Romans 8: 1-11
Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile toward God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 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.
A Thought
The law of sin and death is that we were all born into sin (the result of the disobedience of Adam) and sin brings the judgement of death (separation from God) to all mankind. Before we accept the forgiveness of sin, we are powerless to do the will of God because we are controlled by our sinful nature. God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to pay the price of our sin by shedding his blood on the cross. Jesus is the only one who can forgive sin because he committed no sin, but died a sinners death. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he returned back to the Father and sits at his right hand making intercession for our sins. When we ask for forgiveness in faith believing, we are set free from the law of sin and death. We can now choose to please God by submitting our mind and spirit to obey God’s law and not to be controlled by our old sinful nature because the Spirit of God now lives in us. This same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, will give life to our mortal bodies.
Our Prayer
Father thank you for the gift of being reconciled back to you because of your precious Son, Jesus the Christ. Thank you that we can be set free from sin to serve you. Thank you for your Spirit that lives within us. We submit our life to be filled with your Spirit to direct us to be your righteousness made alive by the shed blood of Jesus. Fill us with your Word that we will please you and not be controlled by our old sinful nature. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
