Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:12-17 Living by the Spirit Most everyone would agree that there is nothing more important to a child’s well-being than having loving and caring parents or guardians. When children feel protected, taken care of, and nurtured, they are usually more obedient, do better in school, and know how to form relationships with others. However, when children live in constant fear of a parent, just the opposite often happens. They suffer in school, have a low self-esteem, and find it difficult to trust others. God gave us life by his Spirit when he led us to trust in his Son Jesus. This gift of his Spirit changed our relationship with our heavenly Father. The apostle Paul says it this way: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship” (Romans 8:15). Without God’s Spirit in our hearts, we would fear God and have nothing to look forward to except his judgment on our sin. But the Spirit leads us to see Jesus—the one who became our sin, so that we could be God’s forgiven children. Right now, we can be confident that God loves and cares for us as we await the glorious inheritance he has waiting for us. This wonderful truth not only changes our future, it changes our lives right now. There is a huge difference between a child who obeys his parents because he is afraid of punishment, and a child who obeys because he knows that he is loved and cared for. Instead of living as slaves to our sinful nature with nothing but death as our future, we can live as God’s grateful children making the most of every opportunity to thank our Father. Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, help us to always remember that through Jesus we are your dear children and you are our dear Father. In Jesus name. Amen. MagandangMorning 😄😃😀😊☺️😉😍😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 23:33:07 +0000
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