Post by foxjj on Aug 23, 2023 16:08:28 GMT
Romans Chapter 8: 1-17. (NIV)
In Romans 8, Paul teaches that unless we have the Spirit of Christ living within us, we do not belong to Him. Consequently, without the working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, there is no genuine experience of salvation. This is the difference between a person who has religion, and a person who has Jesus:
“1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Paul goes on to point out the difference of living according to worldly standards, of which he calls the flesh, compared to the life lived according to God’s standards. One leads to spiritual death. The other leads to peace and eternal life:
“5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
It is in John 14:16-17 we read concerning the promise of Jesus to send the Spirit: “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
“9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
In Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul wrote: “13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
“12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 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.”
It is The Holy Spirit who brings seekers to the place where we readily confess our sins, and confess our need of Jesus in our lives. When we arrive at this point, the sacrifice of our Redeemer, through the shedding of His blood on the cross, is applied to our lives - we are cleansed of our sins, becoming children of God.
“14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Therefore, without the working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, there is no genuine experience of salvation. This is the difference between a person who has religion, and a person who has Jesus. It was The Lord Himself who said in John 16:13: “When He the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all truth.”
Today, let us give thanks for The Spirit in our lives.
John Joseph Fox.
In Romans 8, Paul teaches that unless we have the Spirit of Christ living within us, we do not belong to Him. Consequently, without the working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, there is no genuine experience of salvation. This is the difference between a person who has religion, and a person who has Jesus:
“1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Paul goes on to point out the difference of living according to worldly standards, of which he calls the flesh, compared to the life lived according to God’s standards. One leads to spiritual death. The other leads to peace and eternal life:
“5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
It is in John 14:16-17 we read concerning the promise of Jesus to send the Spirit: “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
“9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
In Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul wrote: “13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
“12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 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.”
It is The Holy Spirit who brings seekers to the place where we readily confess our sins, and confess our need of Jesus in our lives. When we arrive at this point, the sacrifice of our Redeemer, through the shedding of His blood on the cross, is applied to our lives - we are cleansed of our sins, becoming children of God.
“14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Therefore, without the working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, there is no genuine experience of salvation. This is the difference between a person who has religion, and a person who has Jesus. It was The Lord Himself who said in John 16:13: “When He the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all truth.”
Today, let us give thanks for The Spirit in our lives.
John Joseph Fox.
