The Spirit . . . does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. (Rom. 8:15)
Expanded Passage: Romans 8:14-17
An all-encompassing fear gripped a family that attended our church. The father was prone to jealous, drunken rages that led him to abuse his wife. Their children carefully lived their lives trying to prevent harm to their mother. They were at the mercy of another’s impulses daily, enslaved to fear. Likewise, their father was a slave to his sin.
How quickly we too become slaves to our own sin. Sin we have allowed in our lives soon takes root and grows, making it harder for us to win future battles. When we realize our helpless state to do the good we want to do, this leads to fear.
What a joy to know that we do not have to be slaves to sin! God offers us a way out—salvation! When we accept his Spirit into our lives, we can truly be free from fear and sin as we follow his lead daily. We become part of God’s family, co-heirs in his spiritual kingdom. Sadly, the domestic violence in the family above ended in tragedy. Even so, two daughters from this family have placed their faith in Christ and now rest in God’s hope and strength. They know they are part of a new spiritual family—God’s—and know that God offers them freedom from fear and a kingdom built on loving principles.
Leave your fears behind and rejoice in the freedom God offers you!
Caryl Aukerman is a wife and mother of three and has served with Global Partners for over seventeen years as a missionary in the country of Albania.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
