Todays Romans 8 Devotional by the new guy... Jeremy Curtis. Heirs with Christ 12 So then, brothers,[e] 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 all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[f] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “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 fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. There have been seasons of my life where I have struggled with worthiness, or unworthiness I guess I should say. I’ve struggled with the belief that I have truly been forgiven, that I am free from my sin, and that I truly have the power to overcome the darkness and fear that the human condition can bring. I’m sure you can relate. It exists within us all. Fear, regret, shame, pride, anger, and the list goes on. Temptation lurks around every corner. The enemy is tripping us up in the slyest ways, slowly breaking us down and building in us a sense of low “spiritual” self-esteem. He (the enemy) reminds us, ever-so-slightly, that we are not good enough, that we are not ever going to live up to the standard so we should just give up and let it be. It’s so much easier to live by the flesh. It’s so easy to just give-in to the temporary satisfactions of the world and the let the lies wash over us like dirty swamp water. But!!!! Then I read verses like this one where the Holy Spirit speaks through the words of the Apostle Paul and reminds that the Spirit of God leads us away from those lies. He declares that we have been adopted by God and we are no longer a slave to our flesh. Pastor Jason Britt, a couple of weeks ago, made everyone repeat the repeat “the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in me.” He told us that we experience those feelings of unworthiness that we should speak that out “loudly”. That’s what this passage is saying! If you are a child of God and an heir to the throne of heaven, then the Spirit of God the Father has empowered you to leave the flesh behind and walk in the ways of the Spirit So I challenge you today. Rise up! Wake up! Be reminded of the Spirit that is within you. You are not a slave to your flesh or a citizen of this world. You are a child of the most high God, your Father, and your Leader.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 13:19:33 +0000