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Doctrine of Authority – Lesson 4: The Spirit of Adoption
Professor: Rushdoony Dr. R.J.R.
Subject: Systematic Theology
Genre: Speech
Lesson: 4 of 19
Track: #04
Year:
Dictation Name: 04 The Spirit of Adoption
[Rushdoony] Let us worship God. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us, having these promises let us draw near to the throne of grace with true hearts in full assurance of faith. My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning oh Lord. IN the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up. Let us pray.
Almighty God our heavenly Father in Whom we live and move and have our being. We come to Thee Thy creatures Whom Thou hast made for Thy sovereign purpose, to cast our every care upon Thee who carest for us. We know that our times are in Thy hands, that Thy purposes and ways are altogether righteous. Give us grace therefore so to walk day by day that we may ever be mindful that because Jesus Christ is our Lord we are more than conquerors in Him. Grant us this we beseech Thee, in Jesus name amen.
Our scripture lesson is from Romans eight verses fourteen through seventeen, and our subject as we continue our studies in the doctrine of authority is the spirit of adoption, the spirit of adoption, Romans eight fourteen through seventeen. “14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
As we have seen the Bible grounds authority on God’s law, his grace and his covenant, not on the natural order. We have seen that the authority of parents is not a naturalistic fact but a supernatural one. The natural fact of generations of parents is a creation of God in an area of His law. God created all things as aspects of His law order. The family is one such area where His law order is expressed, but the priority always belongs to God. The authority comes from God, not from the order He created. The Bible gives an abundant evidence of the secondary nature of the natural order. After all the first Adam was supplanted by the last Adam, Jesus Christ. Cain the first born was supplanted by Able and then Seth. Isaac was supplanted by Ishmael, Jacob prevailed over Esau, and Joseph over Rueben, as did Judah also. The logic of the natural order of authority, its succession is regularly overturned by God in scripture and in all of history. His providence brings to pass His purposes, His authority, not the natural humanistic authority. If the humanistic concept of authority prevailed there would be no change in all of history. The fisrt tyranny would be the last tyranny also.
The fact of judgment in history makes very clear that the time developed and time honored authorities are set aside. There are many reasons for this, but first of all we can site that given mans sin, the natural order and any authority derived purely from the natural order, would only further mans depravity. It would only further mans’ rebellion against God. Because all any parent or any civil authority or any religious authority would have to say is “we were the original authority and therefore no-one has a right to overturn us.” Then second, even without the fall the natural order cannot be the source of authority.
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By Pocket CollegeProfessor: Rushdoony Dr. R.J.R.
Subject: Systematic Theology
Genre: Speech
Lesson: 4 of 19
Track: #04
Year:
Dictation Name: 04 The Spirit of Adoption
[Rushdoony] Let us worship God. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us, having these promises let us draw near to the throne of grace with true hearts in full assurance of faith. My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning oh Lord. IN the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up. Let us pray.
Almighty God our heavenly Father in Whom we live and move and have our being. We come to Thee Thy creatures Whom Thou hast made for Thy sovereign purpose, to cast our every care upon Thee who carest for us. We know that our times are in Thy hands, that Thy purposes and ways are altogether righteous. Give us grace therefore so to walk day by day that we may ever be mindful that because Jesus Christ is our Lord we are more than conquerors in Him. Grant us this we beseech Thee, in Jesus name amen.
Our scripture lesson is from Romans eight verses fourteen through seventeen, and our subject as we continue our studies in the doctrine of authority is the spirit of adoption, the spirit of adoption, Romans eight fourteen through seventeen. “14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
As we have seen the Bible grounds authority on God’s law, his grace and his covenant, not on the natural order. We have seen that the authority of parents is not a naturalistic fact but a supernatural one. The natural fact of generations of parents is a creation of God in an area of His law. God created all things as aspects of His law order. The family is one such area where His law order is expressed, but the priority always belongs to God. The authority comes from God, not from the order He created. The Bible gives an abundant evidence of the secondary nature of the natural order. After all the first Adam was supplanted by the last Adam, Jesus Christ. Cain the first born was supplanted by Able and then Seth. Isaac was supplanted by Ishmael, Jacob prevailed over Esau, and Joseph over Rueben, as did Judah also. The logic of the natural order of authority, its succession is regularly overturned by God in scripture and in all of history. His providence brings to pass His purposes, His authority, not the natural humanistic authority. If the humanistic concept of authority prevailed there would be no change in all of history. The fisrt tyranny would be the last tyranny also.
The fact of judgment in history makes very clear that the time developed and time honored authorities are set aside. There are many reasons for this, but first of all we can site that given mans sin, the natural order and any authority derived purely from the natural order, would only further mans depravity. It would only further mans’ rebellion against God. Because all any parent or any civil authority or any religious authority would have to say is “we were the original authority and therefore no-one has a right to overturn us.” Then second, even without the fall the natural order cannot be the source of authority.