Living in Spirit – Romans 8: 1 – 17
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Note: According to our reading schedule, we are suppose to read the entire chapter. However, this chapter contains a lot to process. So I will deal with the first part of ch. 8 today, and finish up the other part tomorrow.
What does it say?
Romans 8 talks about how God accomplishes salvation through Jesus Christ.
This also becomes a reason why were are living a ‘Life through the Spirit.’
V. 1-4 talks about the limitation of the Law and how God completed God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ. V. 4 says, “The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubting our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.” Romans 8:4 The Message.
V. 5 – 8 talks about the realm of mind. It talks about how the mind that is governed by the flesh and materialistic world means death, and the mind governed by the Spirit is led to life. Then Paul describes what a Spirit led life really means. He summarizes the life of the Spirit, being a life, which the Spirit is with. When the Spirit is within us, we are able to see how our spirit overcomes our body, and the limitations. We also see how the most deadly situations can change into a resurrection situation. Most importantly, living in the Spirit testifies that we are a child of God.
What does it means to us (me)?
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8: 12-13
When it says, ‘we have a obligation,’ it sounds like a law again. However, we need to remember that it is a wake-up call for us.
We all have the Spirit within us. But we also have the ability to put the Spirit, who lives in us, aside. This makes us go back to the old ways, of living in the flesh.
This happens to me, as well, even as a pastor. Once I fall into the rut of busyness, I see myself pushing the Spirit to the corner of our life. My own will and flesh becomes the center of my life, again, and I tend to forget that I pushed it away.
As we enter this new years, it always seems to be a right time to put our mind back to the Spirit, and living in the Spirit.
How does this passage speak to you?
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