Author: missionspaul

Are you suffering today? You may not be. But you are older than you were yesterday and perhaps it is showing! Every one of us have bodies that fail us.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hopethatthe creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8 v 18-27)

I think of the retired Pastor yesterday who after a long time of suffering is now with the Lord as he passed away.

1. We all live in a broken world so even Christians suffer.
2. Your suffering now will be overwhelmed by what you will receive after you die.
3. You are not the only one who is suffering. You are part of creation itself who in its first-fruits groans out of frustration.
4. You are not isolated in your suffering for the Spirit inwardly groans and intercedes for us.
5. Your groans will turn into glory.

How difficult it is to fully express what life is like one second after we die!

There is no way we will ever understand fully the glory of God until we leave this life.

In its simplistic form it is to see His beauty through the lens of His actions, character and nature.

There is a glory in heaven that Moses longed for and partially saw; that Isaiah saw in the Temple and that John would see in his Revelation, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (21:23) Our world is in a mess. But there is a beauty that is coming into the world, the glory of God, Jesus!

There are just some days when in the battle between trying in your own strength and living in the realm of the Spirit you just feel you’re not doing too well.

There are just some days when you just may not feel worthy to be called God’s child. You can’t identify anything that warrants or qualifies you for this amazing position.

So once again … welcome Holy Spirit! Where would we be without Him?!

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8 v 12-17)

It has happened. Whether we feel it or not. The adoption scheme that through His mercy and grace brought you into His family and to be that child of God. Who did that? The Holy Spirit did and continues to remind you of this.

Today the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, prompting you, “Go on, call Him Father, call Him Abba.” This personal, intimate, familiar title is given only because of relationship with the Holy Spirit. Call Him Abba prayerfully, worshipfully and in surrender, no matter what is happening in your life. And see what happens!

There seems to be a lot of ‘if’s’ in these next verses!

But they also contain great hope and promise!

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8 v 9-11)

We are all getting older aren’t we? We talk about our diet and exercise more as we get older because we want to prolong our stay here. We spend hours at the surgery, the chemist, pills, creams and potions. I even went to a chiropodist the other day very reluctantly. I thought only old people go there. I quite enjoyed it.

I don’t want to grow old. Why couldn’t we have been born old and die young. That would be amazing wouldn’t it?

But one thing I want to pursue is that as I am getting older and as my body is gearing itself to go downhill that I don’t die old in my spirit. The Paul underneath this wrinkly skin and balding head must be youthful, passionate and energetic for the things of God. I don’t want to complain that the church isn’t good enough or its members don’t have the experiences I have had. I want to be fun to be around. I want people to want to have a coffee with me. That’s my long term goal. Now how will that happen? It’s all in the IF.

…if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit …

But if Christ is in you …

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus …

For the Holy Spirit has not passed away. He is alive today in our lives. The same Holy Spirit who the Apostle says raised Jesus from the dead will also cause the greatest breath to come upon us when we breathe for the last time on this earth, so that we too will not die but live for ever.

He does not grow old. He is today in our lives witnessing to us in every doubt, situation and circumstance. How do we know what we know? How can we speak so confidently that it would seem like we were witnesses of the events of Christianity? It is the partnership of the Holy Spirit who continually speaks to us and through us. How can we be so positive? How can we be as passionate for God and the Church as we were 40 years ago? It is because the Holy Spirit has not aged and He is in us! So today, thank Him. Ask Him to go on witnessing as your partner in the gospel. We are indeed not alone! We can die old but be very young all at the same time!

We celebrate today on this Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the crowds cheering but who had totally misunderstood the scene. Jesus’ response was this: ‘I’m not that kind of hero’. I’m here as a different king to the one you are used to.”

They missed it then and we still do.

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit …” Romans 8 v 9

We see everything through a different lens now.

Daily we make the choice not to approach life the way the world does and not be governed by the desires and the longings that humanity has. We now know ‘the man on the donkey’ moment could well be God in Humility, the Suffering Servant and so we don’t dismiss or try to misinterpret what we see. For we train ourselves away from the domain and sphere of humanity to that of the Holy Spirit.

In doing so we step into the atmosphere of the Spirit where He breathes, moves, lives and acts through our lives, as we align ourselves with Him.

I’m sorry if that sounds offensive! I don’t mean to be rude.

I wonder how many years of our life we have spent devoted to ourselves. Preening in front of the mirror, weighing ourselves, exercising because our clothes have shrunk. Or what about our thought-life? Mulling over the offence given to us, struggling to hold back our frustration at what we should have said or planning on what we will say given half the chance. Our life has consisted of either beating ourselves up or boasting so that others can see us in a different light. Perhaps attention to ‘ME’ has not helped me at all?

