Audio - Living by the Spirit
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Living by the Spirit
TEXT: NKJ Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors -- not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you
will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and
if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed
we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Today’s text has so many lessons for us to learn—but we must limit ourselves to
one aspect of the truth—Paul says we must live by the Spirit that is within
us—every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him—and it is by
listening to the Sprit within us that we should live our lives—Jesus came to
this world as a man—a perfect man—and He knew that when He departed to return to
the Father in heaven—we would need power to overcome the prince of this
world—the devil—therefore Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit—and the Holy
Spirit would give us the power to understand the things of God and the power to
share those things with others—we have the power to defeat Satan himself
NKJ Luke 24:49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in
the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
NKJ Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Where do we begin when considering the lesson for today?—I would like to begin
by considering the subject of death and dying—we are surrounded by death in this
world—most of the people in this world are subject to Satan—and therefore those
without the Holy Spirit are subject to death through the evil things of the
devil—but Jesus taught us that if we believe that He is the Son of God—we shall
not die—we will depart this world in bodily death—but we will enter eternal life
in heaven—remember Jesus’ words to Martha when Lazarus died and was buried in
the grave for several days
NKJ John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and
believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
TEXT: NKJ Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors -- not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you
will live.
Paul reinforced this concept in several of his letters—to properly understand we
will consider some of the other places he discusses the subject of being alive
in the Spirit
One of the most classic examples is Paul’s discussion of being baptized into
death through Christ and raised from the dead in baptism—and we know that
baptism brings us the Holy Spirit
NKJ Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
NKJ Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been
united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified
with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that
Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has
dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon
yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it
in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the
dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall
not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
We live in a world that is under the power of Satan—but we are not of this
world—we are just in this world—we belong to Christ—and we are citizens of
heaven—waiting for God to take us home
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
We live in this world for the glory of God—to do the things God would have us
do—and Paul warns us to stay in the Spirit—and do not participate in the things
of this world
NKJ Galatians 6:6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with
him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh
reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap
everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household
of faith.
NKJ Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man
which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the
spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created
according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Our text and Paul’s letters tell us that we all live with sin—but how we deal
with sin makes the difference between heaven and hell for all eternity—Paul says
that each of us were slaves of sin as if in bondage—but now we are filled with
the Holy Spirit—unbelievers are filled with a spirit also—but not the Spirit of
God—they are filled with the spirit of Satan
NKJ Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience,
I’ve shared with you many times that Paul was a master student of the Old
Testament—he understood the Old Testament to a degree that few, if any, will
ever duplicate—hear now some Old Testament writings on the subject of our
lesson—notice how the psalmist describes the delivery of the soul and the walk
through life with God
NKJ Psalm 116:8 For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD In the land of the
living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted."
NKJ Psalm 56:13 For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my
feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?
And the prophet Ezekiel even describes how the Spirit is put into God’s people
for their salvation
NKJ Ezekiel 37:14 "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will
place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it
and performed it," says the LORD.' "
In the last aspect of this lesson—Paul describes those filled with the Holy
Spirit as “sons of God”—and he states that we cry out “Abba, Father” when we cry
out to God—this reference—Abba—is a name of familiarity much like calling out to
dad as a reference to a father—Paul wants us to know that we are truly sons of
God—inheriting all the things of His true Son, Jesus Christ—Paul wrote this same
thing to the Galatians
NKJ Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the
law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba,
Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an
heir of God through Christ.
This fulfills the promise Jesus made in John’s Gospel
NKJ John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide
you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He
hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 "He will glorify
Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 "All things that
the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare
it to you.
What a magnificent promise!—listen in your heart for the things of the Holy
Spirit—obey the Spirit—and inherit all the promises of God in heaven
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!