“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!”
What would hinder us from being led by the Spirit of God? Slavery to sin and fear. We are not slaves (For sin will not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace Romans 6:14) Romans 7:24-8:2 shows the way out of slavery to sin.
-We are now in the family of God. 2 Cor 5:17 We are born again into God's family. Rom. 8:29
-We are sons and fellow heirs with Christ. What Jesus gets we get! Not to consume it on our lusts but to live in God's kingdom. Col 1:13 and to accomplish what God has for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Abba Father
What the passage is trying to convey is that we can have a close relationship with our Daddy Father.
John 14:23 “Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.” Amplifed Our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 6:19
2 Cor 6:16 “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”
We are now not a servant or slave, We are sons and have the right to speak to God using the term Abba.
Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again.
The spirit of slavery speaks to our inability to do what we want. Romans 7 talked of this. The spirit of slavery dominates, by keeping our mind on the flesh. Making provision for the flesh Rom 13:14. We are not to make provision for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
The flesh is a task master, not joy. Many do not turn to the Lord because they want to enjoy the flesh. Yes there is pleasure in sin for a season Hebrews 11:25 but in the end it turns bitter. Why not look beyond the present hour and be involved in things that will provide life healing and joy for the future.
Where is life? Is it from having fun, or serving Jesus? Jesus allows us to live. His words are life and guide us.
Fear comes from slavery. We don't need to fear if Jesus lives in us. There is nothing that will separate us from the love of God. With God we have all we need. He supplies all our needs. Philippians 4:19
Verse 14 talks of being led of the Spirit. It is this leading that brings us life. Fear comes from lack. The Spirit gives life and in this life there is no lack. John 10:10
Does that mean we can serve the flesh, repent and God will gives us whatever we ask? You can't serve God and your own desires at the same time. Make a decision to serve God and deny yourself. This leading of the Spirit allows us to live in the realm of the spirit and act in our position as sons of God. Yes God will forgive, but victory comes from faith not manipulating God. God is not mocked, whatever a man sows that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7 Instead yield to God and let His love fulfill your needs.
Then with this new understanding of living as sons of God, we can live free from fear and have that close relationship with our Daddy.
Being led of the Spirit and serving the flesh are opposed to each other. Which will you choose. Fear or life? Putting it that way is simple. Look beyond the moment to Jesus. Heb 12:2 just as Jesus looked beyond the cross to the joy set before Him after the resurrection.
Where the Spirit is there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Where fear is the flesh dominates. Decide, by setting your mind to move away from the flesh and into God's kingdom. The anxious thoughts will dominate as long as the flesh is served. Freedom comes from a mind set on the things of the Spirit. So what should be the confession of a person who has his mind on the spirit? The Word of God. The hope that God promises. The life coming from the Word of God. Respond to your fears with the word of God. Praise God for His answer when fear comes. Praise in faith, that the answer will come, even when you don't see it now. Live in confidence that God will provide, even with a bad report. Psalm 112:7
2 Tim 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and discipline. Power love and discipline are contrasted with timidity/fear. Power, love and discipline come from a mind set on the Spirit. So a mind set on the flesh is weakness, inability, anemic, apathy and undisciplined life.
2 Tim 1:8 Therefore join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. It is the power of God that flows from a mind set on the Spirit that will draw us to work that seems to bring suffering. Yet this suffering itself will bring power. It says in 2 Cor 12:9 Power is perfected in weakness. A mind set on the Spirit of God will draw us to work,(from a mind set on the flesh point of view), that is not in itself wonderful. But because of the Spirit of God, things will change. God will come into the situation and bring life to sickness, success to failure, hope to the hopeless, love to the unlovable.
We receive the spirit of adoption as sons. We cry Daddy Father. A father provides for his sons. God the Father will provide for us. And the best provision is God's love will keep us.
No comments:
Post a Comment