Paul has come a long way from being the “wretched man I am!” (7 v 24) to now living and walking in the power of the Spirit (8 v 1-4). Here is how he does it:

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8 v 5-8)

Every day is an opportunity to take our eyes off ourselves and to train our thoughts to think on the Spirit.

That’s the decision we have to make every day. We either try in our strength or we live in the Spirit’s power.

We have that choice.

Our minds set on … (our minds) governed by … the Spirit are therefore not in the ‘realm of the flesh’ but in the sphere, rule, influence and authority of the Spirit and therefore can and do please God because we learn to focus our entire lives around what the Spirit desires.

What does the Spirit think about me?

Is He comfortable living with me?

Is He in charge or do I use Him?

How much time do I spend thinking about the Spirit in me?

I’m not saying don’t look into the mirror, that could be disastrous for people like me. But let us decide today to think more on the Spirit and less on ourselves.

We love chapter 8 of Romans don’t we? Especially the opening. And rightly so!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 

² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 

³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 

⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8 v 1-4)

NO CONDEMNATION, we don’t face spiritual death, NO FEAR. (v1)

BECAUSE …

The authority and the power of the Holy Spirit has freed us from the law of sin and death, of trying to please God by our own efforts. (v2)

How?

Jesus Christ did not sin though he looked like us (sinful flesh); instead he offered himself to take our place for the judgment of sin. (v3)

WHY?

So that the law of God might be totally fulfilled as we live and walk in the power of the Spirit and not by our own efforts.

That’s the decision we have to make every day. We either try in our strength or we live in the Spirit’s power.

Today I can choose to walk in the Spirit’s power and not my own strength. So let’s talk to the Holy Spirit today.

On your best day, when you have truly been that good Christian, you haven’t sinned (too much!) and you feel a sense of satisfaction that today was better than yesterday, why is it you still feel less than perfect? Why do you feel you could have done more? Maybe that’s just how it was meant to be if we were left to our own strength to become what only God could make us.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7 v 14-25)

The law of God is holy, just, good and spiritual.

But this law cannot change you. It is spiritual and we are fleshly. This godly lifestyle that you want to achieve will not make you godly because you are ungodly.

The law of God cannot help you into freedom. Left to ourselves we cannot obey God’s laws and even God’s law cannot get us to obey them. Even though we know God wrote His law, even that doesn’t impact us enough to be able to keep it.

The law doesn’t make me free rather it imprisons me.

So if it is pointless to try to keep a godly lifestyle; if the godly lifestyle only tells me I have failed; if I become even more trapped by this godly lifestyle: why bother? Who will rescue me …?

It is always and only and all of Jesus who leads us into freedom and who through the Spirit of God lives, breathes and works through our lives. If we fail then the blood of Jesus continues to deliver us!

Today are you going to try and be the best Christian you can ever be? Why? You now you will fail!

Why try and be what you already are?

Why try to do what He has already done for you?

“What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.” (Romans 7 v 7-13)

When you try to achieve God’s law the result is always failure, “I am a sinner”.

People with no knowledge of the law may know they have done wrong but they do not know it is sin, the law tells them that it is.

Whatever part of the godly lifestyle you set your aim on it will only show you how far short you have failed to keep that standard.

The law of God was never meant to be a means of salvation but always to establish guilt for sin.

So why try to become free through effort to keep what we will never be able to keep? Why become enslaved again by trying? Why say we have tried when Jesus has died for our freedom?

Don’t set yourself up to fail. Live in freedom He has won for you.

So instead of trying and failing to please God we have stepped into a whole new way of life. Paul calls it the “new way of the Spirit”.

“But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”(Romans 7 v 6)

We allow the Spirit the freedom to move in our lives, to breathe, grow and bear fruit.

We focus on being and the Spirit focuses on the doing.

The result is that the Spirit declares the righteousness of God in our lives in a greater way than all of our trying.

We are released to serve by simply being. Come Holy Spirit!

How many times do you try to be good but fail?

How would your life be if you never felt discouraged by your failure to be good?

“Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7: 1-6)

Our old life, the life we lived before Christ has died (this first husband). What was that like? It was a life of trying to be good, trying to keep the commandments of God but breaking them, trying to be someone who God is pleased with but never feeling successful. But something happened: But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.The commandments/law of God has not died, it still declares the lifestyle that pleases God, but we are dead to trying to please God by trying to live up to that lifestyle. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.We have come away from and out of that control of trying to keep what we could never keep and trying to be good when we never could.

How do we know this to be true? So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ.

Jesus Christ was born under the law of God, lived under the law and died by the law becoming a curse of sin and death. (Galatians 4) The cross of Christ has been placed on top of the law of God. The law is still relevant and Paul has many lists of do’s and do not’s in his several letters. However, our attempts of trying to be good are filtered through the death of Christ. We have died in Christ and we have been made righteous. The evidence is not our achievement but Christ’s.