12 So then, brothers, 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 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.
— Romans 8:12-17 (ESV)
We owe our flesh nothing and God everything, yet we often find ourselves not living that way.
Verses 12 and 13 teach us to live by the Spirit — feeding our eternal future — rather than the flesh, which seeks to consume our souls.
The deeper we walk in the Spirit the further away from fleshly desires we will find ourselves. People often try to remove themselves from bad situations, when in reality if they will just get closer to God they will naturally distance themselves from things that are spiritually harmful. Allow the Spirit to pull you away from the grip of the flesh. Verse 14 makes it very clear that children of God are led by the Holy Spirit, not the flesh.
Salvation does not protect us from making mistakes, but we must continually put the flesh behind us and push toward the things of God. Only there can we find spiritual safety. It does take intentional, personal, continued effort. It has to be important to you, but YOU don’t have to do it.
Through the Holy Spirit He will both direct and correct you along the way.
When we say we cannot resist temptation and rise above sin, we are wallowing in a spirit of slavery. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave in order to swing our prison doors wide open. The least we can do is move out of the cell!
When we accept the Spirit of adoption detailed in verse 15 we are confessing that God loves us like a son or daughter. We have been grafted into the bloodline of God our creator. The Holy Spirit confirms in our spirit that we truly are in the family of God. Listen, believe, and accept that truth. A truth is a truth whether you accept it or not. However, accepting that truth fully activates it in your life and gives you access to supernatural power.
Part of our inheritance is living on this Earth and traversing a trail of trials and challenges on the way to our promised place in the presence of God for eternity.
Austin Bishop is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Those wishing to receive his daily devotional/Bible study notes may sign up by texting 601-938-2471 and asking to be added to either the morning or afternoon list.
