Romans 8:1-17
Rebecca Lightfoot
We who have trusted Christ & received the Grace&Mercy His Gospel alone provides,have been set free from the Chains that once claimed us as prisoners of sin&death,as told in Romans 6:12-14.Those parts of us that were tarnished & decaying because of the Chains have been put to death on the Cross with Jesus.But when when we allow ourselves to succumb to the passions associated with these things,we are in essence picking up things that are dead and full of potential disease that can make our hearts/minds/spirits sick & unhealthy/unholy.When we do this we loose a vigor for The Life that Christ gives us when we take His Great Exchange -> our Chains to Sin&Death EXCHANGED for His Life of Freedom from those Chains & the DEAD STUFF tethered to those Chains.And instead of living by the “life support” of The Spirit of Christ,we become fooled & weakened by pulling the DEAD STUFF back into our lives & living according to the flesh.It is like pulling dead flesh back over our beings....dark & nasty stuff!This is what Romans8:1-17 encourages us about when describing the contrast of living according to the flesh, and living according to the Spirit.When we accept the Great Exchange offered by Christ,He gives us His Spirit to guide us and to protect us from the ways of the flesh;the ways of sin and death.But it is our choice still,whether we will choose to live according to His Spirit....or succumb to the stench of the dying flesh that He freed us from & live according to the flesh(Romans8:6,”For to set the mind on the flesh is death,but to set the mind on the Spirit is life & peace.”).Even though I have given my life to Christ,I have a choice to make many times throughout my days.And I do not always make the RIGHT choice.Thank You Jesus for the Gift of Your Spirit that is always beckoning me to know and follow Your Heart for my own good.Help me to be increasingly aware of Your Spirit,and may I live according to Your Spirit & not by the flesh today.Please make me aware of the dangers of turning back to the flesh...whenever I am tempted to do so.