Romans 8:14
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.It is a glorious reality that believers, who are led by the Spirit, are adopted and become sons of God. Paul has now added adoption to the theme he has been developing throughout Chapter 8. Believers are in Christ, set their minds on the things of the Spirit, live according to the Spirit, walk according to the Spirit, and have the Spirit dwelling in them. If someone is being led, then it means he is following the person doing the leading. A person that is led by the Spirit follows Jesus Christ and becomes a Son of God. He is a Christian and a disciple. Paul contrasts this with unbelievers who live in the flesh and walk in the flesh.
Therefore, if a person is not led by the Spirit of God, then he is not a son of God. He has not been adopted because he has not been justified, and he has not been justified because he has not been saved. He is unsaved, still in the flesh, and has not been born again. This is yet another verse that refutes the belief that a person can be a Christian and yet not follow Christ. Adopted sons of God are followers of Christ because they are led by the Spirit and this verse does not offer any other possibility.
If anyone is clinging to the false hope of the false carnal Christian teaching, then I urge them to read Romans 8 very carefully.
9 comments:
Looking at that picture, it would seem that there would be easier paths to follow, but they don't take us where we need to go, do they?
Craver,
No they don't.
BTW, this path went to the top of Handies Peak near Lake City, Col.
"This is yet another verse that refutes the belief that a person can be a Christian and yet not follow Christ." - What exactly do you mean by this? I know people who claim to be Christians, put on the show of a Christian, but yet are SO far away. I am in agreement with you so don't get me wrong, but when is it immaturity (in Christ not necessarily in age/years)? The following Him, you mean living as He lived and as he told us to live. If a person knows this but yet lives in complete opposition to this does that make one an unbeliever or immature or completely rebellious? Again, I am in agreement with you, but thought I would ask the questions. Thanks for listening!
You said………"This is yet another verse that refutes the belief that a person can be a Christian and yet not follow Christ." - What exactly do you mean by this?
There are people in America and the world that teach and believe that people can be carnal Christians. This means they do not follow Jesus or submit to Christian beliefs and principles and yet are still redeemed saved Christians. This verse, Romans 8 and all of Scripture contradicts this position.
You said….. I know people who claim to be Christians, put on the show of a Christian, but yet are SO far away. I am in agreement with you so don't get me wrong, but when is it immaturity?
It is a hard thing for humans to discern whether someone has been born again and truly redeemed. Romans 8 makes it very clear that ones heart rather than what one claims is what determines if a person is truly born again. James 2:14-26 also gives insight on what true faith looks like. Even mature saints sin and battle with sin so immature saints would certainly have a problem as well. Having the Holy Spirit dwelling in a believer does not make them perfect, but it does mean they will respond to this grace in a overall heavenward direction.
You said…. The following Him, you mean living as He lived and as he told us to live. If a person knows this but yet lives in complete opposition to this does that make one an unbeliever or immature or completely rebellious?
Romans 8 says the following about following him: that those in Christ will set their minds on the things of the Spirit and live and walk according to the Spirit. This does not mean perfectly as that is impossible. If a person lives in a completely opposite direction, then he is not a Christian. Immaturity is no excuse for being completely rebellious.
For Now,
I am sorry I got in a hurry and didn't acknowledge your comment and thank you for the visit. I use 'Word' to write a lot of my comments and then copy and paste.
I hope my prior comment makes sense and if you have further questions or another view, please let me know.
Yes, and they follow Christ to church...
Thanks!
I agree with you too Jazzy, but then I have to think about David and Solomon. There many periods of time that these men did not follow the Lord. Probably if one were to see them in these "carnal" periods they would not believe them to be saved. So we cannot always look on the outward appearance and know for sure. God sees the heart. (I'm bad about looking on the outward appearance.) I guess the only thing we can do is try not to judge one's salvation, rather we should try to call them to repentance because only God knows if they're truly saved.
But then again, maybe David would admit his faults while he was yet in the midst of some of them and that would be the difference? (Though we know he did try to hide his affair with Bathsheba.) I'm just thinking outloud here.
What we do know is that David was quick to repent when confronted with his sin.
Dawn,
Thanks. You are right in that a person does not perfectly live in the Spirit and follow Christ. That point is made somewhere in these devotionals. I am on #35 as I write this comment so I don't remember exactly which one.
wayne
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