Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:5, NKJV- “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
When we fight temptations, it is our nature to set our minds on not doing things which just creates more thinking about the things, which inevitably leads to doing the things and then we are discouraged by our weakness. We are just setting our minds on the wrong things. Romans 8:6 teaches us “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:8 states “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” (NIV) When we live in the realm of the Spirit, we please God and find life and peace. Romans 8:11 gives us the secret to overcoming our minds filled with hurts, habits, hangups. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (NKJV)
When we call on the Spirit of God to dwell in us and cry out “Abba, Father,” our heavenly Father adopts us. Romans 8:16 promises that “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (NLT)
We are encouraged by the security of Romans 8:35-39, where Paul is convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God. I am convinced that our temptations serve to remind us to welcome the love of Christ and the Spirit of God. Our temptations do not separate us from the love of God.
Instead of focusing on our temptations, let us praise the Father and His Spirit for dwelling with us. Not unlike fasting where hunger pains remind us to turn to God, our temptations can be our conduit to welcome the Spirit. We have proven over and over that Romans 9:16 is true; “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (NIV) Instead of putting our efforts and setting our minds on not sinning we can draw from the Spirit of God within us to praise God for His mercy. When we praise our Father, our minds switch from our flesh to the Spirit of God.
Just as we can trust in Romans 8:28 where we are promised everything works for the good, we can also consider Romans 9:17 “For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (NIV) God displays His power in raising us up from our temptations and we can then proclaim all over the earth, how God’s Spirit changed us.
As Romans 9:20 puts it, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?” I have come to believe that our God has made us the way we are so we can live out Romans 9:23, “He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.” We are being prepared to share our stories of mercy, so others, He has prepared, will come to know the riches of God’s glory.
Will you set your mind on things of the Spirit and share the riches of God’s mercy?
Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy. We praise You and welcome the mind of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Jesus for leaving the Holy Spirit with us to remind us of everything that You have said and to encourage us to trust our Father and to live our lives as children of God. Abba Father have Your Spirit dwell in us. Please set our minds on the mind of Your Spirit so we may share the riches of Your good news. Amen.
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