blood, He Himself also likewise shared in the same, so that through death He should destroy [or, render powerless] the one having the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and release those, as many as [due to] a fear of death, throughout all their life, were subjects of slavery.

Fear of Death

The fear of death always kept us in slavery and in bondage. Bound, tormented and identified with the wrong ‘father’.

John 8:44 “You* are from the [or, your*] father the Devil, and the desires of your* father you* want to be doing.

Ephesians 2:2-3 in which at one time you* walked about [fig., conducted yourselves] according to the age [fig., the practices] of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit of the one now supernaturally working in the sons [and daughters] of disobedience;
among whom also _we_ at one time lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts [fig., senses], and we were by nature children of wrath, as also the others.

But now, Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the Father has Adopted us – placed us in the place of sons.

Price Paid

Firstly, we need to understand there is a price for this adoption; and legal ramifications. Jesus, as our Saviour and elder brother has covered it all. With His blood the legal price for our adoption has been covered so that we can stand legally and officially in the place of a son. Now, when we arrive in the Father’s house, we are acknowledged as a legal child of the Father.

Adoption is not a situation of in but not in, part of but not part of. No the true spirit of the Father’s adoption is that God places in our hearts, when we receive this wonderful privilege that Jesus purchased for us, the spirit of sonship, of childhood. So that, now we can call Him Father, Not just God out there somewhere, not just Lord, but Father. Oh! How intimate. Oh! What a sense of family identity. Much of the younger generation today suffers this lack of identity, because of no fathers in the home. Fathers are supposed to represent the Heavenly Father and bring identity, acknowledgment and acceptance to the next generation.

Free from slavery, the slavery of being left out of the Fathers family, not having any access, not having the right to approach, no right standing. But we have acceptance through the blood of Christ Jesus, we have right standing to approach, we have been adopted, accepted and acknowledged as sons in the Father’s house.

Secondly, begin to acknowledge today, that you, more than anything else, are a son of God,placed legally and officially in the Father’s house. That your identity is not in the brothers of the church, but in the Heavenly Father that Jesus came to reveal to us. He did not reveal some unknown entity, but a loving Father, who pours out and abundantly pours out, His favor on us to be called and have the place of a son.