THE GRACIOUS SPIRIT OF ADOPTION

"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." -Romans 8:15 [KJV]

The Spirit of God never was, never is, nor ever can be the Spirit of bondage to any soul. Some have asserted it, but it is a mistake. It is contrary to His name, the Comforter. He is a free Spirit, a Spirit of liberty to the soul. It is inconsistent with His office, He takes of the things of Christ, and shews them to us—testifies of Christ—brings us into the liberty of Christ— enables us to glory in the adoption of children, and to call God Father, in the faith of Christ. 

When He convinces of sin, it is not to bring the soul into bondage, but to break the bondage of sin, of the law, of death, and of Satan, in the conscience, and to cast away the cords thereof, that the soul may be united to Christ by faith. In all this, He is the Comforter. What then is this Spirit of bondage? It is the Spirit of the law. Just as the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor, and made their lives bitter with hard bondage, (Exodus 1:14,) so does the law of all those who are under it. 

Do what they would, they could never please, never get a good word from their task-masters. So let the poor legal sinner, labour, tug, and toil, from day to day, to fulfil the law, and be made righteous by obedience to it, yet like hard hearted Pharaoh, it says, “ye are idle, ye are idle;” pay me what thou owest me, my full due. I am not satisfied. You have not fulfilled my righteous demands. You are still cursed. 

Thus a legal spirit is always in bondage. His soul is always subject to fear. Though he works like a slave, yet he gets nothing but slavish dread of God, and fear of being damned at last. For the law works nothing but wrath in the conscience, (see Romans 4:15.) This is fearful bondage indeed. Glory to the Spirit of adoption, for bringing us out of it, and enabling us to cry, Abba, Father. How does He effect this? We receive the Spirit of adoption by the faith of Jesus. We see a righteous law, perfectly fulfilled by the one obedience of Christ’s life. By this, we sinners are made righteous, (Romans 5:19.) 

Here our hearts take refuge. Through this righteousness the Spirit brings peace to our consciences: discharges from the condemnation of the law: frees us from guilty fears and terrors of God, and instead thereof, breathes this precious cry in our hearts, Abba, my loving, my adopted Father in Christ. Now love takes place in the soul. Once a child of God, and for ever so. The Spirit of adoption never becomes a Spirit of bondage again. But if you do not walk in faith and love, He may leave you to the awful bondage of your own spirit, and under the terrors of a broken law. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.” -Ephesians 4:30 

 

“If I’ve the honour, Lord, to be 

One of Thy numerous family, 

On me the gracious gift bestow 

To call Thee Abba, Father, too.”

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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