Paul has taught us that living in the flesh results in spiritual death,

The Christian is not under obligation to his physical body, is not bound to honor its lusts and rebellions against God and His purposes.

Romans 8:12 is one of several verses in the New Testament writings that inform us we are not required nor can we be compelled to live according to the flesh.

It is not unusual to hear Christian people express the belief that as long as we are in the world we are obligated to sin. This point of view is not scriptural. There is enough virtue in Christ to enable us to overcome our sins if this is what we want to do.

There is no power in the world or in the heavens that can compel a member of the Body of Christ to commit adultery or to lie or steal, if that member calls on Christ in the hour of temptation. If Satan can force us to sin, then he also can overcome the resurrection of Christ.

The solution to the sin problem does not consist of going to Heaven. Sin originated in Heaven, not in the earth. Sin was introduced into mankind by creatures who previously had dwelled in the highest heaven.

The resurrection from the dead has little or nothing to do with going to Heaven. The resurrection from the dead, which is the direct result of the overcoming of sin, has to do only with the Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself is the Resurrection from the dead.

The solution to the sin problem consists of being grafted into the death of Christ and into the resurrection of Christ. Our resurrection will be complete when our spirit, soul, and body are unblemished expressions of the resurrection Life of Christ.

After we have attained the resurrection we may be assigned to serve the Lord Jesus on the earth, or in Heaven, as the Lord directs. Actually, there is far more Scripture to the effect that the resurrected saints will serve the Lord on the earth rather than in Heaven (the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, for example).

The goal of the Christian discipleship is to attain the redemption of our physical body. After that, our service to God will extend into eternity, and into realms we cannot know at this time.

If we choose to live according to the desires of our physical body we will forfeit these glorious opportunities of life and service. If we choose to live according to the Holy Spirit, then we now are passing over the threshold of the royal destiny to which we have been summoned by the King of Glory.