Romans 8 – The Listening Plan

Devotional

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

– Romans 8:15

It is so important that the Christian recognize, and fully understand, the nature of the relationship with have with God, in Christ. In his first epistle, the Apostle John writes, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.” According to God’s great love, we are joined to Him as His children. We have a wholly new identity in Christ.

We are not striving so that one day we might be called the children of God. We are now, by the love of God, through the Gospel of grace, the adopted sons and daughters of God. We have received the Spirit of adoption where by we cry out to God as “Abba, Father.” For all intents and purposes, this is the Hebrew equivalent of “daddy.”

For this reason Christians routinely say, “I don’t have a religion, I have a relationship.”