As children of Almighty God, we have not been given a spirit of bondage which causes us to live our lives cringing in fear and dread of His wrath. We have received the spirit of adoption. Through the Holy Spirit we have been begotten to divine sonship whereby we can come to God in complete trust and confidence and cry out “Abba, Father.” We are no longer slaves to fear, we are children of God! We have been adopted into the family of God.

The word “adoption” has changed in meaning throughout the years. The Greeks and Romans had a custom of adoption, but it was not taking a child into a family that wanted it. It involved the transfer of a child from one family to another for the purpose of inheritance. The one who was adopted became the legal heir of the one who adopted him.

He acquired, as part of his inheritance, the property and name of the one adopting him. The Greek word for “adoption” means much more than it does in our English language. The Amplified Version translation of Romans 8:15 gives us a clearer understanding of the original meaning:

For (the Spirit which) you have now received (is) not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption-the spirit producing sonship — in (the bliss of) which we cry, Abba! (That is,) Father! (Romans 8:15, TAB)

The Greek word for “adoption” is huiothesia. The first half of this word is “hios,” which is the word used for an adult son. The second half of the word is thesia, which means “the placement of a person or a thing in its place.” The whole word means not so much adoption, but rather the placing of a son.

We have received a spirit of sonship! Through the Holy Spirit we have been placed as a son or daughter into the family of God and have become legal heirs, possessing all rights and privileges as His children. This verse is not referring to the adoption of a child into another family, but welcoming as a fully matured man, the one that has been born again. In this covenant relationship, as full-grown sons and daughters of God, not only have we received all the covenant rights and privileges as joint heirs with Christ, but we have full access to God whereby we can call upon Him as our “Abba Father.”

In this relationship with God, we can come to Him in complete faith and confidence knowing that He receives us as one of His own and that He will meet every need in our lives. We enter into a relationship with Him whereby we come to know, through experience, His real love toward us. And, as we walk in this relationship with God where His love is being manifested in our lives, we are set free from fear!

I am walking in a new relationship with God where His love is being manifested in my life, setting me free from fear.