For you have not received a spirit that will frighten you back into slavery, but you have received the Spirit of sonship. And through that we cry, “AbbaFather.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, we are also heirs, that is, heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, if we are truly sharers in his sufferings, that we also may be sharers in his glory.
Romans 8:15-17
living by the spirit
There is perhaps nothing more important to a child’s well-being than loving and caring parents. When children feel safe, cared for and nurtured, they are more obedient, perform better in school and learn to relate to others. However, when children live in constant fear of parents, the opposite often happens. They have trouble in school, have low self-esteem and find it difficult to trust others.
God gave us life by His Spirit when He inspired us to trust in His Son, Jesus. This gift of His Spirit transformed our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “For you did not receive the spirit of fear again in slavery, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” Without the Spirit of God in our hearts, we will fear God and see nothing but His judgment on our sins. But the Spirit moves us to look to Jesus – the One who became our sin, so that we could become God’s forgiven children. Right now, we can be assured that God loves us and cares for us as we wait for the glorious inheritance He awaits us.
This amazing truth not only changes our future, it also changes our present. Instead of living as slaves to our sinful nature, whose future is nothing but death, we can live as grateful children of God, making the most of every opportunity to give thanks to our Father.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to always remember that through Jesus, I am Your beloved child and You are my beloved Father. Amen.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used with permission from Zondervan. All rights reserved world wide.
