The Holy Spirit Confirms That We Are the Children of God

For Paul, “the distinguishing mark of the Christian is that God himself, through the Spirit, indwells us” (Issler, 2000). Paul states, “However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). The working of the Spirit allows us to live life to the fullest; this means living as God’s children, according to his will.

The Holy Spirit confirms in us that we are the children of God. In Romans 8:9-16, Paul emphasizes that we “are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” and that those “who are being led by the Spirit of God” are children of God. Being led by God’s Spirit, and living according to God’s will confirms our relationship with him.

In our finite minds, we can never fully fathom all there is to know about the working of the Spirit, but Scripture alludes to two major aspects that require our participation (Issler, 2000). As Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are: “1) to become increasingly aware of the Spirit’s guidance in our lives; and 2) to initiate new steps of faith in which we leave room for God to work” (Issler, 2000). The Spirit guides us because we are children of God (Romans 9:14). As we learn to surrender daily to the Spirit’s guidance, he “makes us more and more like the God we love” (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Holloway & Lavender, 2004). Part of the way we surrender to the Spirit’s guidance is by practicing spiritual disciplines.

Christians become children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-27). Paul speaks of the beauty and blessings of being God’s child, confirmed by the Spirit, a few verses later in Galatians 4:4-7:

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

The apostle John also speaks of the great blessings of being a child of God (1 John 3:1-4:4). Among those are that we abide in God, that he abides in us, and that we know God (1 John 4:7-16). In other words, we have a deep, intimate, relationship with God. These things are confirmed in us because God has given us his Spirit (1 John 4:7-13).

Along with the blessings of being a child of God comes the responsibility of keeping God’s commandments and loving our brothers and sisters (1 John 4:19-5:3). We can only do these things through the help of the Spirit (1 John 3:24-4:4) who confirms that we are God’s children.

References

Holloway, G. and Lavender, L. (2004). Living God’s Love: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality. Leafwood.

Issler, K. (2000). “The Spiritual Formation of Jesus: The Significance of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Life.” Christian Education Journal. Vol. 4, 6-22.