UNSHAKEABLE: You and I are now heirs of all the same promises God made to the children of Israel. We are not second-class citizens to the Jewish nation — we have been given a ticket that has a first-class seating assignment! And to seal the deal, God even sent his Holy Spirit to dwell within us (Eph 1:13-14) to guarantee our spot in his royal family for both time and eternity. That sense of family is what the presence of the Holy Spirit causes in you; that’s what his indwelling work produces in the deepest parts of your being: An expectant reaching out to God as your very own Father. You are a prince…a princess, now walk like one!
Unshakeable Living // Romans 8:14
Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
“You are a princess—now walk like one!” So goes the story of the queen, whispering to her daughter as the young lady is about to make a public appearance.
In essence, that’s what the Apostle Paul is saying to you and me: You are a prince…a princess — a kid in the royal family of God — now walk like one! We have been adopted (spiritually, a legal reality — Eph 2:5, and internally, a sense of identity, intimacy, and security is produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit — Rom 8:15-16). We are in the family of God — no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. By Christ’s redeeming work, we who were once far from God have been brought near to God and firmly, fully, and forever implanted in his family. (Eph 2:13-14)
You are a prince…a princess, now walk like one! Get this: You and I are now heirs of all the same promises God made to the children of Israel. We are not second-class citizens to the Jewish nation — we have been given a ticket that has a first-class seating assignment! And to seal the deal, God even sent his Holy Spirit to dwell within us (Eph 1:13-14) to guarantee our spot for both time and eternity.
That sense of family is what the presence of the Holy Spirit causes in you; that’s what his indwelling work produces in the deepest parts of your being: An expectant reaching out to God as your very own Father. I love how the Messages renders Romans 8:15-17,
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!
That is not just something you naturally do. It’s not how you normally think. It is not a usual human instinct to act that way. However, once the Spirit gets a hold of you, you begin to live with a sense of royal family. You can’t help it when he is there reminding you of your true identity and your eternal destiny.
So now that you have been reminded of your new and true identity, walk like the prince or princess you are. Act like the royal family kid that you really are. That’s why Paul begins this section by reminding us of the obligation we now have: “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.” (Rom 8:12) Rather, we are to say no to the old family identity (the sinful nature — Rom 8:13) and yield to the moment-by-moment leading of the Holy Spirit who dwells within. (Rom 8:14)
You are a princess…a prince, now walk like one! Yield to the Spirit — it proves you are a royal child of God. Be led by the Spirit—it is what God’s true children do. How? Look for the Spirit’s direction in your circumstances. Submit to the Spirit’s sanctifying work in your daily life (Gal 5:16,17,25). And primarily, saturate yourself in God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to illumine your spirit with Divine truth and empower your will to obey it. (Eph 5:17-19, Phil 2:12-13).
You are fully and forever in God’s royal family — now walk like it!
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