There are only two kinds of people in the world to God: people who have the Holy Spirit living inside them and people who don’t. The first are called Christians. The others are those who need Christ—the mission field.

In the book of Romans, Paul wrote that those of us who are believers should consider the blessing of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us and not live ignorant of it. We shouldn’t be like a man who goes to the bank and doesn’t know that somebody has put three million dollars into his account as a gift. He thinks he has only $285.49, so he’s sweating over a bill.

The teller says, “What are you sweating for? You’ve got three million dollars.”

“No, I don’t have three million.”

“Yes, you have three million!”

But with God, we have unlimited spiritual resources. We have the Holy Spirit. And that, Paul explained, makes us children of God: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14, NIV).

Not only does the Spirit of God dwell in us, but He also leads us, as we are submitted to Him. So those who are led by the Spirit are the true children of God. They’re the ones who can be like Christ, because the Spirit of Christ is leading them, guiding them, shaping their thoughts, shaping the very springs of their desire and will.

Since the Spirit who lives within us shapes our thoughts and our desires, we don’t constantly live telling our flesh, “Be quiet; I don’t want to do that. I told you to leave me alone.” No, we live in a positive way, led by the Holy Spirit.

This new resident inside us, the Holy Spirit, does not bring us into bondage again like the old spirit of the flesh did: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again” (Romans 8:15, NIV).

When we live under the flesh, which is self-seeking and sinful in nature, we are driven, because the flesh is never satisfied. It pushes us, and we say, “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have watched that.”

Then we say, “I’m not doing that anymore.” But do we think that’s going to quiet the flesh? No. The flesh just pushes us harder. So we become slaves.

But Paul says, “Through Christ, the slavery is broken.” Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, and He takes away slavery and gives us the Spirit of sonship. We’re adopted into the family of God, and the Holy Spirit gives us the awareness, the confirmation, that we are children of the heavenly Father.

“The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15, NIV). There’s a cry inside us: “God is my Father.” He’s not our enemy. He’s not just the Creator. He’s not just the all-powerful One who knows everything. He’s our Father.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16, NIV). The Holy Spirit is the only One who can bear witness with our own spirits and make us know that we’re sons and daughters, that God is our Father.

Even when the Lord corrects us and chastens us, it’s for our good, because He’s our Father. What father wants to kill his children? That’s an aberration. But we have a heavenly Father filled with love.

How do we know that we’re children of God? By the Holy Spirit who lives in us. That’s one of the reasons He’s there—to let us know, “Rest now. Rest. Father’s going to take care of things.”

We wake up in the morning, and everyone’s nervous around us—the economy, politics, turmoil everywhere. Yet we can rest. Why? “My Father’s going to take care of me today.”

Is God going to take care of you today? Do you believe that? Are you sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s confirmation, the cry He gives us, of “Father, Father”? It’s not a cry of “Oh, help me!” although we sometimes do need to say that, but of “Father. I belong to Father.”

More than that, because God is our Father, we’re part of a family that’s going to last forever. Are you an American first? Are you black or white first, Indian, Trinidadian, or Brazilian first? Or are you a Christian first? As believers in Christ, we have brothers and sisters of all different races. Why? Because we have the same Father, and the Spirit bears witness with our spirits, “That’s my brother. That’s my sister.”

It’s very sad today that so few people who profess to be Christians identify first as children of God. On social media, they destroy their so-called brothers and sisters over political and racial questions. How tragic!

We’re in the same family. Why? We have the same Father. Let the world fight and kill, but not us. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).

Let’s remember today that God is our Father. We can rest in His love. And His love in us flows to our brothers and sisters. Let’s stick together and pray for each other.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who guides us in Your truth and love and reminds us that we are Your children. Help us rest today in You, our Father. And help us put our identity in Christ above all our differences, love one another as brothers and sisters, and walk in unity as one family.

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