We Christians are just passing through this earthly life. Even though we live on this earth, we are to live life in the Spirit. Too many times we get distracted from the spiritual life by the earthly life. This should not be. We need to concentrate on our life in the Spirit. When we do, our lives are governed by peace and joy. Our journey through our earthly life gives us an opportunity to embrace Unbelievers and teach them how to live life in the Spirit so they too can live in peace with joy, not only here on earth, but also eternally in Heaven.
Paul discusses life in the Spirit in detail in Romans 8. Please take the time to read the entire passage, because Paul tells us why we need to live in the Spirit. This is one of the most uplifting chapters in the New Testament.
Romans 8
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul gives us many benefits of living in the Spirit as he has written to the Romans. First, he tells us that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we no longer live by the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. And it is this Spirit that sets us free from sin and helps us live a life of peace and joy. We have peace and joy because we are no longer concerned about what this earthly life has to offer. We know, as beautiful as this earth is, it pales in comparison to what life will be like in Heaven with the Father.
Paul then reminds us that if we do not have the Holy Spirit in us, we cannot please God. Indeed, if we are not filled with the Spirit, we do not belong to God. It is so important that we foster our relationship with the Holy Spirit, because having Him dwell within us is the next step of membership into God’s family after we have accepted His Son as our Savior. Because the Holy Spirit is just that, Spirit, we tend to overlook how important He is in our daily Christian walk. We need to have a strong connection with the Holy Spirit so that we can understand God’s will for our lives.
In fact, another advantage of the Holy Spirit living in us is that He knows our hearts and minds and can intercede for us to the Father. As mentioned in a previous blog, the Holy Spirit also knows the mind of God. Therefore, He can “tell” God what is in our hearts and minds when we don’t have the actual words yet formed. And on the flip side, the Spirit knows the will, heart and mind of God, and then communicates that to us.
Through the Holy Spirit’s communication with the Father on our behalf, Paul announces, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (v. 28). It is then, our job to listen to God and the Holy Spirit and obey them in their purpose for our lives.
[tangent coming] And isn’t that grand? We are given a purpose. So many Unbelievers complain that their lives don’t have a purpose. They are lost and want meaning in their lives. Isn’t that the age-old question, “What is the meaning of life?” God, who made us, knew we humans needed a purpose in our lives to help feel fullfilled. And He gives us purpose. What’s amazing, is that purpose changes as God’s will for our lives changes according to the situations He places us, and the season of life we are in. We don’t ever have to feel lonely and bored as we retire because we are no longer working – which many seem to think is their sole purpose in life. In reality, it is God who gives us our purpose. Therefore, when we retire from our work, we still have a purpose, because work was not our purpose in life to begin with. Obeying God’s will for our lives is our purpose. When we no longer are raising families and working, God will give us another purpose in our later years. Living in God’s will for our lives, and obeying His mission for our lives never stops until He takes us up to Heaven.
We could stop at verse 27 in discussing the Holy Spirit. However, the end of this chapter is so powerful. Verses 31-37 should be committed to memory so that the Holy Spirit can bring them to mind when we are feeling defeated in this earthly life. Us, Believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, knowing Jesus is our Savior, who are God’s children, can always count on God the Father’s unconditional love for who He has made us. We don’t need to change to make people like us better. We only need to come close to Him, and He will make us holy, give us peace and joy, and call us His.
Photo Credit: Reformed Forum, August 4, 2020. Theology Simply Profound Life in the Spirit Podcast. Retrieved from https://reformedforum.org/podcasts/tsp205/ on May 24, 2022.
