Our Spiritual Growth Daily Devotions

SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 2023

TEXT: Romans 8:9-17

9. But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.

10. Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God.

11. God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.

12. So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want.

13. If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.

14. The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.

15. The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “Abba,_ Father.”

16. And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.

17. If we are God’s children, we will get the blessings God has for us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.

(Easy-to-Read Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: LIFE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Some brethren insist that a person can become born again before requesting for the Holy Spirit to be given to him/her. This is not true because in today’s text, Paul affirms that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (verse 9).

It is the Holy Spirit who convicts a person about sin and righteousness, brings the repentant sinner into the body of Christ and applies the gift of eternal life upon him/her.

Paul also adds that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you” (verse 11).

Because of this, we have been granted the privilege to inherit the Kingdom of God and now we are co-heirs with Christ. It is also because “those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” and this Spirit does not make us slaves (verses 14-15).

Today, we can face life and its challenges without fear because we have been redeemed and will outlive the challenges of sin and death.

QUESTION: Have you been living by the Spirit or the flesh?

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, thank You for living in me and guaranteeing the new life that I have in Christ Jesus. Help me to live under Your leadership, in Jesus name. Amen.