Romans 8:12-17

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8 could rightly be called a ‘chapter on the Spirit’, with references to the Spirit occurring over twenty times within the text. Building on earlier references throughout the letter, the chapter clarifies and explains the gift and the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer. Prior to this passage, Paul has set up a contrast between life according to the Spirit and life according to the ‘flesh’ (the ‘sinful nature’), reminding his readers that those who are in Christ are those who are led by the Spirit!

Since that is the case, Paul begins with the metaphor of Christians being ‘debtors’ to the Spirit. It is to the Spirit that believers are obligated, not to the flesh – by which Paul means the sinful disposition that leads people away from God. The flesh, Paul continues, brings death, but the Spirit brings life. And so Christians are to ‘put to death’ the deeds of the flesh. Older translations use the word ‘mortify’ for this Greek verb, and that captures the sense of seriously dealing with sin in the life of the Christian.

Pursuing the way of the Spirit is important because it is as Christians are led by the Spirit that they show themselves to be children of God. The Spirit does not shrink back into fear, but reminds those in Christ of their adoption. And so Christians can pray to God as ‘Abba,’ just as Jesus did (Mark 14:36), and as they do so the Spirit brings to mind their adoption as God’s children.

Those who are children of God are heirs of God and heirs with Christ – due to inherit all the riches of the kingdom and the life of glory that belong to God. And yet the path to that destiny will be marked by suffering. Just as Jesus suffered, those who follow Jesus will find themselves suffering with him, sharing the life of the cross so that one day they might share his risen life.

Blessings as we pray that we might always be led by the Spirit.  Be Safe!  Be well!  The Spirit has come!

 To Ponder:

•  How does the thought of being adopted by God affect your relationship with God?
• In what ways do you consciously seek to walk according to the way of the Spirit?