“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”
Romans 8:14–16
The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Adoption gives us great comfort and peace as we go through this life and overcome every battle with sin. The comfort and joy come because Jesus Christ has already overcome the battle for us through Calvary’s Cross. Jesus bought our adoptive rights with His Life at the Cross, His Blood signed the deed to our Covenant Relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit assures and leads us to remember we forever belong to our Abba Father. One of the attributes of the Holy Spirit is that He is the Spirit of Adoption poured into our hearts. Not only is it His Justifying Power that bring us into the Family of God, but it is His Sanctifying Power that conforms us into the family resemblance of our big brother Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:15 is a snapshot that shows us how we were once slaves to sin and set free by the Power of God. This is the action of the Lord our God choosing and adopting us when we were in bondage to sin. In an instant, our position as an outcast and a slave changed to heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. At this time, we did not know how lost, broken and fallen we truly were until Jesus Christ came knocking upon the doors of our hearts and we made the greatest decision of our lives to let Him in. We may say we found God, but it was the Holy Spirit that relentlessly chased us down at the command of Jesus Christ to bring us into the Eternal Covenant relationship with our Father in Heaven. In fact, the Presence of the Holy Spirit instantly transformed our hearts from viewing God as a slave master to a loving Papa God. We were then transfigured from trembling subjects to Sons and Daughters of God. In that moment, our adoption papers were signed and we were welcomed into the Family of God.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about restoring the broken fellowship with our Heavenly Father and renewing us into the Image of God that was lost at the Fall. Now that the work is finished through Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit marking us with the Seal of God that we have His approval and are truly His Beloved Children. The Spirit of Adoption bears witness to our spirit that we know without a shadow of a doubt that we have eyes to see and recognize our Abba Father moving in and working out all things in our lives. As a Child of God, we feel His Hand upon our shoulder leading and guiding us daily into His Perfect Will. Through His Sanctifying Power, the Lord moves upon us to become the best version of ourselves through the Holy Spirit to make us more like our big brother Jesus Christ. We are given ears to hear Papa God’s Voice daily reminding us how crazy in love He is with us as His Children. This heavenly relationship cannot be duplicated or imitated. That which is of the Spirit speaks Living Waters of life, godliness, peace, and comfort to strengthen our faith and relationship with God. All else holds no living water to bless, strengthen and encourage us in our faith. God always reminds us through the Spirit that we are important to Him, we matter to Him, and we are loved by Him.
