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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Four Aspects of Our Inheritance, #5
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5—NIV)
There are only two ways in which a person can live: in the flesh, or in the Spirit of God. To live in the flesh is to dwell constantly on the desires of our body, soul, and fleshly mind. To live in the Spirit of God is to dwell constantly on Christ and God's will. This requires daily prayer and meditating in the Scriptures.
The only acceptable orientation to the Christian life is that we have taken our place with Jesus Christ on the cross, have risen with Him, and now are living in Him at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This is the dual position we are to take by faith and maintain by unrelenting faith.
As we reckon ourselves dead with Christ and risen with Christ, the Holy Spirit begins the lifelong work of changing our life from the things of the flesh to the things of the Spirit. As the Spirit does this, and we cooperate with Him, the blood of Jesus Christ continues to cleanse us from all sin. This is the true Christian life.
Every day there are problems set before us so through the Spirit of God we might grow in Christ.
Let us say we are tempted with some lustful, unlawful act. It may be adultery. We know the Bible says that adulterers (Christian or not!) shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
We now have a choice. We can yield to our fleshly desires (sometimes intensified by demons) or we can call on the Lord until we gain enough strength to resist the pull of the flesh and Satan.
If we become strong enough to put to death this fleshly lust, a part of us dies. But then the body and blood of Christ are fed to us in the spirit realm and the Spirit of God raises us into newness of life.
Death, and life! Death, and life! Death, and life! This is how we pass from life lived in the flesh to life lived in the Spirit of God.
There is coming a day in which we shall be raised from the dead. What we face in that day depends on how we are responding to the Spirit of God today.
If we continue to live our Christian life in the flesh, neglecting daily prayer, neglecting daily Bible reading, not assembling with fervent believers, not seeking the gifts of the Spirit that we may build up the Body, not giving of our means, not pressing forward in Christ, then, when we are raised from the dead, we will be a naked spirit. Whether Christ sends us to the outer darkness or permits us to enter His Kingdom, we will be a naked spirit. None of the glorious rewards will be ours. We will be saved by the fiery judgment that burns away whatever we have accomplished on the earth.
To be continued.