The Spirit Made Me Do It

Recap of Last week

Before we dive into today’s passage, let’s remember where we’ve been. Last Sunday Pastor Rusty walked us through Romans 8:1–11 and reminded us of the hope we have in Christ.

He showed us that when you chase the things of the flesh, you’ll always end up empty. The flesh promises satisfaction, but it leaves nothing but hunger and regret. He reminded us that your mindset reveals your heart if your thoughts are always consumed with the world and never the kingdom, you’re living in the flesh.

But he also showed us the beauty of grace in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit doesn’t mean life is easy but it does mean life is secure in Christ. Even when the road is hard, God gives His peace. As Pastor Rusty said, we’re either slaves to sin or slaves to Christ there’s no neutral ground.

And what an encouragement it was to be reminded that the patience of God stretches farther than we can see. His mercy is deep, His grace is wide, and His purpose is clear: this life isn’t about chasing the American dream, it’s about glorifying God.

Introduction

R.C. Sproul once said, ‘The Holy Spirit is not given to the church to make us happy so much as to make us holy. It is by the Spirit alone that we are able to put to death the deeds of the body.’ And in another place, he wrote, ‘The greatest privilege the Holy Spirit bestows upon us is adoption. To be called a son or daughter of God is a greater honor than to rule nations or preside over empires.’

That’s Romans 8:12–17 in a nutshell. This passage is about the Spirit who cancels the flesh’s demands, confirms our adoption, and secures our inheritance.

Y’all know I’m a Marvel head. And one of the most powerful movies in the MCU for me was Black Panther. There’s this unforgettable scene where Chad Bowick who plays T’Challa comes forward to claim the throne of Wakanda. Now, he doesn’t walk out there as just another man trying to prove himself. He doesn’t step up wondering if he belongs. He comes as the son of a king. His identity isn’t in question. His inheritance isn’t up for debate. The bloodline secures his place.

And if you remember, part of the ritual was the challenge. Other tribes could step forward and fight him for the throne. He had to prove himself. But even in the challenge, everybody knew — this man is not an outsider. He’s not an orphan. He’s the rightful heir.

Now think about this: in Christ, that’s exactly what Paul says about you in Romans 8. You are not some outsider trying to earn your way into God’s family. You’re not a spiritual orphan scrambling to prove you belong. You’re not still making payments on a debt to the flesh. No if you’re in Christ, you are a son, you are a daughter, you are an heir. The Spirit Himself secures your adoption papers and places a crown on your head.

So when somebody asks, ‘Why do you live differently? Why do you trust God even in the hard seasons? Why do you call Him Father with confidence?’ the answer isn’t ‘because I’m strong enough’ or ‘because I figured it out’ — the answer is simple: ‘The Spirit made me do it.’”

Read Romans 8:12–17 “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

1.) The Spirit makes us kill sin. (12-13)

John Owen, in his classic The Mortification of Sin, said this: ‘Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.’ That’s not a suggestion, that’s a reality. Sin never takes a day off. Sin doesn’t sleep. Sin doesn’t play fair. Either you’re putting sin to death, or sin is putting you to death. There’s no neutral ground.

Paul says in verse 12 that we are debtors — but not to the flesh. See, before Christ, we were bound to sin like a loan shark. Every desire of the flesh showed up like a bill we couldn’t pay, and the wages of sin is always death. That’s why Paul says, ‘If you live according to the flesh, you will die.

Here’s the bad news: You can’t kill sin on your own. Religion can’t do it. Grit and willpower can’t do it. That’s just behavior management. Without the Spirit, sin always collects its payment. And it always kills.

But here’s the good news: Jesus already paid the debt the flesh was demanding. Through His active obedience, He lived the perfect life we couldn’t live. Through His death, He condemned sin in the flesh once for all (Rom. 8:3). And now, by the Spirit, we’re not powerless victims anymore we actually have the ability to put sin to death.

Think about Joseph in Genesis 39. Day after day, Potiphar’s wife came at him with temptation. She wanted him to compromise. Nobody was watching. He could’ve said, ‘I deserve this break, after all I’ve been through.’ But Joseph stood firm. He said, ‘How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

Now don’t miss it Joseph didn’t resist because he was stronger than everybody else. He resisted because the Spirit of God was with him. Earlier in Genesis it says, ‘The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man’ (Gen. 39:2). The same Spirit that gave him wisdom in trials gave him strength in temptation. Joseph didn’t play with sin. He ran from it. He killed it before it could kill him.

And Joseph points us forward to the true and greater example: Jesus in the wilderness. Luke 4 says, ‘Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.’

