Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Walk not after the flesh.
Walk after the Spirit.
We are flesh, but not flesh only. If all we were was flesh then we wouldn't have the power of reason within us. We wouldn't have things such as feelings. Seriously. If you take away the emotions, if you take away the ability to reason- what's left?
We have names for people who seem void of all emotion- psychopaths is one of those names. We most definitely call it unnatural when a person seems void of all emotion. When a person has no ability to reason for themselves we call them mentally handicapped, because reasoning is all a part of being what we call a 'normal' human being, or even and 'average' human being, a human being in the general sense of the word.
When you think of a person as being a person we do not normally envision those who are severely mentally or emotionally challenged. If I told you to imagine a person your first idea would be to imagine someone probably like yourself- someone who has the ability to reason to the point you can read this with understanding. True, you could be a very intelligent person void of emotion, but that isn't what people imagine each other to be on the scale of being the average human being.
We are NOT just flesh or else we would be just thoughtless flesh creatures.
When people by one means or another lose the ability to think- when they become brain dead, do we consider them to be normal? No. They've been altered from the state of normalcy.
The point being here is we HAVE to admit that we are more than flesh and blood, we are SPIRIT beings. And yes, I keep harping on this, but I have to. I, like so many people; I, like MOST people have become a person who pays very little attention to my SPIRIT side, especially on a day to day basis. Considering myself a spiritual being isn't something that comes naturally to me.
We are told NOT to walk after the flesh, but to WALK after the SPIRIT.
Don't we have to be in touch with our own spirit self in order to walk after the SPIRIT?
Walking after the Spirit is seeking God in all things, in all aspects of our lives.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of the Spirit of life - in CHRIST JESUS makes us FREE- Free from the law of SIN and DEATH.
Does this mean we will not die? No.
Living in Christ Jesus, walking in the Spirit, takes away the condemnation that is given to all who sin. We have HOPE. Without Christ we have NO hope of eternal life, no hope at all.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The ceremonial law did not have the power to save, it all pointed to the LAMB of GOD who alone could save. You could keep the ceremonial law forever but it could NOT save anyone. It was shadow of things to come.
Our Savior came in OUR likeness, not as a Spirit only being, but as a FLESH being as well. In the LIKENESS of SINFUL FLESH, and for SIN, HE condemned sin while in that FLESH. He led a PERFECT MORAL LIFE adhering to every single one of God's moral commandments! He failed in no aspect of the moral law, NONE. He did NOT sin and what is sin?
1Jn_3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
HE DID NOT TRANSGRESS THE LAW! This made our Savior SINLESS.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The righteousness of the law IS likewise fulfilled in us when we WALK after the SPIRIT, because then and only then are we walking after our SAVIOR.
We choose to walk after the Spirit, we choose to walk after Christ Jesus our Savior. This is a very conscious choice, not something half-hearted, not a fleeting thought of a choice, but a very real choice to LIVE for CHRIST and NOT for our selves, not for our flesh!
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
If we live to please our flesh then we are NOT walking in the Spirit, we are NOT walking in Christ. If we live for the here and now, not mindful at all of our Savior who came to preach the gospel, the kingdom of heaven, then we are living after the flesh, the very temporary flesh.
We have to LEARN to mind the things of the SPIRIT! In all aspects of our lives! This as to be paramount, minding the things of the SPIRIT, not of the flesh.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Don't you see, we have to be SPIRITUALLY MINDED!
Being SPIRITUALLY MINDED is LIFE and PEACE!
When our minds are focused on the flesh and not focused on the Spiritual we are in fact focusing on death, not life in Christ.
This world has a lot of pain.
Around every corner there is a new experience of pain- emotional, mental, physical agony.
Satan wants us to focus on the here and now and live solely for here and now and not for life with our SAVIOR after HIS RETURN.
This life is TEMPORARY to ETERNITY.
Is it any wonder we are to LOVE. Love is the only thing that will follow us to eternity. All else on this earth is temporary. LOVE and only LOVE will live on. And it's no surprise really, is it? GOD IS LOVE!
We are promised a future, a PAINLESS eternity, not a painless here and now. We will suffer horrifically in many ways in our lives, and even if that suffering seems to be lasting forever, it is truly, truly TEMPORARY to eternity!
We must walk after the SPIRIT, all by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! ALL in HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Blessed be the name of the LORD!
All Glory to GOD!
All praise! All honor! All thanksgiving to GOD on high!
In His LOVE!
