Legally His

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Legally His, was written by Amy Boucher-Pye. Liz cried for joy when she and her husband received the birth certificate and passport for their child, making the adoption legally binding. Now, Milena would always be their daughter, forever part of their family. As Liz pondered the legal process, she also thought of the true exchange that happens when we become part of Jesus's family. No longer are we held down by our birthright of sin and brokenness. Rather, she continued, we enter into the fullness of God's kingdom legally when we are adopted as His children. In the Apostle Paul's day, if a Roman family adopted a son, his legal status would change completely.

Any debts from his old life would be canceled and he would gain all of the rights and privileges of his new family. Paul wanted the Roman believers in Jesus to understand that this new status applied to them, too. No longer were they bound to sin and condemnation, but now they lived according to the Spirit. And those the Spirit leads are adopted as God's children.

Their legal status changed when they became citizens of heaven. If we have received the gift of salvation, we, too, are God's children, heirs of His kingdom and united with Christ. Our debts have been canceled by the gift of Jesus's sacrifice.

We no longer need to live in fear or condemnation. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 8 verses 1 through 2 and 10 through 17. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. And now picking up at verse 10, but if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And 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. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you receive does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again.

Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. 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. Let's pray. Dear God, thank You for drawing us to You and into the fullness of Your kingdom, for forgiving our sins and for calling us Yours when we turn our lives over to You. Help us now to live fully committed to following You and trusting You with our whole life. Thank You, Father. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.