Now We Call Him, “Abba, Father”

 Meditations on Romans

August 25, 2021

Now We Call Him, “Abba, Father”

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

Romans 8:16

Read Romans 8:12-17

For the Apostle Paul, new life in Christ was as different as night and day, as life and death. To make his point, he often used strong language, such as verse 13: “But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” (Emphasis mine) (See also Romans 6 and Galatians 2) By appealing to the ‘power of the Spirit,’ Paul makes his case that the Christian ideal of new life in Christ is not just pie in the sky. By God, in God and through God, we are transformed to become like Christ and experience the life of Christ here and now. Paul believed this new life in Christ so surpassed anything this world has to offer, he considered everything else as worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. This too is my goal. And as Paul forgot the past so he could press on to make the life in Christ his way of life, so also do I. (See Philippians 3:7-14).

My Takeaway: When Simon Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus blessed him and said, “. . . my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being” (Matthew 16:17). Paul affirmed Jesus’ teaching when he proclaimed, “Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:15c-16). I believe the greatest days in the life of the believers are when we experience God’s Spirit affirming with our spirit that we are his, and he is our Abba, our Father.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.