As we have stated, Romans, Chapter Eight is the resolution of the dilemma in which the righteous person finds himself or herself. He wants to keep God's laws but his flesh wants to break God's laws.

Paul expressed his dilemma by crying out "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

How do we extricate ourselves from this trap, this law of sin and death? By living in the Spirit of God!

When we receive Christ God gives us His Holy Spirit. We do not belong to Jesus Christ until we have His Spirit. It is not our profession of doctrinal correctness, our calling Jesus "Lord," that assures our possession of Christ. It is His Spirit!

There is a multitude of "Christians" who think they belong to Christ and hold rigidly to their view of what salvation is, how it operates, what you must believe to be saved. But when you are around them you do not feel the Spirit of Christ. They are doctrinally correct but the Spirit of God is not with them.

They are in the flesh. They are not living in God's Spirit but in the flesh. Their very religious dogmatism comes from their fleshly mind and this is why it is the enemy of God.

The Pharisees and doctors of the law who adhered faithfully to all points of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms murdered the One who gave the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Why? Because they did not have His Spirit.

Moses, the Prophets, and David spoke by the Spirit of Christ. In order to understand them you must have the Spirit of God. This the Pharisees and the doctors of the Law did not have. But Anna and Simeon did and this is why they recognized their Messiah.

We do not recognize a Christian by what he believes but by the Spirit of Christ.

One night while in Bible school I was walking to the bus stop. I had just finished mopping the floor of the restaurant where I worked as a dishwasher.

Suddenly I was accosted (I use the term advisedly) by two persons who asked if I was a Christian. I replied that I was.

Then they wanted to know if I believed in eternal security. I responded that I did not.

On hearing this they set upon me as if I were a pagan. I do not believe the Spirit of Christ was in them.

In another instance I was painting my father-in-law's house. A lady stopped by and asked if I was a Christian. I replied in the affirmative.

Then she became angry and wanted to know why I wasn't going door to door with the Gospel. She did not exude love, joy, or peace.

I don't think she was a happy camper.

To live the Christian life means the Spirit of Christ, of God, is dwelling in us. This is not something that happens at some point in our history but a continual way of living.

When we are living in the Spirit we are free from the Law of Moses. We are without condemnation. And we are gaining the victory over sin!

Come along with me and let us press forward to the fullness of victory that there is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.