What Must I Do?

Each morning I open the passage I am studying and ask God to highlight something I haven't seen before. He is very faithful and gracious and I have been enjoying the Word like never before in my life as well as being instructed in both mind and heart. It is helping me to grow in maturity, knowledge and wisdom that comes back during the day to be applied to real-life situations.

Today the focus that comes to me is the action words that I find in this part of Romans 8. There is always a lot of question about what is God's part and what is my part and the two usually become confused with me trying to do all sorts of things that are only possible by God. But I can also fall into the problem of waiting for God to do things that He is waiting for me to do. So it is good to see from the Word how I can cooperate with Him in becoming a Spirit-led witness for His name and reputation.

Here are some of the action words that I see as I look at this passage:

• walk according to the spirit (4)

• set my mind on things of the spirit (5, 6)

• have the Spirit of Christ (9) this is not completely a direct action but is a focus

• put to death the deeds of the body (13)

• receive the spirit of adoption (15)

• cry out in that spirit, “Daddy, Father” (15)

• testify with my spirit that I am a child of God (16)

• suffer with Him (17)

• experience the groans within myself as I wait eagerly for the complete fulfillment of adoption (23)

• hope for what I do not see, wait eagerly for it (25)

As I read through the chapter to ferret out these verses I notice how many things God is doing on His part as I choose to respond on my part. What is described here is a relationship of trust between two minds and hearts that grows and strengthens and deepens as each responds to the choices of the other. I believe that this chapter really is a parallel, a practical description of what it means to abide in Christ as talked about in John 14 and 15.

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