In this article I want to consider a second aspect of adoption, the work of the Holy Spirit in each child of God. In Romans 8 Paul mentions several ways in which the Spirit works in his people. They are led by the Spirit (v. 14), they have the Spirit of adoption who gives the witness of the Spirit (vv. 15-16), and they have the firstfruits of the Spirit (v. 23). Paul connects each of these workings with the privilege of adoption.

Leading of the Spirit (Romans 8:14)⤒🔗

The context of this leading concerns mortification of sin. In the previous verse Paul writes: ‘For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,’ and then adds in verse 14, ‘because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.’ In verse 13 the believer is active and in verse 14 he is passive. As far as Christian experience is concerned, the activity of the Spirit in leading precedes the activity of the believer in mortifying. As John Murray states, ‘The activity of the believer is the evidence of the Spirit’s activity and the activity of the Spirit is the cause of the believer’s activity.’

When he uses the phrase ‘led by the Spirit’, Paul is not using it in the way it is often used by Christians. For example, it is common for a person to claim that they were led by the Spirit to do a particular action, such as going to speak to a certain person about the gospel. Often this is likened to a burden on the heart or a suggestion to the mind. Paul is not referring to such subjective influences here. Rather he is saying that the Holy Spirit leads Christians to mortify their sins, and the evidence that a person is a son of God is that he or she is slaying their sins.

Mortification of sin is necessary because we need to become like our Elder Brother. That is God’s purpose for us, gradually in this life and perfectly in the next.

Mortification is a spiritually painful experience because we have to deal with attitudes and ambitions that are ingrained into our heart and mind. Our inner life is like a garden made up of beautiful flowers and horrible weeds. We are to root out the weeds, not just cut them off at ground level which allows them to grow again. It is possible, by self effort, to achieve the equivalent of cutting down weeds to ground level. But we need more than that. We need the presence and power of the Spirit.

But mortification is also a personal activity in which each focuses on his or her own sins. In Colossians 3:5, Paul tells each Christian to put to death whatever belongs to one’s earthly nature. This involves self-examination, of asking the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and minds. Similar to the illustration of only cutting the weeds down to ground level, we will fail to realise that some plants in our garden are actually weeds if we don’t ask the Spirit to guide us. Then when he has identified these sins we use his power to deal with them.

The biggest factor that needs mortified is self, especially self-righteousness. How can this be done? The best way is to replace the sin by a corresponding grace. Instead of the weed of pride, plant the flower of humility; instead of the weed of impurity, plant the flower of purity; instead of the weed of worldliness, plant the flower of being heavenly minded. The best way to get these flowers is to meditate on the character of Jesus Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to produce them in us.

This does not mean that we will experience a perfect garden in our souls in this life. But we should be uprooting more weeds and planting more flowers. The sons of God will make progress in becoming like their Elder Brother.

The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)←⤒🔗

In verse 15 Paul contrasts the Spirit of adoption with the spirit of bondage which produced fear, whereas the Spirit of adoption results in the cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ That the term ‘spirit’ is used in two senses is obvious; what is not obvious is to whom or what each refers. There are three possible meanings.

1. Both uses refer to the human spirit: by ‘spirit of bondage’ Paul means either the sinful attitude that controls unbelievers or the period of conviction of sin prior to conversion; by ‘spirit of adoption’ he means the new outlook of intimacy with God that the person experiences once he becomes a Christian.

2. The second suggested meaning is similar to the first except that ‘Spirit of adoption’ refers to the Holy Spirit who gives the new outlook to the believer at conversion.

3. Both uses refer to the Holy Spirit. Some say this refers to the Spirit as the cause of conviction of sin; others that he was the Spirit of bondage during the Old Testament dispensation when Israel was under the ceremonial law; and he is the Spirit of adoption because that period of bondage is over.

James Buchanan, for example, in his The Office and Work of the Holy Spirit acknowledges that primarily it refers to the Mosaic economy, but that it is also a picture of what the Spirit convicting of sin. He writes:

When the apostle says, “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear,” the word “again” implies that at some former period there did exist amongst God’s people that spirit of bondage unto fear which is here contrasted with the spirit of adoption, and that they even received it from God himself. There is reason to believe that the apostle refers, in the first instance, to the difference between the two great dispensations of divine truth, or to the contrast which is elsewhere so strikingly marked betwixt the law and the Gospel (p. 250).

But he also writes:

There is a remarkable resemblance in this respect betwixt the course of God’s dispensations to the Church at large, and the methods of his dealings with each individual in particular; for just as, in the history of the Church, the first covenant, which gendered unto bondage, preceded the fulness of Gospel liberty in Christ, so, in the experience of private Christians, there is often, in the first instance, a spirit of bondage unto fear, before they receive the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father … But I speak not of the bondage of sin, but of the bondage of the law, not of the yoke of natural corruption, but of the galling yoke of convictions produced in the conscience by the Word and Spirit of God (p. 251).

Personally I incline to the third option, although in a sense it does not matter because Paul is saying that Christians no longer have this experience of bondage. Instead they cry, ‘Abba, Father.’

It is often pointed out that ‘Abba’ is the word a Jewish child uses when speaking to his father. I’m not sure what the relevance of that is, because ‘Abba’ is also the word that an adult son or daughter would use of their father. The word was used by family members with reference to a parent in legal texts concerned with inheritance matters. There is no justification in this word for the idea that God should be called ‘Daddy’; the term means ‘father’, which is a title of respect and reverence. The word does point to an intimate experience of God, but not a childish one. Perhaps it will help us appreciate this if we recall that Roman practice of adoption was normally that of adopting adults.

