Living in the Spirit is Life and Peace

Study: # 648 –Church in the Houses From: August 17 – 23, 2010

TOPIC: "Living in the Spirit is Life and Peace" Romans 8:5-9 Romans 7:15-25 In many occasions you don’t understand what is wrong with you, why you act this or that way. The years go by and you are still not able to know yourself in order to live in such way that good reason be what will make you walk. You realize what you have to do, and you know what is right, but you don’t do it. That is the same thing that Paul went through and said something like this: "I am miserable! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Well, the answer for Paul and for all of us is: God. It is God who can deliver us from the difficulties with this body which we inherited from Adam. 1 Corinthians 15: 22 Romans 5: 12 The apostle Paul exposes his soul so that you and I could realize the battle of our souls as we seek to do God’s will. Paul wanted to do what was right. In no way does this mean that there was sin in him. Paul knew well what was wrong and that was the last thing he wanted to do and however, he did it. It seems as if we were speaking of someone with a double personality; but it is not this way. In order to understand what Paul explains about spiritual life and difficulties with the flesh, one must live in the Spirit. Paul referred to something like this, for example: You want to do God’s will, but you are invited to a party where you know that there is going to be alcohol and after a great deal of struggle in your mind, you go to the party. Then you say: "I am miserable, who will deliver me from this body of death." Why did I do that?" And it is because our flesh wants to go its way, but on the other hand the Holy Spirit wants to guide you and strengthen you to do what is right. So, if you do not learn how to be guided and strengthened by the Spirit, the feeling of frustration will pursue you. Paul, just like you and me, was qualified to see what was right, but he realized his inability to do so. For example, you had a quarrel with your son and you want to hug him. That is what you’re good capacity dictates you to do what is correct, but on the other hand there is the incapacity to do it and something tells you: "Do it later." It is the sinful and carnal body that wants to resist doing the good that we should do. Therefore, to help us resolve our problem and know what should be done and to achieve it, we have to become acquainted with the powerful Word of our God. In reality, what works well is not what you personally want or what you know from what life has taught you, but it is to know what the Word of the Lord says about what we should do in such or which situation and to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to do so. When sin comes to seduce us, Oh! My brother! The power of the Word of God and of the Holy Spirit is needed to resist it. It is therefore, "… to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8: 6 The great truth that Paul tells us is that: we know well, but as carnal humans we tend to do evil. This lets us understand that we are never too good to know the things that we should do. It is the incapacity of the human knowledge. If as easy as it is to know that something is right would be just as easy as to do it, life would be very simple. But, we know that it is not like that. Many times we know how to do well and it is hard to do it. For example, to come to church; for such reason, only knowing what is right doesn’t make anyone a good person. Another example: In a basketball game the fans shout and tell the player what he should do. One listens to the fan that knows the rules and knows how to play, but that does not mean that he plays. We should know what is right and do it. Moral is the knowledge of a code, an assembly of rules of a healthy conduct. But, being in the Lord is the only way in which we can achieve true knowledge. One must see that human nature has a radical weakness in his will. We see it when Peter once said to Jesus: "¡Even if I have to die with you…!" And he also said: “I will not deny you." But, we know that the apostle Peter failed when the opportunity arrived to do what he wanted. When we do not receive the strength from the Lord the human will is headed to fail, just as Paul says. Look, beloved, with what you count, your human strength that is weak. But, Glory to God that Jesus is here to give us the strength that we need! When you live in your human nature you are up to your head involved in the things of this world. If you live with what the Spirit dictates you, you will live in the things of the Spirit. If you are involved in the things of this world, it will only lead to death; if you are in the things of the Spirit it will lead to life and peace. Then, we can see that there are two lives; the life that is dominated by a sinful nature, whose center is “myself", your own law that is your own desire that seizes what it wants and as soon as it is able, controlled by lust, passions, pride and ambitions. And secondly, the life controlled by the Spirit of God, that is like the air we need in order to breathe, this is how a Christian that lives in Christ is guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Your mind is not your own, it is the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), this mind does not have its own desires. The will of Christ is its only law; this mind is governed by the Spirit, controlled entirely by Christ, centered in God. On the other hand, there is the life with a mind dominated by desires and activities of the sinner human nature that leads to death. In a more literal sense, this mind and its conduct does not have a future, because it moves more and more away from God. Permitting the things of the world to totally dominate your life will only lead to extinction, it is a spiritual suicide. By living this way, we only incapacitate ourselves more to be in the presence of God. We turn resentful against the law and God’s control. Those who live according to their flesh and desires do not think about God as their friend but as their enemy. A life governed by the Spirit centered in Christ and oriented towards God comes closer to Heaven day by day, even if they are still in this earth. It is a life that conquers; it is a regular march towards God that even the final transition of death is only one step more in the road to an eternal victory. Don’t let your human nature dominate your life, now you belong to Christ, you have crucified your flesh with your passions and desires and now you serve God in the Spirit. We are down here in this world, but we are not of this world. We belong to God, to God’s Kingdom. God has given us the victory in Jesus Christ. Amen.