Notice that full of the Spirit. Satan came at Him with everything hunger, pride, power. But every single time, Jesus answered with the Word of God. He didn’t give in. He didn’t owe the flesh a thing. He overcame by the Spirit.

If the Son of God Himself faced temptation by the Spirit’s power, how much more do we need the Spirit to help us? If Joseph could resist because God was with him, and Jesus overcame because He was full of the Spirit, then you and I can stand in the same power today.

2.) The Spirit makes us cry Abba (vs.14-15)

Romans Sons of God

But the fall changed all this: Adam surrendered his kingdom to Satan, sin, and death and placed a great obstacle between God and humanity—we are now His estranged children (cf.

Paul doesn’t just say the Spirit makes us kill sin. That would be good enough — but he goes further. The Spirit doesn’t only free us from something; He also frees us for something. He doesn’t just pull us out of slavery — He pulls us into sonship. Verse 14 says, ‘For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.’ And verse 15 says, ‘You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Paul says without the Spirit, we live under a spirit of slavery, bound to fear. Think about it fear of rejection, fear of punishment, fear of failure, fear of death. That’s what it feels like to live as a debtor to the flesh. You never know if you’ve done enough. You never know if you belong. And fear drives you like a cruel master.

Now let’s be real. One of the greatest fears Christians wrestle with is not just fear of the future or fear of suffering, but fear of our own salvation. That little voice that whispers, ‘Are you sure you’re really a Christian? Are you sure you’ve done enough? What if you mess up and lose it all? What if you’re not Christian enough to get into heaven?

That’s the spirit of slavery. That’s fear talking. Fear always asks, ‘Have I done enough? Have I performed well enough?’ And if you’re measuring your eternal security by your performance, you will always be afraid — because deep down, you know you don’t measure up.

Fear drives us into a kind of faith that keeps score. You know what I mean? It’s that voice inside that says, ‘If I read my Bible enough this week, if I prayed long enough, if I came to church enough times, then maybe God will let me in.’

Scorekeeping faith is slavery. It’s living like God is a boss with a clipboard, marking down your performance. Miss a quiet time? Minus five points. Lose your temper? Minus ten. Help an old lady cross the street? Okay, maybe plus three. That’s the treadmill of fear. Always running, never arriving.

But that’s slavery. That’s not gospel faith — that’s religious math that never adds up. Because if you’re honest, you know your score is never high enough. You always fall short. And so fear whispers: ‘Maybe you don’t belong. Maybe you’re not really saved. Maybe you’re not secure

The Spirit doesn’t keep score —the Spirit points to the score that was already settled at the cross. Jesus already lived the perfect life. Jesus already obeyed the law for you. His righteousness is yours. His perfection is credited to your account.

That means your eternal security isn’t about you being Christian enough. It’s about Christ being Savior enough. The Spirit doesn’t whisper, ‘Do better, try harder.’ He shouts, ‘It’s finished. You’re mine. You’re secure.’ And that’s why you can cry ‘Abba, Father.’

Romans Sons of God

When we are unregenerate we ultimately hate God, but when the Holy Spirit effectually calls us we seek God with the heartfelt cry of a loving son. Only believers can call on the judge of the cosmos by the term Abba, the intimate Aramaic term for father. Only my children, and no others, call me father. Every other child on this planet knows me by a less personal and more formal title. We have this type of relationship with our heavenly Father because we are in Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and adopted as His sons. Although Israel was no longer God’s people, the time when Hosea prophesied that the children of Israel would be called “sons of the living God” (

Paul could have just written “Father” (Pater in Greek) since he’s writing to Roman believers in Greek. But instead, he keeps the Aramaic word “Abba” alongside the Greek translation Pater. Why? Because he wants his readers to feel the intimacy of the very word Jesus Himself used.

In Aramaic, Abba was the word little children used when speaking to their fathers something like “Daddy.” But it wasn’t childish or flippant. Adults also used Abba to respectfully address their fathers. It carried warmth, closeness, and reverence. It’s personal, tender, and intimate not distant.

By keeping Abba untranslated, Paul is saying: You don’t just know God as Creator, or King, or Judge. By the Spirit, you know Him as Abba Dad, Father, the One you run to. Paul wants his readers to feel the shock: Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, calling the Almighty God of Israel the same name Jesus did.

The only reason we can say “Abba” is because Jesus, the true Son, said it first. In Mark 14:36, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus used Abba in His deepest moment of anguish. And now, because He obeyed perfectly and went to the cross, His Abba becomes our Abba.

Family, don’t miss this: when you pray, you’re not talking to a distant judge holding a clipboard. You’re talking to your Abba, your Father, who delights in you. That’s the assurance the Spirit gives. That’s the confidence of adoption.