The word translated ‘cry’ points to strong crying. This suggests a measure of boldness in claiming the relationship with God as Father, whether or not the cry is vocalised or only made internally from one’s heart. It indicates the confidence that Christians should have through this wonderful relationship with their heavenly Father.

When Paul, in Galatians 4, refers to the Spirit’s role in adoption he describes him as ‘the Spirit of his Son’. There are several ways in which this description of the Spirit could be interpreted, but the aspect I would mention is that the work of the Spirit in producing this confident outlook in Christians is similar to how the Spirit equipped Jesus to express this outlook as well. Jesus’ distinctive method of prayer was noticed by his disciples, which was why they asked him to teach them to pray. As well as praying themselves, they had heard many other people pray. But they observed that Jesus in prayer was different from how others prayed, and not only in the fact that he never confessed sin. His prayers were different in that they were addressed to the Father. So the Spirit comes to help us learn to imitate Jesus in our outlook towards God as we have communion with him in prayer.

Paul, in Romans 8:17, also refers to the witness of the Spirit: ‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.’ Many ideas have been suggested as to what this involves. Robert Peterson points out that this witness is supernatural (comes from God), individual (unique to each believer) and inscrutable (cannot be fully explained).

Paul in Romans 8:16-17 indicates that an aspect of the witness is linked to addressing God as Father. Perhaps we will appreciate this testimony of the Spirit if we combine Paul’s references to this address in Galatians 4 and Romans 8. In Romans, Paul says that it is the believer who cries, ‘Abba, Father,’ and in Galatians he says that it is the believer who cries, ‘Abba, Father.’ In that twofold description, there is a human contribution and a divine contribution.

These two statements are best harmonised by recognising that the cry “Abba, Father” is seen by Paul as expressing the co-ordinated witness of the believer and the Spirit. There is one cry, but that cry has two sources: the consciousness of the believer and the Spirit.Sinclair Ferguson

In the prayer, both happen together, but it is obvious that the human element is a lot weaker than the divine element. The Spirit’s contribution strengthens the believer’s awareness of the relationship. But the witness of the Spirit, or the giving of divine assurance, is not limited to our prayer lives.

This is not merely an intellectual conviction, for the Spirit also works on our emotions and our wills. Depending on the situation, the emotions may be joyful or fearful. If we are having a mountain top experience, then it is almost certain that the witness will involve a great sense of joy and peace. If we are going through a valley experience, then the witness may be accompanied by a sense of fear or apprehension, as was even the Saviour’s experience in Gethsemane. The witness of the Spirit may also express itself in intense feelings connected to repentance of our sins as we once again discover the forgiving heart of our God.

This witness is strengthening also to our wills or to our resolve to follow Jesus as our Master. On the mountain top, the Spirit gives the assured confidence to continue the life of faith. But he also does it in the valley experiences when things are difficult. And he gives it to penitent Christians, which explains why they can have a holy, even bold resolve to serve the Master that they had let down.

Paul does not indicate that this witness of the Spirit is experienced only by some special Christians. His use of plural pronouns (we, our) indicates that he expected all his readers in Rome to know what he was referring to. We should not use the concept to create the impression that there are different classes of Christians; what we have are Christians going through different experiences and stages, and each of them needing this strengthening witness. ‘Though doubtless in differing degrees of intensity, all who have the Spirit’s indwelling are given the Spirit’s witness too’ (John Stott).

In addition to being led by the Spirit to engage in mortification and having the Spirit of adoption, Paul reminds the children of God that they currently have the firstfruits of the Spirit.

The Firstfruits of the Spirit (Romans 8:23)←⤒🔗

By the term ‘firstfruits’, Paul is likely using an illustration from Jewish agricultural practice that required the worshippers give to God an initial sample of the future harvest. He uses the idea elsewhere when he refers to the resurrected Jesus as the firstfruits of the resurrection that will also involve his people. The extent of the Spirit that believers now experience is a sample of his future workings in them after Jesus returns.

Paul, in this paragraph of Romans 8 that contains this phrase, is writing about the future of creation and how it currently groans in anticipation of its release when the sons of God are revealed. And he says that God’s children also are looking forward, to experiencing the resurrection and transformation of their bodies: ‘Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.’ Further, he also says that the Spirit himself groans within believers:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (v. 26).

This groaning of God’s children, in the context, is also connected to the sufferings of believers in this present world. These sufferings can be caused by others, but they are also part of having, for the present, a body marked by physical infirmities and death. Paul refers to this in 2 Corinthians 5, where he writes that Christians groan, longing to clothed with their heavenly dwelling (the resurrection body).

Yet the concept of groaning in this passage is not one of despair or of defeat. It does involve disappointment with the current state of things, along with a sense of frustration at the things that hinder progress and fulfilment. But it is not a groan that suggests that things will not get better. It is like the groan an expectant mother gives in the pains of childbirth; it is a groan marked with anticipation, optimism and longing for something better, indeed for the perfect world. It is like, but far superior to, the groans that marked the early emigrants from Europe as they crossed the ocean to find the promised land on the other side.

Longing for heaven is not escapism. It brings us into harmony with the desire with what the Holy Spirit is longing for and what the universe unconsciously is waiting for. Not only does it gives us harmony, this eternal perspective also gives us hope as we live in a world marked by disappointments, failings and frustrations. And it gives us a peace and joy not dependant on things around us.

Thanks be to the Father for giving to us, his children, the Spirit of his Son.