Romans 8:14-15

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 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.”

Encouraging Words

“Abba, Father.” What an endearing statement this is. As followers of Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God. We have the privilege of speaking to God as our loving and caring father. Through His love and act of adoption we are no longer in bondage, or slavery, to sin but are now sons and daughters of our God. Glory be to God, our Father, our Abba!

Psalms 109:21-22 (108:21-22)

But You, O Lord, O Lord, deal mercifully with me for Your name’s sake,
For Your mercy is good.
Save me, for I am poor and needy,
And my heart is troubled within me.

Encouraging Words

Our God deals with us mercifully and His mercy is good. He gives us so much more than we ever deserve. Through Him our troubled heart can be healed and made whole again. Glory be to God!

Romans 8:10

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Encouraging Words

Due to the fallen state of this world, we are born in a state of death. Both our physical bodies and spiritual souls are condemned to death. However, because of Jesus, His incarnation, sinless life, death, and resurrection, He has destroyed death and the hold that it had on us. We are dead to sin because of Him alive to righteousness. We can, and should choose to live righteous, sinless lives for Him. Glory be to God!

Psalms 104:33-34 (103:33-34)

Romans 8:1-2

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Personal Challenge

This verse is so often used to justify behaviors that are contradictory to the teachings and expectations of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many proclaim to be Christians and yet do not follow in His footsteps, or as this verse says, “walk… according to the Spirit”. We can proclaim to be followers of Christ and in conspiracy theories or belittle those who do not practice their Christian faith the way we do or be nationalists for our home is not of this world, or be hostile to the alien amongst us, the migrant or immigrant. Jesus did not do any of this and expects us to flee from it as well. He wants us to love God and to love our neighbor. He wants us to worship God and not some political, sports, or religious celebrity. He wants us to walk according to the Spirit. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 103:17-18 (102:17-18)

But the mercy of the Lord is from age to age upon those who fear Him,
And His righteousness upon children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant
And remember His commandments, to do them.

Encouraging Words

We are reminded in John 3:16-17 that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. It is in this love that we are blessed to receive His love and righteousness. He pours it out upon us and if we follow Him, He grows it within us. Glory be to God!

Romans 7:17-20

But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Personal Challenge

Paul nails the challenge of life so well in this passage. We all have that desire to do the good and godly things in our lives. And yet, we continually find ourselves doing just those things that we do not want to do. Our desire is to be spiritual and yet we continually get drawn into the temporal, the worldly. It is indeed a conundrum, one that pushes us to recognize that we need Jesus to help us sort this out. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 103:10-13 (102:10-13)

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Encouraging Words

Salvation is not really about us at all. We are the recipients of a gift given by God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a gift that wipes out our sins; past, present, and future. We receive it gladly and yet continue to sin. It really is all about God and His love for us, His mercy poured out upon us and His compassion toward us even when we continue to sin against Him. He is the one that we must always put at the center of salvation. Glory be to God!