Romans 8:12-17 (NRSV)
Read Romans 8:12-17 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh- Verse 13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Verse 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Verse 15For 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!" Verse 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Verse 17and 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.
Devotion
As the National Director of Cherish Our Children, I spend a great deal of time and energy pondering and speaking about what the “Good News” of Christ is for our children. In particular, I am called to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Paul reminds us that God has not given us, the children of God, a spirit of slavery, exploitation, or of being used. As we know from stories of young people trapped in systems of sexual exploitation, these all lead to fear and death. Instead, we are given a spirit of adoption, of being children of God, of being heirs with Christ. Our identity is wrapped in love, security, and wholeness; forever. Surely, Christ suffers when children and young people are exploited! Christ’s heart and our hearts are broken, and we are called to prevent this from happening again.
Prayer
Gracious and Holy God, we give you thanks that we are your children and that we can come to you in prayer, and your Spirit will bear witness to your love. Help us to live in your love, so that we may keep others from being enslaved by systems of exploitation. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.