Romans 8:12-17

Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Main Points: Paul further explains the Christian walk. 1-11 Defines the reasoning behind becoming a Spiritual Person….putting the mind on God through Christ. 12-17 Defines WHAT that makes us for pursuing that: God’s children….Heirs….With Jesus.

10. Why are we debtors? What are we debtors to? (12) See chapter six and Paul’s analogies on slavery (service). Well…Paul has just indicated that Jesus and God must dwell in us (11). That is a gift -chapters 3,5. More specifically, he also asserts that we are SLAVES/SERVANTS to something regardless what we do. If we were servants to the law, we gain nothing (sin/death). God has FREED us from that through Jesus. That seems a pretty good debt to accrue. DEBTOR: G3781 ὀφειλέτης opheiletēs of-I let'-ace From G3784; an ower, that is, a person indebted –Root word means to “be under obligation”

11. What does it mean to be led by the spirit? (14) See 6:16: Obedience leads to righteousness, 6:17: Obedient from the heart, 6:18: Set free from sin, slaves to righteousness, 6:22 Slaves to God. This is an attitude, or view of the physical world as belonging to God, and I belong to God, and, I need to exhibit this truth in my life. Obedience is the evidence. NOT rote obedience. Christian do what they do (obedience/good deeds) out of our love/understanding of what our God has afforded the world through His son.

12. What does it mean to be “sons of God?” (14) Sons: G5207 υἱός uihos hwee-os' Apparently a primary word; a “son”. Not much left to interpretation. God makes us part of the family. BAM!

13. Explain verse 15. What is the spirit of slavery and the spirit of adoption? What does it mean to cry “Abba, Father?”  Extending the idea of slavery/bond-servant (Chapter 6): The one in this case is freed to join the family. Slavery is working for wages. An adopted child works for the Father….for whatever the Father endeavors. He sleeps in the same house, eats at His table, grows His kingdom, defends His name.  Abba: G5: Ἀββᾶ Abba ab-bah' Of Chaldee origin [H2]; father – Father: G3962 πατήρ patēr pat-ayr' Apparently a primary word; a “father” (literally or figuratively, near or more remote): - father, parent. This greeting/beseeching has multiple layers of meaning. Father is the sense that the one invoked is relied upon. Father in the familial sense. It brings a tone of familiarity (but never irreverence). This makes perfect sense when we speak of a God that seeks to DRAW US NEAR to Him.

14. How does the Spirit bear witness/testify with our spirit? (16) This will not happen unless we align ourselves with God. The Spirit (HS) is the finisher of the Plan and reveals how we comply to His will. (As what Paul has been driving at: rejecting sin, aligning ourselves to God through Jesus in faith…exhibited in obedience (a Godly life)).

15. If we are children of God, then what else are we (17)? What does this mean? How do we receive this status? Yup…main point – heirs. Heir with the son Jesus. We’re family now, in God’s house. Jesus inherited the kingdom. We become fellow heirs with Him.
Jesus gained his status through suffering/death. As Paul has indicated (chapter 6), we MUST also die in concert with the death of Jesus. There are also other sufferings the Christian will face for calling on the name of Jesus.