SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive 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 through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
OBSERVATION: Here is the big “if.” If in our freedom to choose, we choose to go back into sin, we will die. BUT if we choose to live in the power of the Spirit we take control of the body and its tendencies to sin, we will live!
The choice is ours, but the performance is Spirit powered! We may make the choice, but attempts to fulfill that choice through the power of the flesh will only fail. Neither can “will power” bring victory. Victory is only available through the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit!
The life of the Spirit has great effect on us. He gives us power to direct our fleshly body. Through Spirit-directed choices our bodies which once were used selfishly to serve Satan, are now used to glorify the Lord! Instead of being instruments of death, our bodies now become containers of life and instruments of life. This is not accomplished by will power, or by good training, but by the Presence and Power of the Spirit.
While living under sin’s control, we did not have a choice. We were slaves, blind and bound. God sets us free! He frees us from the darkness and the chains that bound us. We use that freedom to choose to follow Him. We are obligated to do so because of the great price He paid for us. We clearly owe Him our very selves. However those who are His serve Him because they are convinced He is worthy, not because they have no other choice.
APPLICATION: It is in being led by the Spirit that I grow into sonship. I must learn to hear, to understand, and to obey God’s Word. I must be direct-able. I must be use-able. I must be send-able.
PRAYER: Lord, I am yours. Mold me, fashion me into that which pleases you. Amen.
Pastor Leon
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