Romans 8:15 NKJV
“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.'”
In several places within the Holy Scriptures, God’s intent for us to live a fulfilled and anxiety-free life can be seen. In the first place, He is the God of all, who created us in His image and likeness, and for His delightful pleasure. More than that, in Christ Jesus—”from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph 3:15 NKJV)—we who were once far off have been brought into God’s Kingdom of light. Therein, we are now under a new spiritual authority, run by our heavenly Father. It is a territory where righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit are the order of the day (Rom 14:17). Yes, our new spiritual placement is where we not only delight ourselves in the LORD, but He equally delights in us (Psa 16:2).
By living in the awareness of our new position in Christ, we find true rest in the unfailing love and enduring faithfulness of our great God. Dreadful fear and anxiety about God tend to rob us of heartfelt expressions (Psa 45:1) and calmness of mind in His presence. However, the LORD desires that we see Him and relate to Him as our loving, caring Father. It is partly for that reason that we have received not “the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father'”, as in our text. Hallelujah! This is a Father-child closeness that each of us has a personal privilege to enjoy.
In light of the same, our God-given gifts, potentials, and even opportunities open up in a big way when we are deeply convinced of God’s love. Put differently, until we are firmly convinced within that God loves us and desires to bring out the best in us for His glory, fear will continue to hold us captive. That ought not be because, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal 5:1 NIV). In that freedom, we freely and reverently relate with our God at all times; our gifts and potentials freely unwind for the glory of His Name and for our wellbeing; and our worship also freely rises as a sweet aroma to the LORD. In that freedom, we freely bear the fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy, characteristic of the spiritual domain where we belong.
Pst. Emmanuel
