Dear Christian friends:

A certain son was preparing to leave home for the first time and go to college. The father and mother were very fine people. All the people in the city respected them very much.

Now you know that when young people leave home they meet many new temptations at college. The father and mother thought about this while their son was making preparations to leave. The father thought about what to say to his son to admonish him. But the father didn't think it wise to make a long sermon, so he said one short sentence when his son said, "Good bye".

The father looked him in the eye and said, "Remember whose son you are." That was a very strong reminder to the son and he never forgot his father's words while at college.

You and I are sons and daughters of God by faith in Jesus Christ. God is our Father. But when we sin we are not acting like children of God. We need to remember that God is our Father then we will be more able to live as His children.

Our text today reminds us that we are God's children and what this should mean to us.


In Romans 8:15 Paul says, "You didn't receive the Spirit of slaves to make you feel afraid again, but received the Spirit who makes us God's children and moves (leads) us to call God "Father."

So God's Spirit lives in our heart. We are not afraid of Him, but trust Him and love Him and freely, gladly pray to Him and call Him Father.

Paul says we have not received the spirit of slaves that makes us afraid. Many people have that spirit, also many church members. These people do not serve God with love and freedom as happy children, but they feel forced and a little bit obey God like slaves. Slaves obey, but they do not serve cheerfully and with love, but always must be afraid of punishment.

Some people go to church because they feel forced. Father and mother, husband or wife or someone forces them to go to church, maybe they are afraid God will punish them if they do not go to church. They do not go with eagerness and thanks to the our wonderful God.

It's the same with money offerings and gifts. Many times we give our money gifts because we feel we have to or are forced. That's why we give small and cheap offerings. We are acting like slaves and not like happy children who love their Father, God.

If we have the right Spirit, the Holy Spirit, then we would bring large money gifts and gladly offer them. We would not worry about food and clothes, our house and other things like that but trust God to feed us and keep us as dear children trust their dear father.

We have not received the spirit of slaves but the Spirit that makes us God's children and that leads us to call God our Father. That Spirit tells us that God loves us although we are sinners. He loves us and forgives our sins for Jesus' sake and He has nothing more against us.

The Spirit also tells us that we are heirs of God, who share inheritance with Christ. The glory of Jesus Christ we will inherit one day. This means that we are rich. Our Father is very, very, rich and we will never want or need anything. Does the heir of a rich Father worry about money? "No." Neither will we.

So because we are God's children and He is our rich and wonderful Father we should as His children love and obey Him. Fight against the bad desires of our flesh. By the Spirit kill the bad activities of the body. Say "No" to sin and temptation.

His Spirit lives in you and assures you that you are free from sin through Jesus Christ's perfect life and death. Not the spirit that makes us afraid but the Spirit who makes us God's children and moves us to call God, "Father." This assures us that we are God's children and also heirs of God who share in Christ's inheritance (glory).

Live as God's children. Don't live to the flesh but by the Spirit kill the activities of the body. This means to suffer as Jesus did. (verse 17b)

Amen.