August 1, 2022
Life in the Spirit
Precious One, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me, Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Me, the power of the life-giving Holy Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save you because of the weakness of your sinful nature. So, God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies all sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over you by giving His Son as a sacrifice for your sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for you, who no longer follow your sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 NLT)
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Holy Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. (Romans 8:5-8 NLT)
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Holy Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. (Romans 8:9-11 NLT)
Therefore, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God, both men, and women alike. (Romans 8:12-14 NLT)
So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For His, Spirit joins with your spirit to affirm that you are God’s child. And since you are His child, you are His heir. In fact, together with Christ, you are heirs of God’s glory. But if you are to share His glory, you must also share His suffering. (Romans 8:15-17 NLT)
This is what life in the Spirit looks like!
