Devotionals for April 24, 2023
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READ
Romans 8:12-17
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
13 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.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
15 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.”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
REFLECT
There is a symbiotic relationship between faith and works. On the one hand, our faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross is what justifies us. On the other hand, our faith is shown to be legitimate by the fruit we bear. This mysterious connection has elicited much debate throughout church history. Am I a Christian if I keep struggling with the same sins? Is my status as a child of God dependent on my performance? Then again, can I just go on sinning? Sometimes the answers to those questions have been so complex to exhaust the person seeking them. Paul takes a different route in his letter to the Romans. Instead of explaining how it all works, he simply lays it out before us. As children of God, as heirs in His kingdom, we have an “obligation” to live according to the Spirit. But, in the same way, our status as children of God is not something we conjure up with our works. God tells us we are his (v.16), and from this reality obedience naturally flows.
APPLY
Q: How does Paul describe our relationship to God?
Q: Where in your life do you need to rest in the promise of your adoption in Christ?
Q: What does discipleship look like in light of this passage?
SING
“My Testimony” by Elevation Worship
PRAY
"Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy."
Lord, help us to remember our sonship. Help us to be sensitive to your Spirit which beckons us at all times to obedience.
READ
Romans 8:12-17
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
13 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.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
15 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.”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
REFLECT
There is a symbiotic relationship between faith and works. On the one hand, our faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross is what justifies us. On the other hand, our faith is shown to be legitimate by the fruit we bear. This mysterious connection has elicited much debate throughout church history. Am I a Christian if I keep struggling with the same sins? Is my status as a child of God dependent on my performance? Then again, can I just go on sinning? Sometimes the answers to those questions have been so complex to exhaust the person seeking them. Paul takes a different route in his letter to the Romans. Instead of explaining how it all works, he simply lays it out before us. As children of God, as heirs in His kingdom, we have an “obligation” to live according to the Spirit. But, in the same way, our status as children of God is not something we conjure up with our works. God tells us we are his (v.16), and from this reality obedience naturally flows.
APPLY
Q: How does Paul describe our relationship to God?
Q: Where in your life do you need to rest in the promise of your adoption in Christ?
Q: What does discipleship look like in light of this passage?
SING
“My Testimony” by Elevation Worship
PRAY
"Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy."
Lord, help us to remember our sonship. Help us to be sensitive to your Spirit which beckons us at all times to obedience.