I thought it pertinent to ask Jesus to open our understanding so bear with me as we pray together.
“Lord Jesus, I pray that you would anoint your word and breathe life into it. I pray that anything within this blog that is not of you would dry up and fall away. For those things you wish to teach us I ask that your Spirit quicken our hearts and minds to receive what you have for us today. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Romans 8:5-8 (NLT)
“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. 6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8Thats why the those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”
What the Word is Saying
The Christian is antithetical to the non-Christian. Whereas the non-believer’s mindset is directed by their sinful nature, the Christian’s mindset is directed by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul portrays the non-believer as “dominated by” and the Christian as “controlled by” interestingly the Greek word (κατά) here is used to relay the idea of existing. Meaning the non-believer exists according to the sinful nature and the Christian exists according to the Spirit. Each side acts in line with what is the normative for them. Just as a thief is not trusted due to his proclivity to steal. A farmer is considered to be a hard worker due to his demanding lifestyle. Therefore, as verse 6 tells us the end result is the expected outcome of what each side is doing. The sin leading to death and the Spirit leading to life and peace is the outflow of the direction the life is lived under.
Consequently, the sinful nature, like a canal directs all water to its destination, causes the unbeliever to act in ways that lead to death and subsequently the displeasing of God (v.8). Paul is telling us look when you lived in sin and were under sin’s control you could not go in any other direction but to sin. The gravity of our rebellion pulled us away from God and towards death. Any other outcome would have been counter to what was expected. We could not please God we were pointed and headed in the opposite direction from anything that would do so.
This is not so now that the Spirit dwells within us. We are free from the boundaries and barriers that prevent us from escaping sins grasp over our lives. Thanks be to God.
“Lord Jesus, I ask that you take the words in this blog and breathe life into them. Apart from your anointing they are just words on a page. I ask that you quicken our hearts to hear, see, and act upon what you are trying to teach us by the Power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.”
If you have not given your life to Jesus let me implore you to do so now. The bible says “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10, NLT). Therefore, pray this prayer aloud now, right where you are: “Jesus, I believe you are Lord and I believe that you died on a cross, and God raised you from the dead”. If you prayed this prayer, please respond to this blog and someone will contact you. Also, I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to show you where you should attend a church. There may be someone you know that is a believer, someone who can lead you to a place where God can grow you in your newfound faith. The church will provide you a place of encouragement, teaching, and support in your walk with Jesus. It goes without saying the road is easier when you have others traveling with you.
Thank you for allowing me to give you my perspective and attempt to teach on “What the Word is Saying!”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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