Understanding The Spirit-Filled Life

To understand the Spirit-filled life, we must have a proper understanding of law and grace.

We are not under law, but under grace.

This means we no longer relate to God as judge, living in fear of his condemnation and judgment.

We now relate to God as our Father, assured of his love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

This is the story of the Spirit-filled life.

God Sent The Spirit of Jesus To Live In Us

Galatians 4:4-7 says,

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba, Father”. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you an heir.”

In God’s perfect timing, he sent Jesus to fulfill the law.

Jesus fulfilled the law by living a life of perfect love, both inwardly and outwardly.

He is the only one who has loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loved others as himself.

By fulfilling the law, he became qualified to pay our sin penalty.

After Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf, and paid our sin penalty through his death, God set us free from the law, sending the Spirit of Jesus to live in us.

The Spirit Cries Out “Abba, Father”

The Spirit of Jesus in us calls out to God, “Abba, Father”.

The word “Abba” is the word Jewish boys and girls used in Jesus’ time to refer to their dads.

In America, we say “daddy”. Abba is a word that has love bursting from it.

It is a word describing the joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness of a daddy toward a child.

It has no hint of fear in it.

None at all.

This is the kind of relationship we have with God under grace.

It is a relationship where we experience the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness of God as our Father.

On our good days and bad days, God is a loving Father who consistently responds to us in love.

Because of his love, we do not have to live in fear of his punishment (1 John 4:18).

Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

The Bible says we are “God’s dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1).

He has great love for us (1 John 3:1).

We are his dearly and greatly loved children!

From my book, The Story of Grace. Available on Amazon.