LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS
THE SPIRIT’S LEADERSHIP: AFFIRMATION

If you are a child of God, you need have no fear of death. Do you know that if you were to die today and stand before God that He would welcome you into heaven? That date with death and judgment is coming. God doesn’t want us to dread it, have doubt of it, but delight in it.

God gives us affirmation that we are His children. There are several the Scriptures suggest, but in Romans 8:14, Paul mentions one: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” This is the witness of the Spirit within you. He has led you to Christ by calling us to repentance, He has led us to life in Christ by converting us in regeneration, and now He is leading us to the likeness of Christ in righteousness. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom.8:16). How does this affirmation come?

DEATH BY THE SPIRIT

The Apostle presents this affirmation of true faith in Romans 8:12-13:

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The Bible is clear that the Christian is under no obligation to follow the cravings of his or her sinful nature. We know from our study of Romans 7, that Christians—even spiritual giants like Paul—struggle with sin. Yet, there is the possibility of victory in Christ’s power. Even in their struggle and sometime setbacks, they are “overcomers” rather than being overcome. God’s child has repented of sin—there has been a radical realignment of life so that it can only be described as a new birth. You may not be all that you ought to be, but you are not what you used to be—if you are saved. Romans 7:22 finds Paul confessing, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” Can you truthfully say that?

If something walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck—it’s a duck! If your life is dominated by sin—you are a sinner. Now, if the Holy Spirit indwells you, holy living should mark you (8:7-10). The Christian has died to the old life—positionally (Rom.6:1-7). The question then becomes, “How can I experience this practically?” Romans 8:13 tells us it is “by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body.” Death to the self-life isn’t a matter of me trying to kill these passions. It is a work of the Spirit. You can’t crucify yourself! You can kill yourself in a variety of ways—but you can’t crucify yourself. Someone else has to do it for you. This is God’s work.

DIRECTION BY THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:14 stresses, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” What could be plainer? The lost person is directed by the passions of the flesh, the pressure of the world and the power of the devil. This is their mindset, motive and manner of life. Not so for the child of God! Their minds are directed by the Spirit through His Word. Their motives are driven by the Spirit through His grace. Their manner of life is defined by the Spirit in the fruit He produces.


Those who are God’s children have every reason to look for better days! Those who do not have life in the Spirit will only have days of horror rather than hope should they go into eternity unprepared.

Do you have the witness of the Spirit?