Reflections on Romans 8:5-11 - Living in the Spirit

Once upon a time, there was a man with a very lazy fat dog. He would complain and complain, to everyone who would listen, how fat and lazy his dog was. One day, he was complaining to a new person in town, and the man exhorted him, “Your dog would not be so fat and lazy, if you would stop feeding it so much and take it out for some exercise.” So you see, we can complain about things, but unless we take some action things will only get worse. Good intentions and wishful thinking does nothing for people but make them depressed and defeated. Failure comes from bad practices. Likewise, we can complain all we want about our spiritual state and the sins that we commit, but unless we take focused action nothing will improve. The text today says, “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” (Romans 8:5). In short, if you dwell on the bad things, you will live in them. However, if you fill your mind with good things, then good things will sustain you. This does not mean that everything will be wonderful and no problems will exist, but it does mean that we can have a good attitude and perspective even when bad things happen. We can either have a mind-set of positive hopefulness, or one of negative despair. Faith and hope live in the context of goodness and righteousness, whereas unbelief and despair flourish in sin and evil.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). A lot could be said about this passage, but the main points he is making are: If you think about godly things and surround yourself with godly people, your heart will be at peace with both yourself and with God. If you fill your mind with God’s thoughts and live godly lives, you will not live with a sinful mind-set. How do we do this? Romans 8:6 states, “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” If we listen closely to the Holy Spirit of God, we will live a life that pleases God, for we will love both God and our neighbor and practice godliness to others. How do we hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us? First of all, he is continually with us. He is in our very thoughts, but it takes discernment to hear him clearly. The Bible calls this the “discipline in godliness.” We need to have the persistence and training of an athlete competing in the Olympics. We need the courage and preparedness of a soldier going into battle. We need also to have the diligence and foresight of a hard working farmer at harvest time. What does this all add up to? The Spirit of God empowers us and enables us to live godly lives, but we are not to be passive observers in the transformation and renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We need to make some decisions and be prepared for hard work! It will not come easy to us. Secondly, we need to train our minds to hear the Holy Spirit by cultivating the art of listening. This comes through continuous and persistent prayer. If you do not talk to God, how can you know what he is thinking? Our minds hate to be focused on God, for our sinful natures want to run and hide in shame from him. Also, the Holy Spirit’s presence kills the flesh and our sinful desires, so it is no surprise that the flesh (that is our sinful natures) does not want to be in God’s presence. Thirdly, we need to saturate our minds with the Word of God. If our minds are full of goodness and truth, we will not be hungry for anything else! For example, fast food only captivates our cravings, when we are hungry. If our stomachs are full of good food, fast food does not appeal to us. So, we should fill our minds and lives with godliness, and our minds will not seek satisfaction in sinful things. Sin only flourishes in lives filled with selfishness and worldliness. If we seek the things of God, we will not chase after the sinful things of this world. Only a hungry soul craves the sinful things of this world, for a soul who feasts at the table of godliness does not seek after anything less satisfying. As the Scripture says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8), and says else where, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the instruction of the Lord, and on his [word] he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).

Thoughts for Further Study

1) How does the sobering assertion by the Apostle Paul affect you, when he wrote, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to God?” (Romans 8:9)

2) Do you believe the passage, when it says, “The Spirit of God lives in you?” (Romans 8:9). What does this mean to you?

3) Study the passage of Scripture in Ephesians 5:18 that command us to “be filled with the Spirit.” How do you think this happens? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit of God?

Reflections on Romans 8:1-5 - Life in the Spirit

What does it mean to be a Christian? Some people say that if you just believe the right things, you are a Christian. The eighth chapter of Romans sets forth a different concept. The Apostle Paul points out that being a Christian has a supernatural element to it. It means to live our lives in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God. This life is based on the fact that we are connected to God, and he does not condemn us anymore. God sees us through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, who is our Savior, Sanctifier and High Priest. Jesus makes it possible for us to stand with full assurance in the presence of God, and this confidence and attitude of faith in Jesus Christ frees us from the bondage of sin and death. Our freedom from God’s judgment is based on the justification we have by faith in Jesus Christ, which allows the holy presence of God to be in our minds and allows the thoughts of God to intermingle with our thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). In this life, these thoughts give us spiritual discernment and give us a faith perspective. By faith, we understand the mysteries of God (Ephesians 1:15-23). God has given us insight into the wonders of his grace. Through knowing God, we have entered into the reality of his Kingdom and see the things of this earth more clearly. Our spiritual eyes have been opened to “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (verses 19 to 20).
It is by his power and might that we were released from the death grip of sin, “for God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do” (Romans 8:3). The death of Jesus Christ made it possible for the Holy Spirit to enter our minds and give us knowledge of what God was doing. Our minds have been set free to see the reality of sin and Satan’s deception. Sin pretended to give the pleasure and fulfillment that only godly living could give. We now see God for who he really is and our minds have been set free from guilt and fear. Our conscience has been purged by the Holy Spirit of God, and our wills have been empowered by proper thinking and values. The way of the world has now been made known as the way of foolishness and death. People without this knowledge have no value perspective, because they do not think as God thinks. They think like their true father the Devil, who holds them in a stupefied ignorance and in the ways of death and destruction. However, we walk in the ways of the Spirit. As Paul wrote, “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” (Romans 8:5). The Spirit frees us from the spirit of deception and hatred toward God. He enables us to be at peace with God. All hostility has ceased, and we live in harmony with God. We can accept his presence for we know his true intention and the extent of his love for us, “for there is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18-19). We do not fear God, for he dwells with us. The presence of God’s Spirit guarantees that we are accepted by God. He holds no wrath toward us, for in Christ we are righteous and without blame. In Jesus Christ, we are perfect in the eyes of our heavenly Father (1 Corinthians 6:11; Jude 1:24-25; Philippians 1:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Thoughts for Further Study

1) Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Seek you first the Kingdom of God.” How do we make seeking God and his glory our top priority in life? Is this your goal and purpose for living? What are your priorities in life?

2) Do you feel comfortable, when the Bible mentions that God is with you all the time? Does having God around you 24/7 make you uncomfortable? Read Hebrews 6:19-20 and write down your thoughts about this truth.

3) What is the obligation of those who posses the Holy Spirit (verses 12-15)? What does God expect us to do? Compare this passage with Galatians 5:16-24 and Romans 13:11-14. What stands out in these verses?

4) Now for the big question: Is it possible to know for sure that you are a Christian? See Romans 8:14-16 and Galatians 4:6. Write down your thoughts on these passages of Scripture.

Reflections on Romans 6:15-23 - Captured by God's Love

In reading Romans 6:15-23, the words of Joshua in the Old Testament Bible comes to mind: “Choose this day whom you will serve . . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). He was determined to serve the Lord with sincerity and faithfulness, because of God’s steadfast love shown by the deliverance of his people from bondage in Egypt. God performed many miracles for his people. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament, “I urge you in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). When we see the extent of God’s goodness to us, it is beyond comprehension that we would not surrender our lives to his service. Romans 6:15-23 points out that because we have been saved by the power of God in Jesus Christ, we should now be in a continual state of readiness to obey his wishes. We have been delivered from the destructive hold of sin in our lives, for we can now choose to do right rather than wrong.
An active faith is in us today, because God in the past delivered and freed us from the power of hate and evil. God has given us the ability to serve him. We can now present ourselves to God without shame, for he has forgiven and delivered us from the penalty of all the things we did wrong in the past, present and future. This memory of what God has done for us empowers us to dedicate our lives to him, and surrender to his will for our lives. This reminder of our faith in God fills us with gratitude and gives our lives direction, and hope for the future. We now desire the good of others and to glorify God for his immense gift of grace. This allows us to approach God without shame and guilt, for God himself has dealt with our sin in Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for our sinfulness. As his children of grace, we are separated unto God and from the rest of the world. Our worldview and purpose for living is different. We no longer fit into a godless world perspective. We are people with faith in who God is and what he wants us to do. We are no longer at liberty to go our own way of selfishness, for we have seen the greatness of God’s plan and our vision of what God wants for people. We now have an attitude of grace and love toward others and wondrous praise for God. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us . . . with every spiritual blessing . . . In him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ . . .” (Ephesians 1:4-10). This is why Paul states, “Don’t you know?” (Romans 6:3, 16). His point being that if you understand the gospel message, you are not at liberty to live as you please. Our allegiance and loyalty is to God for his great gift of eternal life with him, for we can no longer serve two masters. We must choose to serve God or to serve our worldly thinking, for we cannot be double-minded. We cannot serve two masters; the Devil or God (Matthew 6:24). If we comprehend what God has done for us, there is no way that we can now ignore his purpose for our lives. We are no longer free to act in evil ungrateful ways, for the shame of not honoring and worshiping God will be too great for us to bear. We cannot ignore God's desire for us and walk in his presence.
The Holy Spirit of God dwells in us and we are compelled to do what is right in his eyes. The goodness and love of God overwhelms our hearts. This is what Paul was talking about, when he said that “you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Only a wicked and callous heart could treat God with such ungraciousness as to continually follow a life of sin and self-indulgence. God’s example of love has set us on a different pathway in life. We have committed ourselves to a life of purity and love. Not a goodness from ourselves, but one that comes from God. His presence gives us understanding of how we are to live, and the power to enable us to live a life marked by goodness and love for others. We have the gift of eternal life which gives us hearts of sincerity and faithfulness to God, and gratitude for his unending provision of acceptance and loving kindness to us. His goodness to us makes us dedicate ourselves to serve our loving heavenly Father with an eternal gratitude and praise, for “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit . . . that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1Corinthians 1:9-16). This understanding through faith gives us the victory to live a life of self-sacrifice and love, for we have seen God for who he really is and we now live to please and honor his name. We now see a more excellent way to lead our lives. The way of faith, hope and love controls our lives; and “the greatest of these is love” (1Corinthians 13:13). When we see the love of God, we are wholeheartedly consumed with what is right in his eyes.