Today we are continuing to unpack Romans 8! Happy Thursday 🙂

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” Romans 8:5-8

Are you dominated by sinful nature thinking about sinful things or are you controlled by the Spirit thinking about things that please the Spirit? Your thoughts control you. If you let the Spirit control your thought you will have peace but if you let sin control your thoughts you’ll be at war. Sin is everything God’s not. It cannot follow the law. It cannot follow God. If sin controls your life you CANNOT please God.

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)  And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.  The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:6-11

If you belong to Christ, you should not be control by your sinful nature! You should be controlled by the Spirit of God that lives inside of you (the Holy Spirit)! The spirit gives you life. It justifies you. It makes you right with God. The same spirit that lives in you raised Christ from the dead… WOW.

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:12-14

Because the Spirit lives inside of you, you have no commitment to follow your sinful nature. When you received the Holy Spirit you stopped having an excuse to sin. The spirit, which gives life, urges you to do the things the things of God but when you sin you chose your sinful nature. If you are a child of God it’s time to be led by the spirit instead of your sinful nature.

“ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.  And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:15-17

The spirit of God is so sweet… It’s full of love. It calls you His. His spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are truly His children. Because we are His children we are heirs to the greatest glory in the entire world… Heaven.