Our possession of the Holy
Spirit is the very essence of what it means to be a
Christian. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of
Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
Those who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit
living within them. Moreover, if you have Him
indwelling you, you will live like Him (vv. 10-13).
We know that we are true
Christians because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in
us, and because our lives have been changed by His
indwelling presence.
Moreover, we have a new status
and relationship with God. “All those who being led
by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (v.
14). We have a new relationship to God; we are
members of His family. Paul speaks of our being
“sons,” “sonship,” “children,” “heirs,” and
“co-heirs with Christ” (vv. 15-23).
John Calvin said, “All who are
led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God; all
the sons of God are heirs of eternal life; and
therefore all who are led by the Spirit of God ought
to feel assured of eternal life.”
We are His children by the new
birth, and the status of “adopted” children.
Let me be very clear, not
everyone is a member of God’s family. We are all His
creatures having been created by God, but only those
who are “led by the Spirit of God” are the sons of
God. Those who are not led by the Spirit are not
Christians, and therefore not His spiritual
children.
Jesus made this fact clear in
John 8:39-47. Specifically note what Jesus says, “If
God were your Father, you would love Me; for I
proceeded forth and have come from God. . . He sent
Me. . . You are from your father the devil, and you
want to do the desires of your Father. . . . He who
is of God hears the words of God; for this reason
you do not hear them, because you are not of God”
(vv. 42, 44, 47).
Only those who possess the Holy
Spirit and are led by Him are the children of God.
Indeed, Paul is telling us that all believers in
Jesus Christ are members of God’s family.
In the passage above Jesus says
there has been a radical change in our status with
God. We have been delivered from Satan’s realm to
God’s family. We were children of the devil, but now
we are children of God. We are “in Adam,” but now we
are “in Christ.” We were “dead in trespasses and
sin,” but now we are “alive in Christ Jesus.” We
have received eternal life. We were unrighteous
sinners, but now we have been clothed with the
righteousness of God in Christ. We were slaves who
have been emancipated by the redemption that is ours
in Christ Jesus. We are children of God by a
spiritual birth. He has placed us as full-grown
children by adoption in His family.
This new relationship with God
in His family is something He did for us in His
grace. God imparted to us this new life and status
when we repented and believed on Him as our Savior.
The “new birth” gives us this new spiritual life.
The Holy Spirit stirs and quickens our hearts to
cause us to repent and to love God. It is such a
radical change that we observe a renewing of our
minds after God’s things, our emotional responses to
God’s Spirit and our volitional choices are the
outcome of this new mindset.
The Holy Spirit uses His Word,
the Bible, to convict us of sin, God’s
righteousness, and causes us to be born spiritually
into God’s family. Then a Christians He uses His
Word to guide us in the Christian life.
When the Holy Spirit renews
your mind, you will demonstrate it by the way you
live.
Have you experienced in your
life this radical change that God brings about when
He makes us His children? Where is the evidence that
you are now a child of God? Do you love Him? Do you
love the things of God? Do you love His Word? Are
you trying to please Him? Is the Spirit leading you?
Are you submissive to His will? Jesus said, “If you
love Me, you will keep My commandments.” If you are
a member of His family you will bear resemblance to
Him in all you do.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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