3.) The Spirit Makes Us Heirs with Christ (vs.16-17)

Here’s where the tension lies: suffering makes us doubt. When life gets hard, when the diagnosis comes, when the money runs out, when the marriage struggles, when the depression won’t lift our flesh says, ‘If God loved you, He wouldn’t let this happen. Maybe you don’t belong. Maybe you’re not really His.’

That’s the lie of the enemy. That’s the slavery of fear trying to creep back in.

But Paul says, ‘The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.’ The Spirit doesn’t just give us goosebumps in worship. He testifies. He’s the divine witness, the seal, the guarantee. He says, ‘You belong. You’re not just in the house — you’re in the family. You’re not just saved from wrath — you’re saved for inheritance.

And what kind of inheritance? Paul says, ‘Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.’ That means everything Christ secured by His obedience, everything He accomplished by His death and resurrection, He shares with you. His crown is your crown. His Father is your Father. His kingdom is your kingdom. You’re not just forgiven you’re royalty.

Romans Our Inheritance

Through the ministry of Christ, the barrier was broken down—the veil that once separated the holy presence of God was rent, granting us access into the holy of holies. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ is making us, as Peter tells us, living stones in the new temple—we are the new Holy of Holies (

Peter says the same thing in 1 Peter 2:9: ‘But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Royal priesthood. That means you’re not just in the family — you’re in the palace. You’re not just saved from wrath — you’re saved into a kingdom. The Spirit doesn’t just put a robe on your back He places a crown on your head and a mission in your hand. You belong to the King, and you represent the King and from this place we can suffer well.

But Paul doesn’t sugarcoat it. He says, ‘provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.’ In other words, the path to glory always runs through suffering. The crown comes, but not without the cross.

That’s not punishment — that’s proof. Suffering isn’t God rejecting you; it’s God identifying you with Jesus. If the true Son suffered and then was glorified, why should His adopted children expect anything different? The cross always precedes the crown.

Think of a family where the father passes down his estate. Every child gets a share. Now imagine being an adopted child in that family. You might wonder, ‘Do I really get the same inheritance as the biological kids? Do I get the same rights?’ But in the Roman world, adopted children had equal, full inheritance rights. There was no difference.

That’s what Paul is saying. You’re not a second-class child in God’s family. You’re a co-heir with Christ Himself. What belongs to Jesus by nature, belongs to you by grace.

“So how does that change us today? When suffering comes, don’t see it as rejection. See it as identification you belong to Christ.

When the world tempts you with lesser treasures, remember: your inheritance is eternal, incorruptible, undefiled.

When you feel like an outsider, remind yourself: the Spirit testifies, ‘You’re in the will. Your name is on the papers. The crown is waiting.

Romans Conclusion

Remember to whom we belong—we belong to Christ. We are, consequently, indwelled by the Spirit of the living God. Therefore, we must live not according to the desires of our flesh but in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are sons of the living God and coheirs with Christ. This means we should flee sin because it is wrong and is an offense to God but also because it is beneath our royal dignity. Why would we, who have been raised out of the mire of sin and death, given royal robes and a crown, and given a seat at the King’s table, return to roll around in the evil morass from which we were redeemed? Such conduct is incompatible with our royal identity and our union with Christ. If you engage in sin, do not forget who you are, the King’s son! Seek the power and strength of your heavenly Father through prayer and His Word. If you struggle and doubt regarding God’s goodness and faithfulness, remember that you are the King’s son! You were bought with a price—you may flounder and falter, but Christ has not, does not, and will not stumble or fall. Your place is secure, you always have a seat at the King’s table, and therefore heaven is yours because of Christ.

Conclusion

Family, when T’Challa stepped up in Black Panther, he didn’t step up wondering if he belonged. He didn’t step up with fear in his heart. He stepped up as the son of a king, as the rightful heir. His identity wasn’t up for debate.

And Paul says in Romans 8 — that’s us. In Christ, you don’t live in fear like a slave. You live with confidence like a son. You don’t pay debts to the flesh. You live in freedom by the Spirit. You don’t wonder if you belong. You cry ‘Abba, Father.’ You don’t wonder if there’s a future for you. You know you’re an heir of glory.

So here’s the good news today:

The Spirit makes us kill sin — you don’t owe the flesh a dime.

The Spirit makes us cry Abba — you’re secure in the Father’s love.

The Spirit makes us heirs — your crown is guaranteed, even through suffering.

So when the world looks at you and asks, ‘Why do you live differently? Why do you keep trusting God? Why do you fight sin when it would be easier to give in? Why do you still have hope even in your suffering?’ … you can look them in the eye and smile and say: ‘The Spirit made me do it.’

Chains off. Crown on. That’s the gospel.