A Spirit of Adoption

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father! it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:15-17 NRSV

This is the scripture that began my whole journey in looking at fear of God in the Bible. You will probably be happy to know that this concludes my series of devotionals on fear. This is also one of my favorite Bible passages, as I am adopted and have a personal grasp of what that means.

Paul is reminding the church at Rome that fear belongs to our lives before Christ. Because God has adopted us as God's children, we now have a spirit of adoption. I equate that kind of spirit with love.

You see, as and adopted person myself, I know what great love it took for my blood mother to give me to strangers. I also know what great love my parents had for me in adopting me and claiming me as their own with no reservations. And I know that God's love has been with me from conception until today. Love, not fear, is the Spirit of adoption.

God give us that Spirit of love so that we are freed to love God in return. And in loving God, we also love our neighbors as ourselves. We are not slaves but are free children of God. Praise God! Hallelujah!

Happy Easter!

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims