Wednesday, August 11, 2021
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:7-11
A Life-or-Death Decision
Paul tells us in the passage above that if we are in the flesh, we cannot please God. Even after we become Christians we can live in the flesh. It is a choice we have to make every day. As we grow and learn more and more about spirituality, we seek to live according to the spirit and not the flesh, but it is always a battle. If we are choosing to live in the flesh, then two things will happen:
Our mind will be focused on the flesh and not the Spirit - naturally when we are living in the flesh, we are thinking about the things of the flesh and ignoring the Spirit - who is in you if you are a Christian. The things of the flesh are the opposite of the Spirit, and Paul says they are hostile to God. This world is broken because of sin and living in the flesh leads to death and eternal separation from God for those who are not in Christ. But the Spirit always leads to life. As sinners we are dead in our sin (flesh) and then made alive in Christ when we become Christians. At that very moment, the Spirit indwells us. Focusing on the Spirit, and His ways will bring peace in our lives. If we choose to focus on the flesh instead, we will not have peace but will fear, consequences, and many other problems to deal with. If we are His children, the Holy Spirit will never leave us, even when we ignore Him and focus on the flesh, but this grieves Him.
We will grieve the Holy Spirit - When we ignore the Holy Spirit and willfully sin against Him or misrepresent Him (saying that He is leading us to do something this opposite of what God’s word says), then we are grieving the Holy Spirit. Three things the Holy Spirit does for us is to reveal our sin, reveal truth through God’s word, and reveal Christ to us. By ignoring these things we grieve the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians Paul tells us Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:29-32) Paul tells us these things because when we do them, we grieve the Spirit. Unwholesome or abusive talk grieves the Spirit. Bitterness grieves the Spirit. Wrath grieves the Spirit, as do anger, clamor, slander and malice. Grieving the Spirit is simply to act out in any sinful manner, whether it is in thought only or in both thought and action. Anytime a believer sins against God and follows his or her own fleshly desires, we grieve the Spirit.
The way of the flesh leads to death and the Spirit leads to life. It is a life-or-death matter. Even though a Christian is assured of eternal life, if they choose to live in the flesh, they might suffer consequences that could lead to a physical death or suffering. The only way to go is the way that leads us closer to God and spirituality, and farther away from the world and sin. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us. He loves us so much that He also sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion through this life. Choose to focus on the Spirit and you will have abundant life and peace.
