Introduction

Greetings, beloved in Christ! How wonderful it is to gather together, to feel the warmth of shared faith and the comfort of our spiritual community. We stand, not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters in Christ, bound by a love that transcends earthly understanding.

Today, we will be looking at a passage that speaks directly to the heart of our Christian journey. We will be turning our attention to the book of Romans, chapter 8, verses 1 to 8. Let us read:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Freedom Found in Faith

In the heart of the passage we've read, we find a profound declaration of liberty. The Apostle Paul tells us that through Christ Jesus, we are set free from the law of sin and death. This is a freedom unlike any other, a freedom that is not bound by earthly chains or temporal circumstances. It is a freedom that transcends the physical and touches the very core of our being, our spirit.

This freedom is not a product of our own efforts or good works. It is not something we earn or deserve. It is a gift, a divine gift, given freely to us through faith in Christ Jesus. It is through faith that we receive this freedom, and it is through faith that we live in this freedom.

Faith, in essence, is trust. It is trust in God, trust in His promises, and trust in His plan for our lives. When we put our faith in Christ, we are saying that we trust Him with our lives, with our futures, and with our eternal destinies. We are saying that we believe He is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do.

This faith, this trust in Christ, is what sets us free. It frees us from the power of sin, from the fear of death, and from the tyranny of the law. It frees us to live in the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, and to set our minds on what the Spirit desires.

But what does it mean to live in the Spirit? It means to live in accordance with God's will, to live in obedience to His commands, and to live in alignment with His purposes. It means to live a life that is pleasing to God, a life that brings glory to His name.

Living in the Spirit is not about following a set of rules or adhering to a religious ritual. It is about having a relationship with God, a relationship that is marked by love, trust, and obedience. It is about allowing the Spirit of God to guide us, to lead us, and to empower us to live the life that God has called us to live.

This life in the Spirit is not a life of ease or comfort. It is a life of struggle, a life of battle. It is a battle between the flesh and the Spirit, a battle between our sinful nature and our new nature in Christ.

The flesh, as Paul describes it, is our sinful nature, our human tendency to rebel against God and to pursue our own desires. The flesh is hostile to God, it does not submit to God's law, and it cannot please God.

But the Spirit, the Spirit of God who lives in us, gives us the power to overcome the flesh. The Spirit enables us to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. The Spirit helps us to live in accordance with God's will and to set our minds on what the Spirit desires.

This battle between the flesh and the Spirit is not a one-off event. It is a daily struggle, a constant tension. Every day, we have to choose to live in the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, and to set our minds on what the Spirit desires.

But the good news is that we are not alone in this battle. We have the Spirit of God living in us, empowering us, guiding us, and helping us to live in victory over the flesh.

And so, dear friends, let us live in the freedom that comes from faith. Let us live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and set our minds on what the Spirit desires. Let us fight the good fight of faith, knowing that in Christ, we are more than conquerors.

And let us remember that this freedom, this life in the Spirit, is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end, a means to fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law. It is a means to living a life that is pleasing to God, a life that brings glory to His name.

Flesh Versus Spirit: A Battle of Mindsets

In the heart of Romans 8, we find a stark contrast between two ways of life: one governed by the flesh, the other by the Spirit ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO