Fears vs. Sonship

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Romans 8 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received 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. (Romans 8:14-17, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
To be honest, this week has been one of a lot of struggling of the sort found in Romans 7. Why do I do what I do not want to do? I only do what I really don’t want to do and I end up reaping the consequences of shame and guilt. What can I learn from Romans 8? 

Paul contrasts the person who sets his mind on the flesh versus the person who sets his mind on the Spirit. That’s the key difference when approaching spiritual struggle. The man whose mind is set on the flesh is basically the person who does whatever his body feels like doing. He does what feels natural to him. I think for most people and often for myself, this feels like the right thing to do. In the moment of sin, it feels like the right thing to do, or at least I can justify it away as being okay. But as Jeremiah writes, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). 

I can really attest to the fact that to simply allow my natural feelings guide my life leads to dire consequences. As much as I think that I am in control, the real driver is oftentimes my flesh… whether it be pride or lust or greed or anger or self-preservation. The result is a death of some sort—of my innocence, of relational strength with a friend, of relational closeness with God, of the joy and peace that comes from knowing that I am following the Lord. And ultimately, this sin leads to separation from God and eventual spiritual death. The scary thing is that from Romans 7, it sounds like this kind of living is almost inevitable—Paul talks about having a body of death. What then can I do? I would need to stop trusting in myself in trying to fulfill the law because it can’t be done. I know that I have such a propensity to achieve right-standing by doing what is good. But such a strategy repeatedly fails me because I end up failing and then I am overcome with guilt. 

What does it mean for me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit? Paul introduces a new law in chapter 8—the law of the Spirit. It is the law that says that I am justified before God not because of my performance in being a good person, but because Christ shed his blood on the cross so that I could have his righteousness. 

This new law removes the framework of works-based affirmation which I am so prone to fall back on. It tells me that in my struggles, I need to draw strength not from my own will power, but by meditating on what God has done for me despite my failures. He died for me. He loved me. He came to remove the whole system that left me in a mess of condemnation and guilt, and he replaced it with the assurance that by faith, I have become righteous before the Lord. In approaching my sins and the times when I fall, the Lord has provided a way to remove my guilt and to replace it with an overwhelming sense of thanksgiving. For me to be focused on the Spirit is to stand in wonder of what God has done for me. Then, there is strength against temptations. Then, my heart actually wants to pursue what is good and I can share in Christ’s victory over sin.

Paul talks about the spirit of slavery which is marked by fear of condemnation. This is the kind of fear that I am familiar with. Growing up, my life was all about performance in pursuit of the American Dream which threw me in restless comparison and competition. My plan was to invest my worth in the idols of women, money and success. What drove me was primarily the fear of being rejected or not “making the cut.” How could I make sure to save face before my friends and family? As a result, I worked hard and strove to be that self-made person. (I probably would’ve been one of the most ungrateful people who couldn’t attribute my success to anyone outside myself.) My life would’ve been enslaved by the fear of needing to maintain a respectable resume. I remember feeling depressed in college when I learned of so many ways in which I was far from perfect. In fact, I began to see that my life was primarily driven by selfishness, pride, and worldly lusts. What could I do? 

Probably one of my greatest fears even now is to have my character flaws exposed before people. (How strongly even now I often try to maintain a righteous image!) But what could I do in that moment of realization? That’s when passages like these speak to me. No, my standing has nothing to do with my performance—or else I would have answer to the great mess of my life. I have been rescued from such enslavement and given a new identity in Christ. He has granted me sonship and a place to call home—a place of full acceptance and love, where I have no lack, and where I can finally rest. 

Instead of being that proud, self-made man who labored for his lot in life, in Christ, I have been graciously called “child” and given a grand inheritance that I did not build nor deserve. That is the freedom that I have found in Christ. Who can condemn me if God himself has declared me righteous before the heavenly hosts? He has accepted me just as I am. In the times I feel right before God and in the times that I am still painfully aware of my soiled heart, it matters not. Christ in my solid foundation and my sure righteousness.


PRAYER:
Abba, Father, it is so sweet to rest confidently in my place as your child. Thank you so much for the work of your Son. Thank you for the life-giving Spirit. Strengthen me by your Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of my flesh. Empower me by your Spirit to rest in my place as a child of God. I want to rest in my God-given identity so that I might live as more than a conqueror today. 


WHO AM I?
This is my husband, Tres Sansom.  He thinks he's so very funny writing all about how I'm supposedly lazy.  If only I had time to paint my toenails and watch 24!!  (Wow… to think of how relaxing both of those things would be).  In reality, though, he is the most loving and supportive husband I can ever imagine.  He takes "the kid" on rides around the neighborhood (on his lap), to the park and puts him to bed without me from time to time to give me some down time.  He buys me gift certificates to spas to get massages, he writes my devotional for me when I've run out of time and he loves us all (me and these two children that we've started fostering) unconditionally.  He truly is the most amazing man I know, and sometimes I still can't believe I have the privilege of being his wife.  I am the most blessed woman in the world!