By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Romans 8:13-16 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children."- NIV
Paul brought another aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He helps us to subdue the flesh and put to death its misdeeds. After that, we are led by the Spirit and no longer by the bodily desires contrary to God’s ways. The Spirit also gives us the assurance that we are God’s children after one is born again. Because salvation is a spiritual matter, it can be difficult to understand it logically with the human mind just as Nichodemus was totally perplexed when Jesus told him to be born again. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and actualize it.
The Holy Spirit enables our new birth into God’s kingdom and our adoption as sons of God. And if sons, we enjoy the liberty, authority and privileges of sonship. This includes the closeness with God whom we can now address as ‘Abba, Father.’ In Christ, God is our Father, and we have access to Him at any one time of day or night. We should have no more fear to approach God. He dearly loves us as His own. He invites us into His presence for communion without restrictions whatsoever. Hallelujah!
Sonship also entitles us to God’s blessings and inheritance as heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. In the same way, we are a reflection of our Father to the world. We carry His nature, manifest His character by the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and exercise His authority and power to execute His will and purposes on earth. These are the rights and privileges God Almighty has given those called by His name! What a wonder! What a mystery!
Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…"
John 1:12 "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—"
Shalom children of God.