Adopted by God or Deceived by Religion?

[David]

… Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ~ Romans 8:9

You’ve probably heard it said a million times: you can be a Christian just by being a “good person” or believing in God the way most people in your culture believe in God.

But if we’re honest with each other and with God, neither of those things really jibe with what we see in the Bible. Scripture doesn’t talk about salvation as self-improvement or lifestyle choice; salvation is life from the dead. (Romans 8: 9) If you don’t have the Spirit of Christ in you, you do not belong to Christ, says the Apostle Paul. (Romans 8:9) There is no in-between. This is life or death, truth or lie, heaven or hell.

The chapter is littered with contrasts between two kinds of people, two ways of living: those who walk by the flesh and those who walk by the Spirit. To walk in the flesh means living for self, driven by our old sin nature, seeking pleasure, feeding pride, serving self. A fleshly life may seem polished, religious, or even successful from the outside, but the end result is the same: death. (Romans 8:13)

But, oh the joy, the hope, the possibility, if the Spirit of God lives in you! If you have been crucified with Christ, there is a new power at work in you. You are no longer a slave to sin, death, the devil. You are a child of God, adopted into His family, and walking by the Spirit. (Romans 8:14–15)

So what does that mean in practical terms? Paul spells it out:

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” ~ Romans 8:13

And the proof you are really a child of God is that you’re fighting that battle. You are not just forgiven, you are being transformed by the power of the Spirit. (Romans 8: 1–4) And because Christ lives in you, even your body, sin-sick though it may be, can declare: “Because of Jesus and the life of His Spirit, I am alive in my spirit, even as my body dies, even as it is assailed by sin and death.” (Romans 8:10–11)

Of course, none of this means that the life of a Christian is pain-free or easy. You still have to walk through suffering, disappointment, and trials here on this earth. In fact, Paul says, our present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that’s coming. (Romans 8: 18) Creation itself, says Paul, is groaning under the weight of sin and waiting to be delivered. (Romans 8:22–23) And we are waiting with it! We are saved in this hope, not in what we see now, but in what is promised. And that’s what keeps us going. “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:25)

So what’s the truth? If you are still living in the flesh, giving in to sin, and experiencing mostly guilt or momentary pleasure, then you are not walking by the Spirit. But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you will show it. You’ll be killing sin and crying out to God as your Father. You’ll be living by hope, not fear. And though the world may not see it, you’re an heir of eternal glory waiting for the full redemption that Jesus purchased for you with His blood.

This is resurrection life, friends. This is adoption. This is life the way God meant it to be.