Choosing Life in the Spirit

Choosing Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-17)

Think with me again today about life in the Spirit. Anyone who is a genuine follower of Jesus has God's Spirit. He indwells each believer when they are born again. Having the Spirit, and living in the Spirit are two different issues, however. Living in the Spirit is something we learn to experience as we grow in Christ.

Romans 8:1-17 is some of Paul's clearest instruction about life in the Spirit. He contrasts it with the believer who lives life in the flesh-the "carnal" believer. Each of us who reads this FF lives as one or the other-carnal or spiritual. To choose life in the Spirit requires some decisions on our part. I'd like to suggest three decisions we must make to walk in the Spirit.

First, we must decide to surrender. It involves agreeing with God that we cannot live life as God intends it on our own. We decide to surrender our own abilities and desires so the Spirit can have freedom to work in us. Like so many decisions in the Christian life, we'll probably make the "big" decision and then reinforce it with small decisions through the rest of our lives.

We also must make the decision to obey. Disobedience moves us back to the carnal end of the spectrum. Obedience keeps us growing in our walk with the Spirit. Obedience enables God's Spirit to fill us with power, direct us in the ways we should walk and teach us everything our Lord wants us to learn.

I don't know why obedience is so hard for so many of us, but I know it is hard. Perhaps we need to learn how much we give up by choosing to disobey. I've learned I lose far more than I gain when I try to live in opposition to the Spirit's work in my life.

Finally, we must decide to trust. God gave us the Holy Spirit because He knew we needed the power, instruction and presence He brings to us. God's work in us is often so contrary to what we "think" life should look like; we're so sure we know better. To choose life in the Spirit is to decide to trust. Even when it doesn't make sense to us, we trust God's Spirit. Even when we think we know a better way, we trust God's Spirit. Even when we can't see where His direction and work will take us, we trust God's Spirit.For all of life and for each day of life, deciding to walk in the Spirit is always the best choice. What choice will you make today?

-- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 20; Ezekiel 14-15; James 2

Think About This: I'm glad God has all the answers, 'cause I barely understand the questions. Barbara Johnson