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Timothy: Romans 8:12-17
Heirs with Christ

12 So, then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to flesh,

13 for if you live according to flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!

16 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.

17 And if children, also heirs; truly heirs of God, and joint-heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Please note that when the term “spirit” is used without a definite article in Greek to refer to God and Christ, it refers to their mindset and should not be capitalized. If it is used to refer to humans, it refers to the human mindset. When used with a definite article, it refers to the essence of either God or humans.

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I offer my gratitude to You for Your love and faithfulness that constantly pour down upon me. You still care for my life and my family, and You still bestow grace upon me to continue living and serving You in this mortal body. You still have the Eternal Living Word of God ready to nourish me. May the Lord Jesus Christ give me strength, and may the Holy Spirit guide my spirit. I am grateful to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, I would like to share my understanding as I read and meditate on Romans 8:12-17.

Dear Father, I understand verse 12 to mean that God’s people are not obligated to obey the demands of the flesh.The flesh only knows to demand that its desires be satisfied, no matter what. On the contrary, God’s people have power over the flesh to make it serve, as the Holy Spirit has taught in I Corinthians 9:27.

Dear Father, I understand verse 13 to mean that if someone has received the Gospel but still lives according to the flesh, following its evil desires that lead to sin, then they will bear the consequences of sin, which is death. However, if someone has received the Gospel with understanding in their spirit and disciplines their flesh, making it serve God’s law and not following its evil desires, then the flesh’s evil desires will die and that person will live.

Dear Father, I understand verse 14 to mean that someone who truly repents their sin and fully believes in the atoning death of Christ will be saved. The saved person receives the spirit of God, which means understanding from God about God and His laws, in their spirit. From there, they live according to the understanding in their spirit, remaining in the position of God’s children.

Dear Father, I understand verse 15 to mean that God gives His people an understanding in their spirit that they have been adopted as His children, not slaves. Therefore, there is no fear, only joy among the people of God. As a result, the people of God can call God “Father” and confidently address Him as such.

Dear Father, I understand verse 16 to mean that someone who truly believes in the Gospel will undoubtedly receive the seal of the Holy Spirit that they have been saved, and the Holy Spirit will dwell within their physical body. They will receive the teaching of the Holy Spirit in their spirit, making them understand and believe that they are children of God, enabling them to call God “Father.”

Dear Father, I understand verse 17 to mean that because God’s people are adopted as God’s children, they will inherit the entirety of God’s inheritance. God’s inheritance is the Eternal Kingdom of God. This kingdom has been entrusted to Christ to rule, so God’s people in the Church are co-heirs with Christ and will co-reign the Eternal Kingdom of God with Christ.

Dear Father, I understand that to be co-heirs with Christ means to share in His suffering. This means to hold onto faith, even if it means enduring all the persecutions of the world that are inflicted upon God’s Church, for the world hates the Church. The Church is the body of Christ, and each of God’s people is a member. If we do not suffer with Christ, we will not share in His glory.

Dear Father, I thank You for the glory that You will bestow upon me in the Kingdom of Heaven. Please help me to hold onto my faith while sharing in Christ’s suffering, so that I may remain a child of God forever. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
03/24/2023