Romans 8: 12-17
“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation–but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according ot the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship (adoption). And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
This scripture has become a precious gem of life to me this month. It has slowly begun to transform my entire view of the Christian life. It is reshaping my understanding of what it means to be a justified sinner. It is gradually releasing me from the bondage of lies I have believed about God, myself and others. Praise God–He is slowly drawing me out of a “slave” or “orphan” mentality and lifestyle, and drawing me into the loving presence of His kingdom! It is one thing to read of God’s family; it is another thing to take ownership of that truth and realize that YOU are in fact that unworthy sinner who has been accepted into His holy family. Around Christmastime, I felt the Lord impress on my heart to study the topic of Legalism vs. Grace. While searching my Grandmother’s bookshelf on Christmas day, I came across a book called “From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons & Daughters of God” by Rose Marie Miller. Its questions on the back immediately caught my eye. It said: “Do you:
–hate feeling “out of control”?
–work hard at being a moral person?
–build emotional “walls” in your relationships?
–do what’s expected of you but then resent it?
–feel overloaded with guilt because you just can’t love others?”
Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
I brought the book home with me, showed it to my Mom, told her how excited I was about reading it. Then, I found out that it was, in fact, a book my Mom had borrowed a while ago from Rondi Lauterbach, a close family friend. Rondi had loaned it to my Mom, who read it, loaned it to my Grandma, and forgotten to give it back to Rondi when they moved out to San Diego a couple years ago. All this time, it has been on my Grandma’s shelf, and now it has made its way back to me. So, not only does the book itself have a special story, but it has also been an instrument of creating a new spiritual story in my life this past month. I have read many spiritual books in my lifetime, and I can say without a doubt that this book has become one of those life-changing instruments that God uses to dramatically open His children’s eyes to the reality of the Gospel.
A month of in-depth study regarding the topics of legalism, grace, condemnation, fear, freedom in Christ, particularly within the book of Romans and Galations, has been precious. And I would like to share with you the truths that God has revealed to me because of His mercy, by His grace, and ultimately for His glory. For, it is His truth that sets us free!
To give you a taste of what is to come, here are few of the mental attitudes that an “orphan” has towards himself and God: (Miller, 1994).
–Life consciously or unconsciously is centered on personal autonomy and moral will power, with grace understood as God’s maintaining your own strength–not as his transforming power.
–Faith is defined as trying harder to do and be better, with a view to establishing a good record leading to self-justification.
–Obedience is related to external, visible duties, with attitudes and deeper motivation virtually ignored
–“What people think” is represented as the real moral standard, based upon visible success and failure.
–An I-am-a-victim attitude is supported by coping strategies, wall-building, blame shifting, gossiping, and defending.
–All this is accompanied by intense feelings of aloneness, believing that no one understands and that one is trapped by circumstances.
I am looking forward to sharing with you all in the weeks to come! It is truly a miracle of grace when God reveals powerful truth that re-shapes and molds us closer towards His very heart.
(Click on the Title of this post to view the book on Amazon…)