For you did not receive a spirit that makes you again slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, and by Him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Romans 8:15
This was a tricky one. But it seems that there is an undercurrent of fear in so many of the Chinese New Year traditions and myths: wearing new clothes so the evil spirits won't recognize you, decorating with red and lighting firecrackers to repel evil mythical creatures, sweeping the house to get rid of bad luck while making room for good luck, offering sweet foods as "bribes" to gods. This verse reminds us that our relationship to God is not one of bribes, manipulation, or rituals, but one of children and a loving Father.
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