Living in the Spirit, Not in the Flesh - Psalms 68-69 and Romans 8:1-21
The psalms remind us that life is a challenge. Life has its ups and downs. David experienced those mountains and valleys in life, and God inspired him to write psalms about his experiences. When we step back and look at what David was saying, I believe we can see a pattern. David's challenges and his troubles came from living in the flesh. When he lived in the flesh and sought to fulfill his human desires and needs in his own strength, he had problems, and it led him to sin. The people around him, who were living in the flesh caused him problems. There is a constant struggle between the Holy Spirit and the flesh. We see this within ourselves and in a our relationships with others. The only way to avoid all of these troubles is to constantly allow the Spirit to lead us and provide for us, even as we are dealing with other people.
Paul explained this very well in Romans 8. When we read Romans 7, we might feel defeated, and we might think there is no way to live the Christian life. Thankfully, Paul did not end the book of Romans with chapter 7. In chapter 8 he explains that the law of the Spirit has made us free from the law of sin and death. In other words, the Holy Spirit gives us the victory over the sins that work through our flesh to lead us to sin. The solution is to live in the Spirit. We must reject the flesh as a way of life, because the flesh leads to death. We must realize that those around us who live by the flesh will be at odds with the ways of God. We must help them to see their need for Christ, so they too can live in the Spirit. In fact, we need to understand that all of creation has been effected by sin and the corruption it brings. The only solution for the universe is the coming of Christ. He will make all things as they were designed by God originally. However, in the meantime, we have to live life in a fleshly body, and we will have all of the human desires and needs, but we must not live according to the flesh. We must allow the Spirit to have His way in us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 70-71 and Romans 8:22-39.
Paul explained this very well in Romans 8. When we read Romans 7, we might feel defeated, and we might think there is no way to live the Christian life. Thankfully, Paul did not end the book of Romans with chapter 7. In chapter 8 he explains that the law of the Spirit has made us free from the law of sin and death. In other words, the Holy Spirit gives us the victory over the sins that work through our flesh to lead us to sin. The solution is to live in the Spirit. We must reject the flesh as a way of life, because the flesh leads to death. We must realize that those around us who live by the flesh will be at odds with the ways of God. We must help them to see their need for Christ, so they too can live in the Spirit. In fact, we need to understand that all of creation has been effected by sin and the corruption it brings. The only solution for the universe is the coming of Christ. He will make all things as they were designed by God originally. However, in the meantime, we have to live life in a fleshly body, and we will have all of the human desires and needs, but we must not live according to the flesh. We must allow the Spirit to have His way in us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 70-71 and Romans 8:22-39.