Romans 8:12-17

12: So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13: for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17: and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

*** 

Because we have the Spirit of God living in us, we are not obliged to live according to the flesh. In fact, if we do it leads to death. Instead, we put the sinful deeds of the body to death by the Spirit. One can live according to the flesh in two conflicting ways. First is to follow the lusts and temptations of sin that oppose God’s Law—idolatry, adultery, stealing etc. The other is to try to keep the Law of God perfectly, which of course was shown to be impossible. Instead of these types of living in the flesh, God is looking for those with an inner desire to please Him along with overcoming the flesh by following His Spirit. An inner desire of the heart with outward evidence in the body.

Paul also contrasted the spirit of slavery with the spirit of adoption to make this point. Trying to keep the Law of God in the flesh, on our own, without His Spirit, enslaves a person. There is no freedom in that because sin rules. The fear of consequence is always present. Yet the spirit of adoption in our hearts cries out to God as Father, the Spirit bearing witness with us that we are His children—He is our Father. As His children we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ because we identify with Jesus in His suffering against the rule of the flesh.

Following the Spirit of God, as mature children who have been brought out of the slavery of the flesh and into the family of our heavenly Father, is something we can be truly thank our Lord Jesus for. Without Him, and without faith in Him, this would not be possible. We can now serve God from the heart with our body.

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