"Abba, Father!"

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” ~ Romans 8:15, NKJV

Earlier Paul dealt with the dichotomy that exists in all believers. Our bodies follow the law of sin and death, but we, with our minds, serve God. Though a believer sins and must fight his flesh constantly, seeking to obey the Spirit instead, he does not walk according to the flesh anymore. The direction of his life is toward God. He has been set free from the law of sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ, and now, in Christ, he has the liberty to say "No," to sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who, because they are in Christ Jesus, do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit! (Romans 8:1) The Spirit of God is not the spirit of bondage that we are used to, which brings us terror and leads us into death and more terror. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of adoption, who gives us the right to cry out to God, "Abba, Father!" God's perfect love for us casts out fear and builds for us an unassailable fortress of security. If the living God and creator of all things treats us as and calls us His beloved sons and daughters, how are we going to come to any harm? He works all things together for good for us. (Romans 8:28) Paul takes the truth of the Spirit of adoption and follows his line of reasoning right into the glorious finale of Romans 8:31-39: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

'For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I do not have the spirit of bondage. I am no longer under any condemnation. I have no reason to be afraid with any terror. I have received the Spirit of adoption by whom I cry out to the Sovereign God, "Abba, Father!"

by Rebecca