Life in the Spirit
Opening Prayer
Look up and let the rain of God’s blessing splash on your face as you meet with him.
Read Romans 8:9–17
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Read Psalm 126 and share in the incredible realization that God has delivered his people.It is impossible to overstate the difference that the Holy Spirit makes to a Christian. The indwelling presence of the Spirit is the very definition of a Christian (9). The Spirit makes us spiritually alive and guarantees our life beyond death in a body like that of our risen Lord (11). The Spirit is, literally, the Spirit of Jesus; note the interchangeability of “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ” in verse 9. Since the very Spirit of Jesus—the Son of God—lives within the Christian, it is the most natural thing in the world to relate to God as Father (14–16) and to have the same confidence about the future as Jesus has (17).
Although all of this is an amazingly generous, and undeserved, gift from God, we do have a part to play. Within a Roman household, both the slave and the son and heir had a duty to the head of the family. Both recognized his authority, but from very different standpoints. So we have “an obligation” (12) to live in the new life of the Spirit. We do this freely and joyfully, in the full dignity of being children of our Father.
Apply
Have you viewed God as a loving father ready to love you? Write down a list of qualities that you believe make a good father.
Closing prayer
Today, Father, I gladly receive Your wonderful gift of the Spirit. I offer myself to be led by the Spirit, and to live my life as Your child.
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