Romans 8:15-17
15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. 17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.
The Holy Spirit is given many names in the Bible. He is called the Spirit of Truth, our Advocate, Helper, Companion and many more. The Spirit of Adoption is one that I have only recently discovered. I suppose that I must have read this scripture before, but I certainly did not pay enough attention to it. Adoption is a legal process whereby an adult has to make an active choice to adopt a child. That adult does not have to adopt the child, normally they do so because they really want to. When the process is finalized, that child is regarded to be the legal child of that adult in exactly the same manner as a naturally born child. They are fellow heirs. No difference. The child is legally not regarded as illegitimate or an orphan, and has the same rights and responsibilities as a naturally born child.
Friends of mine adopted a little boy. The day the adoption was finalized, they explained to him that there is a law written that says nobody can take him away from them anymore and they cannot give him back either. He is now theirs forever. I think this is what God says to us. He says there is a law written in heaven that says we are His and nobody can take us away from Him. This scripture is written from God's perspective. If He has adopted us we are regarded to be 100% legal, legitimate children of God in every way and aspect necessary and possible. In God's grace though He knows that we - like many adopted children - are struggling to receive that reality into our spirits. From our human perspective we often continue to see ourselves as illegitimate, orphaned or add-on family members of God. We need a new perspective. We need to accept and receive the fact that we are heirs of God just as Christ is. Our human hearts are just not able to do this on our own. Therefore, God gives us the Spirit of Adoption. He does not give us a spirit of bondage to fear but the Spirit of Adoption by whom we can cry out "Abba Father".
Point to ponder this week:
Have that conversation with God - the one about exchanging the orphan spirit, the spirit of bondage to fear and illegitimacy, with the Spirit of Adoption.
Our song of the week celebrates the safety that this Adoption into the family of God brings for us
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.