God's Spirit Makes Us His Own Dear Children Forever
(Romans 8:12-17)

Have you ever seen a man fall into a deep, dark pit and not be able to get out by himself? He might try to jump and climb, but the walls are too slippery and high. He needs a strong rope thrown down to pull him up. That's a little bit like what the Apostle Paul is teaching us in his letter to the Romans. Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, and he is helping them understand something very important about who they are now that they believe in Jesus.

Paul tells them, "So then, brothers and sisters, we are in debt. But we are not in debt to our old sinful selves. We do not have to live the way our sinful selves want us to live." Paul is using a picture that everyone in the Roman world would understand. He is talking about a debt. A debt is something you owe. If you owe someone money, you have to pay it back. Paul says that before we knew Jesus, we were slaves to sin. Sin was like a cruel master. It told us what to do, and we obeyed. We were in debt to our old, sinful nature. It controlled us. It was like being at the bottom of that deep, dark pit, and there was no way to climb out.

But then Paul says something amazing. He says, "But if you live by your sinful self, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the wrong things the body wants to do, you will live." This is a different way to live! It's no longer about trying hard to be good on your own. It's about a new power. Paul calls this power the Spirit. God's Spirit is like a strong rope thrown down into our pit. When we believe in Jesus, God gives us His Spirit to live inside us. The Spirit helps us say "no" to the wrong things our bodies want to do. The Spirit gives us the power to live in a way that makes God happy.

Paul says this is what it means to be a child of God. He writes, "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." This is a new identity! The Spirit doesn't make us scared slaves. He makes us sons and daughters. Paul says we can call God "Abba, Father." "Abba" is a special, close word. It's like saying "Daddy" or "Papa." It means we have a close and loving relationship with God. We are not slaves who are scared of a mean master. We are children who love a kind and powerful Father.

Then Paul shares a wonderful promise. He says, "The Spirit himself joins with our spirit and tells us that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are going to receive what he has promised for his children. We will receive everything he has promised. We will share with Christ in all the things God has given him." This is incredible news! Because we are God's children, we get to share in God's inheritance. An inheritance is like a family treasure. Because Jesus is God's Son, everything that belongs to the Father belongs to Him. And because we are joined with Jesus, we get to share in that treasure, too. Paul says we also share in Christ's sufferings, but that suffering will lead to glory. It's like a seed that has to be buried in the dark ground before it can grow into a beautiful, strong plant. Our hard times now are not the end of the story. One day, we will share in Jesus' glory, and we will live with Him forever.

Paul wants every believer to know this truth. We are not orphans. We are not slaves. We are children of the living God, loved and cared for by our Father. We have been rescued from the pit of sin. We have the Spirit inside us, giving us power to live for God. And the best part is that this is a promise that will last forever. We are God's children, and He will never let us go.