Walk not after the flesh.
Walk after the Spirit.
We are flesh, but not flesh only. If all we were was flesh then we wouldn't have the power of reason within us. We wouldn't have things such as feelings. Seriously. If you take away the emotions, if you take away the ability to reason- what's left?
We have names for people who seem void of all emotion- psychopaths is one of those names. We most definitely call it unnatural when a person seems void of all emotion. When a person has no ability to reason for themselves we call them mentally handicapped, because reasoning is all a part of being what we call a 'normal' human being, or even and 'average' human being, a human being in the general sense of the word.
When you think of a person as being a person we do not normally envision those who are severely mentally or emotionally challenged. If I told you to imagine a person your first idea would be to imagine someone probably like yourself- someone who has the ability to reason to the point you can read this with understanding. True, you could be a very intelligent person void of emotion, but that isn't what people imagine each other to be on the scale of being the average human being.
We are NOT just flesh or else we would be just thoughtless flesh creatures.
When people by one means or another lose the ability to think- when they become brain dead, do we consider them to be normal? No. They've been altered from the state of normalcy.
The point being here is we HAVE to admit that we are more than flesh and blood, we are SPIRIT beings. And yes, I keep harping on this, but I have to. I, like so many people; I, like MOST people have become a person who pays very little attention to my SPIRIT side, especially on a day to day basis. Considering myself a spiritual being isn't something that comes naturally to me.
We are told NOT to walk after the flesh, but to WALK after the SPIRIT.
Don't we have to be in touch with our own spirit self in order to walk after the SPIRIT?
Walking after the Spirit is seeking God in all things, in all aspects of our lives.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of the Spirit of life - in CHRIST JESUS makes us FREE- Free from the law of SIN and DEATH.
Does this mean we will not die? No.
Living in Christ Jesus, walking in the Spirit, takes away the condemnation that is given to all who sin. We have HOPE. Without Christ we have NO hope of eternal life, no hope at all.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The ceremonial law did not have the power to save, it all pointed to the LAMB of GOD who alone could save. You could keep the ceremonial law forever but it could NOT save anyone. It was shadow of things to come.
Our Savior came in OUR likeness, not as a Spirit only being, but as a FLESH being as well. In the LIKENESS of SINFUL FLESH, and for SIN, HE condemned sin while in that FLESH. He led a PERFECT MORAL LIFE adhering to every single one of God's moral commandments! He failed in no aspect of the moral law, NONE. He did NOT sin and what is sin?
1Jn_3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
HE DID NOT TRANSGRESS THE LAW! This made our Savior SINLESS.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The righteousness of the law IS likewise fulfilled in us when we WALK after the SPIRIT, because then and only then are we walking after our SAVIOR.
We choose to walk after the Spirit, we choose to walk after Christ Jesus our Savior. This is a very conscious choice, not something half-hearted, not a fleeting thought of a choice, but a very real choice to LIVE for CHRIST and NOT for our selves, not for our flesh!
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
If we live to please our flesh then we are NOT walking in the Spirit, we are NOT walking in Christ. If we live for the here and now, not mindful at all of our Savior who came to preach the gospel, the kingdom of heaven, then we are living after the flesh, the very temporary flesh.
We have to LEARN to mind the things of the SPIRIT! In all aspects of our lives! This as to be paramount, minding the things of the SPIRIT, not of the flesh.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Don't you see, we have to be SPIRITUALLY MINDED!
Being SPIRITUALLY MINDED is LIFE and PEACE!
When our minds are focused on the flesh and not focused on the Spiritual we are in fact focusing on death, not life in Christ.
This world has a lot of pain.
Around every corner there is a new experience of pain- emotional, mental, physical agony.
Satan wants us to focus on the here and now and live solely for here and now and not for life with our SAVIOR after HIS RETURN.
This life is TEMPORARY to ETERNITY.
Is it any wonder we are to LOVE. Love is the only thing that will follow us to eternity. All else on this earth is temporary. LOVE and only LOVE will live on. And it's no surprise really, is it? GOD IS LOVE!
We are promised a future, a PAINLESS eternity, not a painless here and now. We will suffer horrifically in many ways in our lives, and even if that suffering seems to be lasting forever, it is truly, truly TEMPORARY to eternity!
We must walk after the SPIRIT, all by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! ALL in HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Blessed be the name of the LORD!
All Glory to GOD!
All praise! All honor! All thanksgiving to GOD on high!
In His LOVE!
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