The Spirit, Holiness and Freedom
… because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 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. Romans 8:14-17
In each of these four verses God’s people are called His ‘children’ or ‘sons’ (which includes ‘daughters’) and in each case this status is related to the work of the Holy Spirit. 8:16 might be the only verse that says ‘The Spirit himself testifies … that we are God’s children’ but the whole paragraph is about the Holy Spirit’s witness (the assurance He gives us). How does He do this? Paul gives four ways. We will look at the first two here and the second two in the next two devotionals.
(1) the Spirit leads us into holiness (8:14)
8:14 (‘because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God’) clarifies 8:13 (‘but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live’) by changing the imagery. Those who through the Spirit put the misdeeds of the body to death (8:13b) and who ‘live’ (8:13c) are now called ‘those who are led by the Spirit’ (8:14a) and ‘sons of God’ (14b). The new, full life of those who put the misdeeds of the body to death is the experience of God’s children.
The popular thought of the universal fatherhood of God comes off its tracks at this point. There is a sense that all human beings are God’s ‘offspring’ by creation (Acts 17:28) but we become His reconciled ‘children’ by adoption (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1,10). Just as it is only those who are indwelt by the Spirit who belong to Christ (Romans 8:9), so it is only those who are led by the Spirit of God who are sons and daughters of God (8:14). It is only reconciled sons and daughters who are granted a close, personal, loving relationship with our heavenly Father, immediate and bold access to Him in prayer, membership in His worldwide family and the declaration that we are His heirs.
To be ‘led by the Spirit of God’ (8:14) means having the basic orientation of our life determined by the Spirit. One of the substantial features of this leading is our openness to the prompting and strengthening of the Spirit which enables us to put the misdeeds of the body to death. It means a willingness on our part to be directed and controlled by the Spirit.
(2) the Spirit replaces fear with freedom in our relationship with God (8:15)
‘For you did not receive a spirit (probably ‘the Spirit’) that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship’ (8:15).This is attributed to the nature of the Spirit we received (aorist: a past completed action and so referring to our conversion). In the Roman world of the first century an adopted son was a son chosen by his adoptive father to inherit his estate and continue his name.
Both here in 8:15 and in Galatians 4:1ff Paul uses the imagery of slavery and freedom to contrast two eras, the old and the new, pre-conversion and post-conversion. The slavery of the old led to fear, especially of God as our Judge. The freedom of the new gives us bold access into His presence.
Paul links three great truths – that we received the Spirit of sonship (8:15a), that we cry ‘Abba, Father’ (8:15b) and that ‘the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (8:16). This can be understood two ways, either that we received the Spirit of sonship which enables us to cry ‘Abba, Father,’ or that when we cry ‘Abba, Father,’ it is the Spirit Himself bearing witness that we are children of God. In the first the ‘Abba, Father’ cry is the result of our receiving the Spirit of adoption. In the second it is the explanation of the Spirit’s witness
So these are the first two ways the Holy Spirit assures us that we are God’s children: (1) the Spirit leads us into holiness and (2) the Spirit replaces fear with freedom in our relationship with God.