Five Operations of the Holy Spirit Part 18
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death. First, the law of the Spirit of life cleanses us with the blood of Jesus so we no longer are held under the guilt imposed by the law of Moses.
Second, the law of the Spirit of life furnishes us with wisdom and power adequate for overcoming the tendencies and effects of sin in us.
We are free now to follow the Holy Spirit. When we do so, the righteousness of Christ clothes us and keeps us fit to enter before the Throne of God in Heaven so we may obtain mercy and grace to help in our time of need.
Paul goes on to explain that we have received Christ and have started out to follow the Spirit of God in overcoming our fleshly nature. We must be diligent each day and make sure we really are following the Holy Spirit and have not drifted back into the life of the flesh.
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. (Romans 8:5)
If we Christians do not follow the Holy Spirit closely, giving ourselves to daily prayer, the study of the holy Scriptures, assembling with the saints, obeying the Spirit, we will begin to find the old life creeping back. The old sinful life of our flesh is capable of destroying our new life in Christ.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)
The sinful body of the unsaved person is dead in sin, having in itself the desire to commit the abominations that caused God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. The sinful body of the saved person also is dead because of these abominable tendencies. In this respect there is no difference between the physical body of the unsaved and the physical body of the saved.
However, in the saved person dwells the Holy Spirit of God, who is holy in Nature and in conduct and who brings with Him the righteousness that is based on the shed blood of Christ.
We believers possess the assigned righteousness of Christ and the power for holy living that is of the Holy Spirit. We possess also a spiritually dead body and human mind that are the enemies of God's ways and purposes. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to resist sin and to be disobedient to the desires of our flesh. By the Spirit of God we learn to beat down our flesh and human mind and keep them under the control of His will.
Now Paul points us toward further redemption—that which is to come with the appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)
We are to keep our sinful body under control by the ability that the Holy Spirit gives us because the day is coming in which God will make alive even the death-doomed physical body that we are dragging around. Salvation is coming to the body. When it does, our body will be filled with righteousness, holiness, and obedience.
We must maintain a careful guard on our human nature because it leads us into trouble if we do not keep the grace of God in control at all times. We see that at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ there will be a redemption of our mortal body. Jesus will appear without sin (Hebrews 9:28). How we will rejoice then as our whole spirit, soul, and body are filled to the brim with the righteous and holy tendencies of the Spirit of God!
"Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" asks Paul. The Lord Jesus Christ will do so at His appearing. The work of redemption in us will then have been brought to the full.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live in the appetites of the flesh. (Romans 8:12)
Here is one of the most important verses in the New Testament writings. We cannot be compelled to sin after we have believed in Christ. The statements that "no one is perfect," or, "we always will sin until we go to Heaven," fall down in the face of this verse. We are not required to sin. It is a lie of the enemy that declares Christians must sin. The Church of Christ has believed the lie without looking to see what God has said.
Christ saves us from our sins not just in our sins. We owe the flesh nothing. We are not compelled to obey it. If we will pay attention to the Holy Spirit, He will enable us to overcome our daily sins of deed, speech, motive, and imagination. God has the power. It is our responsibility to cooperate with God so He can destroy the power of the enemy that still moves us.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
Paul is stating that if we, having once been saved, turn away from the grace of God and go back to living in the lusts of the flesh, we will die spiritually—Christian or not. If we follow the Holy Spirit in putting to death the deeds of our body we will press on to the attainment of eternal life.
We understand that eternal life is more than the initial acceptance of Christ. It is one thing to accept Christ but then we must become disciples of Jesus, putting to death the adultery, fornication, excesses, filthy talking, coveting, lying, foolishness, impatience, and hating that corrupt our flesh.
Is the Holy Spirit leading you into the conquest of your land of promise? Are you putting to death the enemies in your land? If not, turn to the Lord and allow His Holy Spirit to begin to point out the bondages that are keeping you from growing in His grace.