STRONG IN THE SPIRIT
Romans 8:1-16
INTRODUCTION: In Romans chapter seven we see the normal Christian life of “the harder I try—the worse it gets!” However we are encouraged to live not in Romans chapter seven but to move over from living in the flesh to living in the Spirit of our God in Romans chapter eight! Romans 7:21-25; Romans 8:14-17. In Romans chapter eight Paul is giving us God’s 100% guarantee that we as God’s children can walk in inner peace, joy, and freedom. 1 Peter 1:3-4. We will look today at three changes that come into our lives when the Holy Spirit comes within us:
- A NEW MINDSET!
When the Holy Spirit comes within us we get a new mindset! Our mindset not only controls our daily living but it also means the difference in eternity whether we will spend eternity in heaven or the Lake of Fire! Jeremiah 10:23; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:5-8. Most church members are living in the flesh and wonder why they are not being blessed: Romans 12:1-2. Walking in the flesh means you are in control of your life and not God. Our flesh says no to God: Amos 3:3; Psalm 14:1; Romans 8:6-7. We simply do not take our fleshly nature seriously enough. Our flesh is hostile to God. That means we had better be hostile to our fleshly nature. If we do not we will live frustrated, defeated lives because instead of being for us we will find our heavenly Father against us. If we are walking in our flesh we cannot please our God: Romans 8:8. When we walk in the flesh we will find a defeated Christian life because the Christian life must be lived in the Spirit: Romans 7:21-24. Paul asked a question that he answers in verse 25: Romans 7:24-25. Do you see it? The problems is Paul is running his own life instead of allowing Jesus Christ to live His life through him. Our problem is that so much of the time we are living in Romans chapter seven and not in Romans chapter eight. Paul tells us in chapter eight that if we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will live a life of victory!
2. OUR NEW OBLIGATION!
Led by the Spirit of God we can get a new mindset that is able to say no to our sinful nature and mean it and make it stick! Romans 8:12-13. A new mindset, a new obligation and we no longer have to live according to our sinful nature: Titus 2:11-13. We can have the mindset of the Holy Spirit in our hearts: 1 Corinthians 2:16.
3. OUR NEW IDENTITY!
The reason why most church members live their lives in defeat is because they fail to grasp and understand who they have become in Christ! Christ now lives in us if we have received Him by faith as our personal Lord and Savior. Now we have an option. We don’t have to be led anymore by our flesh. We don’t have to let our appetites control us. We can chose to live in victory through our surrender to the life of Christ in us: Romans 8:14-16. God desires to lead us to victory in Christ. The Holy Spirit within convicts me when I am walking in the flesh. He leads me by the Word of God. Romans 8:15: Our heavenly Father loves us far more than any earthly daddy ever could. He wants to direct your life, not to restrain your pleasure but because He loves you and knows what is best for you. Ephesians 5:18 gives us a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:3-4. If you are living in the flesh today one of two things is wrong. First, either you have never invited Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Or, second you have pushed Jesus Christ aside as your Lord and taken back control of your own life. We already have all of God we will ever get, but does God have all of us that He desires?