CoreIssue
02-03-2006, 09:58 AM
Quote:Life Through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[1] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[2] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[3] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[4] 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
God gave the Law to increase grace by increasing responsibility for sin.
In increasing knowledge of sin God condemned Man by the Law. But that was necessary to be able to forgive saints of their sin so as to bring them into conformity of the Law.
In our sinful natures we could never come to or be with God. So God had to bring about our condemnation by Law before Christ could take our sins upon us on the cross to pay for them in our stead.
There had to be conviction with just payment for sin before Christ could pay for the condemnation of sin.
There had to be freewill choice to accept or reject God before one could repent. And to accept or reject God one has to know how and why they are accepting or rejecting him.
Knowledge is required before there can be freewill choice. One cannot love or hate God without having a reason to love or hate him. Christ cannot pay the penalty of sin unless there is knowledge of sin to allow just condemnation for sin.
Calvinism and Arminianism go terribly wrong here in how they view these issues.
Quote:5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires;
When born our spirits, flesh and minds are in harmony. They seek fleshly desires.
Quote:but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
When born-again our spirits are in harmony with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our minds now see and desire what our spirits desire since the flesh is no longer the rules setter.
But this does not mean our desires for what the Holy Spirit want always win out. Note it says what the Spirit desires, not achieves.
Quote:6The mind of sinful man[5] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[6] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
But as we read before no saint's mind is fully in harmony with God. Our purified spirits are there but so is our sin tainted flesh.
Our minds are the union and battle ground of the spirit and flesh.
Sometimes we have the peace of mind mentioned. Often we do not.
So here is talking about the ultimate realities of both extremes. And in the saints' minds neither extreme is the reality.
Quote:9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
Our spirits are indeed controlled by the Holy Spirit. The nature of Christ within our spirits.
Quote:And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
If that nature is not in your spirit you are not born-again.
Quote:10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,
Christ is in our spirits, not our flesh.
So our flesh is indeed dead to Christ as the sins it causes us to commit are dead according to Law.
But we still have to understand our live spirits live in dead flesh and our minds is the active battle between them. Between righteousness and sin, life and death and spiritual and worldly.
Quote:yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And 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 through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Our spirits live now. And one day our flesh will live as well.
Quote:12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
While recognizing the fleshly reality we must struggle to live according the spiritual reality. A struggle we will never succeed in totally.
God recognizes the flesh realities and provides for the flesh needs. Needs that will not exist in eternity as they exist now.
But they do exist now and cannot be ignored. Yet they hinder our living truly spiritual lives.
So we live lives of struggle. Not peace as God desires we would.
Quote:13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;
This is not a Conditional Salvation statement. It says if the flesh rules you then you have never repented through faith in grace. Your spiritual sinful nature remains.
Quote:but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
If the Holy Spirit lives in you then you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit which cleanses one of the sin nature of the spirit. Christ's death has paid the sin penalties of your whole life and no condemnation of the spirit remains.
Quote:14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Sons of God means we live in a covenant relationship with God. We now belong to God for eternity and our spirits are guided by the Holy Spirit.
Quote:15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[7]
Our spirits can never live in fear again. They are free and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
But this does not automatically mean our flesh and minds share in this freedom. We must fight for and learn this freedom.
Quote:And by him we cry, "Abba,[8] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now 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.
Note it says our spirts are God's children. Not our flesh. Our spirits are co-heirs with Christ in God. Not our flesh.
We have shared in Christ's suffering on the cross. We will share in his glory as well.
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[1] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[2] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[3] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[4] 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
God gave the Law to increase grace by increasing responsibility for sin.
In increasing knowledge of sin God condemned Man by the Law. But that was necessary to be able to forgive saints of their sin so as to bring them into conformity of the Law.
In our sinful natures we could never come to or be with God. So God had to bring about our condemnation by Law before Christ could take our sins upon us on the cross to pay for them in our stead.
There had to be conviction with just payment for sin before Christ could pay for the condemnation of sin.
There had to be freewill choice to accept or reject God before one could repent. And to accept or reject God one has to know how and why they are accepting or rejecting him.
Knowledge is required before there can be freewill choice. One cannot love or hate God without having a reason to love or hate him. Christ cannot pay the penalty of sin unless there is knowledge of sin to allow just condemnation for sin.
Calvinism and Arminianism go terribly wrong here in how they view these issues.
Quote:5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires;
When born our spirits, flesh and minds are in harmony. They seek fleshly desires.
Quote:but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
When born-again our spirits are in harmony with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our minds now see and desire what our spirits desire since the flesh is no longer the rules setter.
But this does not mean our desires for what the Holy Spirit want always win out. Note it says what the Spirit desires, not achieves.
Quote:6The mind of sinful man[5] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[6] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
But as we read before no saint's mind is fully in harmony with God. Our purified spirits are there but so is our sin tainted flesh.
Our minds are the union and battle ground of the spirit and flesh.
Sometimes we have the peace of mind mentioned. Often we do not.
So here is talking about the ultimate realities of both extremes. And in the saints' minds neither extreme is the reality.
Quote:9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
Our spirits are indeed controlled by the Holy Spirit. The nature of Christ within our spirits.
Quote:And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
If that nature is not in your spirit you are not born-again.
Quote:10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,
Christ is in our spirits, not our flesh.
So our flesh is indeed dead to Christ as the sins it causes us to commit are dead according to Law.
But we still have to understand our live spirits live in dead flesh and our minds is the active battle between them. Between righteousness and sin, life and death and spiritual and worldly.
Quote:yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And 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 through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Our spirits live now. And one day our flesh will live as well.
Quote:12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
While recognizing the fleshly reality we must struggle to live according the spiritual reality. A struggle we will never succeed in totally.
God recognizes the flesh realities and provides for the flesh needs. Needs that will not exist in eternity as they exist now.
But they do exist now and cannot be ignored. Yet they hinder our living truly spiritual lives.
So we live lives of struggle. Not peace as God desires we would.
Quote:13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;
This is not a Conditional Salvation statement. It says if the flesh rules you then you have never repented through faith in grace. Your spiritual sinful nature remains.
Quote:but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
If the Holy Spirit lives in you then you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit which cleanses one of the sin nature of the spirit. Christ's death has paid the sin penalties of your whole life and no condemnation of the spirit remains.
Quote:14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Sons of God means we live in a covenant relationship with God. We now belong to God for eternity and our spirits are guided by the Holy Spirit.
Quote:15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[7]
Our spirits can never live in fear again. They are free and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
But this does not automatically mean our flesh and minds share in this freedom. We must fight for and learn this freedom.
Quote:And by him we cry, "Abba,[8] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now 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.
Note it says our spirts are God's children. Not our flesh. Our spirits are co-heirs with Christ in God. Not our flesh.
We have shared in Christ's suffering on the cross. We will share in his glory as well.