ROMANS 8:9

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

I belong to Jack and Mack (real names were James and Maxine) Willis from Pelham, GA. I have been able through a few genealogy sites to trace my Willis heritage back to Londonshire England and to the year 1555. I am from English, Scottish, Irish, Finish, French and Spanish bloodlines. Belonging to something means something. It is just natural for everybody to want to belong to someone else.

I just love how Paul says in today’s verse that if we do not have the Spirit, we do not belong to God. So, the opposite must be true. If we have the Spirit of God within us (which is only possible through faith in Christ Jesus), then we belong to the Father. Add that to the long line of my genealogy. I belong to God. And I will always belong to God. Nothing can separate me from His love.

APPLICATION

The Greek actually reads in that last phrase of the verse “he not is of Him.” We will see in the last verse of chapter 8 that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (verse 39). Listen friend, if you are in Christ, there is nothing on earth or in the heavenlies that can separate you from Him. Nothing!

Our world doesn’t believe in that kind of love. Why? Because our love is so fickle. We fall into and out of love so easily, it seems. Forty years and beyond marriages are relics of the past. When we hear of someone having a 50 year marriage celebration, we stand in awe. My wife and I have hit forty, and I am praying we can make it to fifty or more. But God’s love has no end is sight. His love will continue throughout eternity.

That’s true belonging. Jesus told us He was going to prepare us a place. Jesus isn’t building a shanty. He is building us an eternal home. This will be a “belonging” home, one built with an eternal love. How is that even possible? Because it is being built with eternal products made in heaven. Can you even imagine? So, rest easy dear one. If you are in Christ, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, you belong to Him.

Dear God, I cannot even begin to comprehend Your eternal love for me. I am so thankful for it.

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