July 20, 2015 LIFE AND DEATH
Romans 8:5-6.,9,13: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
…for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
We must choose one of two mindsets or realities –a choice every individual must make. We either live life with our mind set on the flesh, or on the Spirit. In other words, the source, the power and the direction of my life comes from the Spirit of God who lives in me; or I live my life in my own strength with self in full control- “according to the flesh.” The shocking truth is that the mind set on the flesh always leads to death-not necessarily physical death, but an absence of real life. Living life with the mind set on the flesh ends up being a life lived in vain. No doubt, one may have temporary pleasure or satisfaction while living according to the flesh; but it is not lasting nor fulfilling. The person that does not know God is limited to having his mind set on the flesh and he cannot understand the things of God, or what it means to have his mind set on the Spirit; and actually, he lives in a “small world” due to the limitations of self. It is also possible for a believer to set his or her mind on the flesh and thus not experience the abundant life that is available. Setting our mind on the Spirit or on the flesh is something we do on a continual basis-we make the choice-“but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” We make the choice as to where we set our mind; but it is the Spirit that gives us the wisdom and power to set our mind on Him. The deeds of the body refer to anything we do or think that is “not according to the Spirit” including such things as lust, greed, jealously, anger, greed, wrong thoughts, immoral actions, laziness, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear, untruthfulness-and the list could go on. To walk in the Spirit-to have our mind set on Him-means that when we are tempted to yield to the flesh, we simply say “no” and by doing so, we are “putting to death the deeds of the body”-and we will live. It is important to note that Paul tells the believers that they are “not in the flesh but in the Spirit” and that is because God had made them knew and He enabled them to live according to the Spirit. When a believer lives “according to the flesh”, it is because either he has simply chosen to do so and he does not follow the leading of the Spirit, or he has not come to know his true identity in Christ. As believers, let us understand that we do make the choice-either we set our minds on the things of the flesh and we die; or we set our mind on the Spirit and live.
Colossians 3: 1-2, 10: “If you then have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on the earth.
…and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him…
Blessings,
Buddy
Romans 8:5-6.,9,13: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
…for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
We must choose one of two mindsets or realities –a choice every individual must make. We either live life with our mind set on the flesh, or on the Spirit. In other words, the source, the power and the direction of my life comes from the Spirit of God who lives in me; or I live my life in my own strength with self in full control- “according to the flesh.” The shocking truth is that the mind set on the flesh always leads to death-not necessarily physical death, but an absence of real life. Living life with the mind set on the flesh ends up being a life lived in vain. No doubt, one may have temporary pleasure or satisfaction while living according to the flesh; but it is not lasting nor fulfilling. The person that does not know God is limited to having his mind set on the flesh and he cannot understand the things of God, or what it means to have his mind set on the Spirit; and actually, he lives in a “small world” due to the limitations of self. It is also possible for a believer to set his or her mind on the flesh and thus not experience the abundant life that is available. Setting our mind on the Spirit or on the flesh is something we do on a continual basis-we make the choice-“but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” We make the choice as to where we set our mind; but it is the Spirit that gives us the wisdom and power to set our mind on Him. The deeds of the body refer to anything we do or think that is “not according to the Spirit” including such things as lust, greed, jealously, anger, greed, wrong thoughts, immoral actions, laziness, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear, untruthfulness-and the list could go on. To walk in the Spirit-to have our mind set on Him-means that when we are tempted to yield to the flesh, we simply say “no” and by doing so, we are “putting to death the deeds of the body”-and we will live. It is important to note that Paul tells the believers that they are “not in the flesh but in the Spirit” and that is because God had made them knew and He enabled them to live according to the Spirit. When a believer lives “according to the flesh”, it is because either he has simply chosen to do so and he does not follow the leading of the Spirit, or he has not come to know his true identity in Christ. As believers, let us understand that we do make the choice-either we set our minds on the things of the flesh and we die; or we set our mind on the Spirit and live.
Colossians 3: 1-2, 10: “If you then have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on the earth.
…and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him…
Blessings,
Buddy
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