March 23, 2025
Welcome to Gateway! It’s such a blessing to worship with you today. If you’re new to Gateway, we want to extend a special welcome to you. Please visit GatewayOnline.org/nextsteps to get more connected.
"Led by the Spirit: Living in our New Identity" (Romans 8:5-11)
Romans 8:12-17
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 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.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 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.
Verse 12 literally say we are not "debtors to the flesh." When you are indebted to someone you must live by the rules they created. That’s why Paul reminds us that we are not indebted to the flesh. We don’t have to play by sin’s rules. We don’t have to be subject to it in any way.
1) The Holy Spirit confirms that we belong to God.
Many doubt whether they belong to God for 2 reasons:
1) They falsely think God weighs our "good works" against our "bad works" and the one that wins determines whether we belong to God or not. The only way for us to be a child of God is through faith in Jesus.
2) They falsely think they can lose their salvation. Once you are born into God's family, you are His forever.
2) The Spirit leads us.
We must make ourselves leadable. We must learn to release control and follow the Spirit's leading, knowing that He loves us deeply and His plan is always best.
The Holy Spirit really does lead those who want to be led!
3) The Holy Spirit provides intimacy with the Father.
The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy because He called God His "Father." (John 5:18). He took it a step further in the Garden of Gethsemane by calling God "Abba," which was a term similar to our word for "Daddy." Paul says the Spirit causes us to cry out "Abba" as well. He brings great intimacy with the Father.
We must rediscover dependence on the Holy Spirit.
"When Western workers are involved in leading Muslims to Jesus, for example, the dreams and visions almost completely disappear from the process. Surely, this is an indication that many Western workers do not feel that dreams and visions are needed (or perhaps they wonder if they are even possible!). Since Western workers 'know how to lead people to Christ,' they would not need to rely on spiritual realities such as dreams and visions. In a disturbing twist, the activity of the Holy Spirit can be 'replaced' by the wisdom, experience, strategy, and presence of the Western worker."
-Nik Ripkin, The Insanity of Obedience
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus:
“God, thank you for loving me even though I’ve rebelled against You. I confess that I’m sinful. I’m so grateful that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Right now I turn away from my sins and I turn to You. I’m putting my full trust in Jesus to rescue me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and washing me clean on the inside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
