Romans 8:12-17 NKJV 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” We embrace the wonderful truth that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have become children of God. Romans 8:12-17 reveals the profound relationship we have with our Heavenly Father. These verses give us encouragement in our identity as children of God.
As children of God, we are no longer bound to live according to the desires of the flesh. Through Christ’s death and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God has put to death the sinful deeds of the body. Our identity in Christ empowers us to live victorious lives through faith in Him—though His Word and Sprit at work in us through the new man—overcoming the allure of the flesh and its temporary pleasures.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is hidden, but in our lives, He is evident by the transformation He brings. As we are led by the Spirit of God through the Word in the new man, our actions, thoughts, and desires align with His will, though still in weakness. Such alignment, however small as it grows, reveals our status as true sons and daughters of God.
Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God’s family. The Spirit of God testifies within us, assuring us of our relationship with the Heavenly Father. No longer do we live in fear and bondage; instead, we boldly cry out, “Abba, Father,” expressing our intimate and secure connection with our Heavenly Father. Our identity as children of God bestows upon us a glorious inheritance. We are not only heirs of God but joint heirs with Christ Himself. This unimaginable privilege unites us with Christ in His sufferings and promises that we will also be glorified together with Him.
Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and to give more than we ask or deserve. Pour down on us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.