Thursday

Related Verses
Rom. 8:13-16, 23, 26-28
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery bringing you into fear again, but you have received a spirit of sonship in which we cry, Abba, Father!
16 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.
23 And not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body.
26 Moreover, in like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Related Reading
The subject of Romans 8 is the freeing of the law of the Spirit of life. But just by verse 2, you do not know how the law of the Spirit of life works. So from verse 3 onward, nearly the entire chapter is a definition of how the law of the Spirit of life operates. The law of the Spirit of life does not free everyone. Many Christians today have not been freed. The law of the Spirit of life only frees the believers who fulfill all the doings in this chapter. (CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” p. 315)  

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The first point [of the doings on our side in Romans 8] is that we have to walk according to the spirit [v. 4]. This walking according to the spirit is on our side; actually, this is our switching on. When we walk according to the spirit, we switch on, and the law works. The law of the Spirit of life never works until we walk according to the spirit. The second point [is] that we need to mind the things of the Spirit [v. 5]. The third item of our doing in this chapter is to put to death the practices of our mortal body (v. 13). The fourth item is to be led by the Spirit of God (v. 14). According to our natural concept, we always consider that this is a verse concerning the spiritual leading. Actually, this is not a verse concerning the spiritual leading; it is a verse concerning our being led. It does not say, “As many as the Spirit leads.”…It is not the Spirit leading you; it is you being led by Him. 

In verse 15 is the fifth item; that is, you have to cry. That is your doing. You have to learn to cry. We have the spirit of sonship in which we cry, “Abba, Father!” To cry is to switch on. Whenever you cry, “O Father! Abba, Father!” that is to switch on. Learn to cry. This is not a bad cry; this is a good cry. This is a benign cry…Learn to cry, “O Lord Jesus! O Father! O Abba, Father!” Today’s Christians are dead because they are too silent…We all have to learn to cry. Have you ever considered that to cry is to switch on? Are you in darkness? Cry! Are you weak? Are you short of power? Cry!…Simply to think about the situation never helps you; you need to cry. 

When verse 16 says that the Spirit witnesses with our spirit, it indicates that our spirit is witnessing already. When our spirit is witnessing, the Spirit witnesses with our spirit. In other words, if your spirit does not witness, neither does the Spirit witness…The main stress here is that our spirit has to work. Our spirit has to take the initiative. 

Verse 23 gives the next item. Have you ever realized that to groan is to switch on? Do you practice this? We all have to learn to groan. These are the seven items of the doings that could be found from Romans 8. We have to walk according to the spirit, to mind the things of the Spirit, to put to death the practices of the mortal body, to be led, to cry, to witness, and finally, to groan. You have to do these seven things. Try to practice these every day. If you are afraid of offending someone, you had better close your doors and windows and then do the crying and the groaning. You will see what a switching on you will experience. 

We ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body” (v. 23). Once you realize that your body is a body of sin and death, you would groan, and you would earnestly expect for your body to be redeemed. Once you realize that you have a body that can do nothing to please God, you would groan, and you would expect to be redeemed. You can do nothing to help your body; your body needs redemption. (CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” pp. 315-316, 275-276) 

Further Reading: CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” chs. 33—34, 36