Understanding Romans 8:15 in Depth: Children of God

Context of Romans 8:15

Romans 8:15 comes right after Paul’s powerful declaration that there is no condemnation for those in Christ, and it builds on his contrast between living by the flesh and living by the Spirit.

Paul is writing to believers in Rome who are wrestling with the tension between old patterns of fear and guilt - what he calls the 'spirit of slavery' - and the new life offered through the Holy Spirit. In the Roman world, adoption was a legal act that gave full status and inheritance rights to someone not born into a family; similarly, God adopts us into His family through Christ. This is not a return to the fear of the Israelites in Exodus, trembling at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18-20), but a new relationship where we can cry out, 'Abba! Father!' - an intimate term like 'Daddy' or 'Papa.'

This verse shows that the Spirit doesn’t push us away in fear, but draws us close as dearly loved children, setting the stage for Paul’s next point about the Spirit testifying with our spirit that we belong to God.

The Spirit of Adoption: Freedom from Fear and the Meaning of 'Abba'

At the heart of Romans 8:15 is a powerful contrast between two spirits - one that enslaves through fear, and one that liberates through sonship.

Paul uses precise Greek terms to draw a sharp line: the 'spirit of slavery' (πνεῦμα δουλείας) evokes the terror and distance of Israel under the law at Mount Sinai, while the 'Spirit of adoption' (πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας) brings us into God’s family with full rights as sons. The word 'abba' (ἀββᾶ) was an intimate, familial term used by children for their father - like 'Daddy' - and it’s striking that Jesus used it in prayer (Mark 14:36) and now we are invited to do the same. This isn’t emotional presumption. It is a legal and relational reality granted by the Spirit. As Paul says in Galatians 4:5-7, 'God sent forth his Son... so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.'

The 'spirit of fear' is more than anxiety; it describes a way of relating to God under threat of judgment, which the law could not overcome (Romans 8:2-3). But the Spirit of adoption transforms our inner posture: we are not cowering servants but bold children who know we are loved. This inner assurance is essential for sanctification, because lasting change grows from love, not fear.

The Spirit doesn’t shout our status from the outside - he whispers 'Father' deep within our hearts.

This cry of 'Abba! Father!' is not occasional but ongoing - a deep, Spirit-led habit of the heart. It prepares us for Paul’s next point: the Spirit adopts us and testifies within us that we truly belong.

Living as God's Beloved Children: A Call to Confident Prayer

Because the Spirit lives in us, we can now approach God not as distant rulers or harsh judges, but as our loving Father - someone we can talk to openly and affectionately.

To the first believers, this was revolutionary: under the old system, people trembled before God’s holiness (Exodus 20:18-20), but now, through Christ, we’re invited into His presence with confidence. Romans 8:15 changes not only how we think about God but also how we pray, struggle, and live each day, knowing we are deeply known and fully loved.

We can run to God like a child runs to a father, not in fear, but in love.

This truth fits the good news of Jesus: He saved us from sin and brought us into the family. And that means no more begging for approval - we’re already accepted.

Adoption and Inheritance: Our Family Rights in Christ

Adoption is not the end of the story; it leads to our inheritance as God’s children, a promise Paul confirms two verses later.

In Romans 8:17, he writes, '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.' This idea echoes across the New Testament: in Galatians 4:7, Paul says, 'So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God,' and in Ephesians 1:11, he reminds us that we were 'chosen as heirs, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.'

We’re not just forgiven - we’re family, with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it.

This changes how we live every day: knowing we’re heirs calls us to live with confidence, not entitlement, and to treat one another in the church like true family - valuing, supporting, and bearing one another’s burdens as co-heirs of God’s promise.

Application