Romans 8:12-17

                                                             Romans 8:12-17

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 

Identity is very important for us to understand.  Many people suffer from mistaken identity because they somehow believe that they have the authority to identify themselves.  Many people consider their identity to be determined by their race, gender, social status, or position of authority.  None of these are our true identities.  As believers, our identity comes from Christ and our relationship with Him.  We must be careful not to continue to see ourselves according to our identity before Christ or live under the delusion that we can determine our own identity.

 

WE ARE NOT DEBTORS TO THE FLESH: We are indebted to Christ for the sacrifice He made on our behalf. We are not in debt to the flesh for anything.  All the flesh ever did for us was lead us into sin and condemnation.  The solution for the flesh is to put it to death by being identified with Christ on the cross.  This is what life in the Spirit will do.  He makes us alive in Christ and puts the flesh to death.  It is highly unfortunate when we live as if we owed our flesh anything.  The flesh has given us nothing while Christ has given us everything.

 

WE ARE NOT SLAVES OF THE FLESH: In Christ we are no longer under the bondage of sin and our flesh. We have been set free from sin and we are now able to live lives of obedience before Christ.  All unbelievers are enslaved to sin.  They may think that they are living lives of freedom because the flesh desires to sin and they feel like they are free to follow the desires of their heart.  However, the reality is that they are enslaved to sin.  The flesh and sin always take them farther than they wanted to go and cost more than they wanted to pay.  The good things they desire to do; they are powerless to perform in the flesh.  The only way to freedom from sin is through slavery to Christ.

 

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD: If we are not debtors and are not slaves, then what are we?  The answer is that we are the children of God.  When we become identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, we become members of His family.  We are not only temporary members that are visiting the home of the Father, but we are heirs of the Father.  We become sons and daughters of God.  Since we are in Christ, we have the Spirt of God who makes us members of the family and places us in a relationship where we call out Abba Father which is a name of intimacy like “Daddy.”  This is the glory of our relationship with Christ through the Spirit.

 

APPLICATION: Live as debtors to Christ and not to the desires of the flesh.  Live in freedom from sin and not enslaved to sin.  Be thankful that we are children of God and live according to the ways of our family.  Allow the Spirit to make us alive in Christ, free from sin and heirs of God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 1:1-2

Paul,   an apostle of Christ Jesus   by command of   God our Savior and of Christ Jesus   our hope, To Timothy,   my true child in the faith:   Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The true sign of maturity is multiplication.  Believers, churches, and ministries that do not reproduce are not demonstrating true maturity.  One of the key characteristics we can identify in Paul’s ministry is that he was constantly reproducing godly believers who were faithfully following the Lord.  Evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training are the hallmarks of mature ministers and ministries.   THE APOSTLE: Paul was called by God to be an Apostle.  Though Paul converted after the resurrection and assentation of Jesus, he met Jesus in the road to Damascus and was instructed by Jesus in the desert.  Paul considered himself to be the least of the Apostles because he persecuted the church and did not walk with Jesus on earth like the other Apostles.  However, God had
Read more