In Romans 8 we extract great knowledge about how to have a new life under grace, according to the spirit of holiness and adoption.
Romans 8:1 – Therefore, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The Apostle Paul teaches that when we are out of the grace of Christ, we live a life of misery, defeat and become slaves to sin.
Romans 8 makes us understand that living in holiness gives us deliverance from condemnation and victory over sin. This is only possible through a life of communion with God, Jesus Christ and together with the holy spirit that dwells within us.
When we receive the Holy Spirit and let ourselves be led by it, we become freed from the chains of sin and proceed to a life of glorification in Christ.
Romans 8:2-4 – For the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, made you free from the law of sin and death.
For what was impossible for the law, inasmuch as it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin, and because of sin, in the flesh condemned sin.
that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
The law of the spirit of life that here in Romans 8 is spoken of is nothing but the power and life of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of the children of God.
When the Holy Spirit enters our lives, we are automatically freed from the power of sin. The Law of the Holy Spirit is only fully operated as we commit to obey the Holy Spirit, for when we commit to obey, we discover a new power working within us, and it is exactly this power that enables us to overcome sin.
The word of God teaches us in Romans 8, that we become freed from the law of sin and death, because in Romans 8:2 Christ Jesus, frees us from the law of sin and death.
As we allow sin to dominate us, we become slaves to sin and are under the law of sin we are led to physical and spiritual death, but when we are guided by the “law of the Holy Spirit” we are led to eternal life and freedom.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In order for the law to be fulfilled in us, we must walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit has the full freedom to dwell, operate and rule our lives, he generates in us the ability to live a life of fear and obedience to God, fulfilling His law. Thus revealing the presence of justice and divine holiness.
Living according to the flesh and according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:5-14 – For those who are after the flesh are inclined to the things of the flesh; but those who are after the Spirit to the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but the Spirit’s inclination is life and peace.
For the mind of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be;
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.
Now if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead because of sin, but the spirit lives because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh;
for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you mortify the works of the body, you shall live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
Living afterthe flesh: This means desiring and satisfying the sinful desires in human nature. This involves taking pleasure in and being occupied with them. This involves not only fornication, adultery, hatred, greed, selfishness, anger, hatred, hurt feelings, and so on. But also addicted to pornography, drugs, emotional and mental pleasure in sex scenes, and so on.
Galatians 5:19-21 – Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are: fornication, uncleanness, lust, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, factions, dissensions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, orgies, and the like, against which I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Living according to the Spirit: Living according to the spirit is to live a life of obedience and submission to the will of the Holy Spirit. We must focus our attention on the will of God, and at all times remember that we are 24 hours in the presence of God and are being assisted by Him.
Can I obey the flesh and the Spirit?
The answer is no! It is by no means possible to obey the will of the flesh and the will of God at the same time.
If we stop resisting the desire of the flesh and start to live our sinful desires, consequently we start to live according to the flesh, thus becoming enemies of God and to the point of generating eternal death.
When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, automatically the Holy Spirit dwells in us
There is a war that we live continuously, and this war is against everything that comes to try to limit the work of God in our lives, as the enemy of our life works 24 hours a day, with the objective of dragging us back to the life of sinful delights, and thus regaining his control about Us.
In this conflict, in this spiritual warfare against Satan and his evil spirits, we must be willing to overcome our passions, carnal desires, not giving in to the desires of the flesh that lead us to sin, but rather following the will of God.
When we do not put an end to some type of sin such as prostitution, impurity, lust, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, discord, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, gluttony and etc. We are led to a spiritual death as we lose intimacy with God.
Isaiah 59:2 – But your iniquities separate you from your God; and your sins hid his face from you, that he will not hear you.
When we refuse to mortify the works of sin in our lives, we automatically go from spiritual life to spiritual death, that is, we lose the life we gained by accepting Jesus.
To be guided by the Holy Spirit is to be sure of our salvation, for we live in a life of entire sanctification and separation, and mortifying the sinful desires of the body.
And in addition to being guided by the Holy Spirit, we become children of God. When we allow to be guided by the Holy Spirit, he begins to dwell in us, making us think, act and speak according to the commandments of the word of God.
All our impulses are guided by the Holy Spirit, thus mortifying the sinful works, we start to live not according to our will, but according to the will of God.
To be guided by the Holy Spirit is to be exhorted and warned, for we must persevere in the faith and live in opposition to the apostasy of faith in Christ.
We can only receive the warning of the Holy Spirit as we are in full communion with the word of God, praying and seeking God unceasingly and seeking healthy teachings that are in conformity with the word of God.
We must seek to exercise the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as they will be our structure based on the race of faith
Romans 8: 15-17 – have not received the spirit of bondage again to fearstand with, but you received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry: Abba, Father!
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;
and, if children, also heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if it is true that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
Podemos understand that live in the Holy Spirit is no way easily, because as its Lord Jesus Christ suffered, we too as his followers suffer with him.
Matthew 5:10,11 – Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you, when they revile you and persecute you, and lyingly say all evil against you for my sake.
We suffer in the walk of faith because we belong to God and we do his will and we automatically hate the world because we are different from the world.
