Romans 8

Jamie Anderson

This Chapter will rock your world and if you have an amplified Bible read it from there - pick out verses 13 to 16 and here we go!

A few weeks ago I was having a conversation over dinner with a very close friend. The conversation started on the subject of my last Life File - "The King and the Priest" (Ezra 7) but quickly progressed to the principle of "sonship" as in you and I are God's sons... or daughters, as the case may be and what that means. It really challenged me hard.

I realised that I really didn't know what that meant, so my friend used a great analogy. He likened my relationship to God with my relationship to my Dads. It doesn't matter what time of the day or what they are doing - if I need to speak with them, I do. I don't schedule an appointment; I don't have to approach them a certain way and I definitely don't have to be worthy of an audience with them in order to get their attention. Because I am their son and they love me - I have the relationship to be with them whenever I need or want. This is sonship or daughtership!

This is what we have with God but we don't often see it this way, do we?

Do you ever strive to please Him? Do you ever think "If I do this then maybe He will notice and do that?" Have you ever tried to act a certain way or talk a certain way thinking it will get you closer to Him?

If I were to see Him in the way I do my earthly fathers it would mean that I wouldn't strive for God's attention...

Romans 8: 15-16
'For the Spirit which you have now received is not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption the Spirit producing sonship in the bliss of which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God.'

Can you see it that way? Do you see yourself as HIS? It very quickly let's you realise that you can't do anything to make Him love you any more or any less. Once you accept that fact you might find you will stop striving for what you want from Him. The problem with striving is that it means to keep doing the same thing expecting a different result. STOP striving and start living!

I want to encourage you to see yourself the way that God does - as one of His very special ones. He longs for you to just drop by, stop in and hang out. So why not get over yourself, act like one of His kids and see what happens next.

You'll need to read all of Romans 8 but here's a sneak peek:

Romans 8: 37-39
'Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Be Blessed Child of God!