You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ Romans 8:15 (NIV)
There’s feeling here. It’s not “by the Spirit we say, ‘Abba Father,’” but “by the Spirit we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Something bursts out from the human soul—a profound awareness of loving and being loved.
Who cries out? We do. Paul is talking about personal experience. The Holy Spirit gives us joy in God’s love. It is by him that we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ It’s the special work of the Holy Spirit to convince you that you are a dearly loved child of God.
God communicates his love to us in two ways: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (5:8), and “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who he has given to us” (5:5). It is the special work of the Holy Spirit to convince you of God’s love—to bring you out of the slavery of having to constantly prove yourself to him, so that you can come home and enjoy his love.
What difference will it make to know that God loves you? Reflect on how God’s love is impacting your current experience of worship, your recent experiences of pain, and your hope for the future.
