Romans 8:10-16 We Cry, "Abba Father"

Romans 8:10-16  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.  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.  

Christians live life for eternity because Christ lives in them.  He gives us a life that goes beyond this veil of tears.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  We who are IN CHRIST because of faith in his works and not our works are alive evermore.  Consequently, we really have no reason to cater to mankind’s fleshly desires, placing the inclinations of the flesh above the spiritual domain in our lives.  Our lives should be directed by the voice of God—this voice will lead us to God’s will, not our own will in the flesh.  For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  How can we be led by the Spirit unless we hear his direction, his appeal to our inner man?  We who are alive IN CHRIST must be ready to hear his voice, to be inspired by his words, those written down in the Bible and his words within our spirits.  If we fail to recognize his voice, his leading, we are just as lost as people in a vast desert, with no landmarks to help them find their way out of the arid land.  As Christians, if we listen to the Spirit, we need not fear becoming lost or losing heart.  As the writer of Hebrews reminded the church, Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.  (Hebrews 3:15)  Consequently, we must stay in tune with the Holy Spirit’s voice in our lives.  He will direct us to places where we can find comfort and hope.  He will remind us that Christian fellowship is important to us for our survival.  He will inspire us to pray and to read the Bible.  The Spirit will focus our eyes and our attention on our celestial destination and not on our present terrestrial existence.  He will help us understand that every day we are with our Father God, for He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  (Ephesians 2:6-7 NKJV)  We can cry, “Abba, Father" to the Creator of everything, knowing his realm is our existence.  This is living by the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, knowing we ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD. 

The Word of God teaches us that we who ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST have not received the spirit of fear but of sonship.  The Spirit we receive does not make us slaves, so that we live in fear again; rather, the Spirit we received brought about our adoption as sons and daughters of the Most High God.  Living by the law will bring us into fear, for the law can only condemn us, but living by the voice of God will lead us into peace.  A love relationship will bring peace; a relationship of criticism and judgment will bring fear and condemnation.  Paul’s conversion happened in a few minutes, and it changed him from Saul who lived by the law to Paul who lived by the voice of God.  Before his conversion, Saul was an enemy of Jesus Christ, attacking Jesus’ body by persecuting and killing Christians.  He was very zealous in his duty of doing away with any apostasy in the Jewish religion.  His intentions were to destroy all who named Jesus as their savior.  But Jesus stopped him on the road of Damascus: “Saul! Saul!  Why do you persecute me?”  “Who are you, Lord?” I asked.  “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.  “What shall I do, Lord?” I asked.  ”Get up,”  the Lord said, “and go into Damascus.  There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.”  (Acts 22:7-10)  In this conversion, we see Paul delivered from slavery to the law into the hands of a loving God in just a few short statements: “What shall I do, Lord?”  “Get up,” the Lord said, “and go into Damascus.  There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.”  Paul calls him Lord or Master.  Immediately, Paul places his life into the hands of the Lord.  He does what the Lord instructs him to do.  He becomes converted by placing his trust in the person behind the voice that called his name.  He walks away from that Damascus’ road scene as an adopted son in the family of God.  From that time on, He could call his Creator, Abba Father.  Of course, later on, we know he was baptized in water and in the Spirit.  But before those events, we see a blind man, Saul, obeying one that he knows is Lord by going to Damascus in obedience to his call.  Hearing God’s voice is our choice as well, to obey our Lord as He directs our lives, calls us to a life with him.  The result of conversion is placing our lives in the hands of God.  On a walk of faith, we place our trust in the one who has called us by name.  Do you hear your name in place of Saul’s name?  God is calling you just as emphatically today.  As Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  (Matthew 16:24)  Those who answer his call and are led by the Spirit are God’s sons and daughters ! 

Circumstances can defeat us if we take our eyes off the Lord, losing sight of his promises to give life to our mortal bodies.  When we become defeated, we sometimes think the best answer is closeting ourselves away from everyone or taking to our beds, literally covering up our heads.  Retreat often seems attractive when we are overwhelmed by the trials of life.  But as we take another look at the scene on the road to Damascus, we see the Lord telling Paul, "GET UP!  Go to Damascus, do what I have asked you to do.”  This is Christ’s directive for each of us, no matter if we are having days of success or times of failure.  The word of the Lord is always: GET UP!  God has a renewed purpose for your life every day.  He has a new goal for you, a new work for you.  Paul needed to go to Damascus to find his new goal for living.  Jesus was telling him, “You were traveling to Damascus for one purpose, but I have changed that purpose to a new one.  NOW GET UP, go to Damascus, and a man will greet you there, telling you a new purpose for your life.”  We who are IN CHRIST must always align ourselves to God’s new directions.  We are ambassadors of Christ to this world.  Recently, we went to a memorial service for Mom’s Uncle Phil.  Phil was a highly decorated soldier in the Korean War who became a Christian just before marrying Aunt Eddie.  One time Phil came to Mom to apologize for a disagreement they had over his reaction to one of his children.  Mom did not need him to apologize, but he was listening to the Spirit.  He needed to say what he said, and he found peace in the saying of his apology.  He carried out the mission, just as he did so many times in the military.  But now he was God’s soldier.  Every day in a believer’s life there is a new reason to live, a new assignment to carry out.  But to fulfill God’s plans, we must first get up and then go forth.  Hearing and obeying the voice of God will bless us greatly.  Jesus said, He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, out of his heart (innermost being) will flow rivers of living water.  (John 7:38 NKJV)  We must go to the cistern within us that holds this water and let it flow out to others, so they can taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  Meet your Lord today, face-to-face.  He has given you an ear to hear his still small voice.  His words of endearment and encouragement are always there for you.  His guidance and comfort for you are also present in his words.  We do not live in fear of God’s judgment, for Jesus offered the supreme sacrifice for our sins; therefore, we live in a close, intimate relationship with our Father.  Christ is our righteousness: we abide IN HIM, WITH HIM, FOREVER.  As we know: This righteousness is given through Faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  (Romans 3:22)  Place your total faith in him today as the Spirit of God leads you.