This Day in History: 0000-07-03

July 3 – Romans 8:12-17 

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. 
But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For the Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 
And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. 

What victory our family has found in the truth of these verses in recent years! Friends, we are under NO OBLIGATION to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. We aren’t. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we have everything we need to put to DEATH the deeds of our sinful natures! We have been freely given the opportunity to join our Spirits together with the Spirit of the Living God. To be marked forever as His dearly loved children.  

I don’t have to be ruled by bitterness or fear of the future. I don’t have to live my life as a victim. I don’t have to be angry, or un-trusting, or spend my time chasing approval.

My love doesn’t have to succumb to the lure of addiction. He doesn’t have to live hiding in the shadows of guilt and shame.  He doesn’t have to live a selfish life with eyes for only his own pleasures.

Our children don’t have to lash out or repeat the sins of their parents. They don’t have to go searching for security and acceptance from other flawed humans.

Each and every one of us can chose to surrender these areas to God. To allow His Spirit to conquer them. To put them to death.  

Each one of us can call out to our Abba, Father – to our Daddy – and He will help us. Oh, we’ll still suffer. That is certain. But we are heirs together with Christ to the glory of God! It belongs to us already. So let’s choose to live there!