The Spirit of the Son of God for our sonship also carries out a work in five aspects. First, this Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God (v. 16). Even when we are fallen and backsliding, the Spirit within us always tells us that we are a child of God. Many young Christians go to places where they should not go. While they are there, however, something witnesses, “You are a child of God; you should not be here.” Often while we are dressing, once again there is something within us witnessing, “As a child of God, you should not wear this kind of clothing.” This is the Spirit of the Son of God for our sonship witnessing with our spirit deep within that we are the children of God.
Second, the Spirit is always leading and guiding us. Verse 14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Many times the young brothers and sisters have come to ask me what they should do. Almost every time I do not answer directly. Rather, I tell them, “You already know. Why are you coming to me?” Sometimes they argue and say, “No, I do not know.” I answer, “You do not know in your mind, but deep within your spirit you do know.” We may argue in our mind, but there is something deeper that confirms. The Spirit of the Son for our sonship leads us all the time.
Third, this Spirit helps us in our interceding (vv. 26-27). The Spirit of the Son is a Spirit of intercession. He witnesses, leads, guides, and prays for us within. There is someone within us always praying for us. If we do not know what He intends and do not have the words to utter, He still groans within us. We all need to learn how to groan. Many times groaning is the best prayer. We should pray not only with plain words. Many times we need to pray with groans that cannot be uttered.
Fourth, because the Spirit is the reality of sonship, He is doing a work to conform us to the image of the Son of God (v. 29). This makes us true sons, sons not merely in name and not only in life and nature but also in image, appearance, and reality. He makes us the real sons of God by conforming us to the image of the Son of God. This Spirit is doing a great work within us, nearly all of which is mentioned in one chapter, Romans 8. That is why Romans 8 may be considered the greatest chapter in the entire Bible.
The fifth aspect pertains not only to the Spirit of the Son for our sonship but also to the Spirit of life. As we have seen, the Spirit of life liberates, delivers, sanctifies, and eventually glorifies us, and the Spirit for our sonship witnesses, leads, helps us to pray, and conforms us to the image of the Son of God. All this work is with one aim, which is to build us up. Although the phrase build up is not in the book of Romans, the thought and concept of building is found in chapter 12. All the sons of God are the members of Christ, and all these members need to be built up and coordinated together (vv. 4-5). This mutual membership and relatedness is the ultimate work of the Spirit of life and the Spirit of the Son of God for our sonship. He frees, delivers, sanctifies, and glorifies us, and He witnesses within, leads us, prays for us, and conforms us to the image of Christ that we may be the real sons of God. Then we become the living, true, proper members of the Body of Christ, and the Spirit of life and of sonship builds us up together. We become members one of another and are joined and knit together by the work of this Spirit. This is the inner working of the life-giving Spirit within us. Through all this inward working we become members, we are built up as the living Body of Christ, and we have the proper church life described in chapter 12.
The Spirit of life and of sonship is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and Christ Himself as the life-giving Spirit. It is by this Spirit that we enjoy Christ as our life, and it is in this life that we are being saved, including being set free, delivered, sanctified, and glorified, sharing with His witnessing, being led, helped in our interceding, conformed to the image of the Son of God, and built up together. To be saved includes many items. Eventually, sinners become the glorious sons of God, sons of God in glory, who are built up together as the Body of Christ. All these items are included in the divine salvation by Christ being life to us, and they are worked out within us by the life-giving Spirit. Today the church needs more messages telling people how much we need to experience Christ as the wonderful, all-inclusive Spirit of life.