FIXING OUR CORRUPTED OS—Romans 8:1-14
You opened a file in your e-mail, and now you have a virus on your computer. The entire operating system is corrupted, resulting in erratic behavior, broken links, and malware. What do you do?
Adam and Eve opened a door—the door of sin, and an evil virus got into all of humanity. Human nature is corrupted, resulting in broken communication with God, self-destructive behavior, and evil actions. What do you do?
In Romans 7:15-18, Paul describes the effects of his own corrupted nature: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do…It is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my [corrupted] flesh. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
(Note to preacher: Strangely, “sarx” is translated in NIV 2011 as “sinful nature” in Romans 7:18, and literally “flesh” in chapter 8. I changed it to “flesh” in the text above.)
The virus, according to Paul, is SIN—SIN as corruption of his essential nature, leading to individual sins and brokenness. The corrupted operating system is his “flesh”—his human nature, corrupted by SIN. What can we do to fix the operating system? How can we overcome the “virus” which has corrupted our operating system—our “flesh”?
Read Romans 8:1-4.
The “law of sin and death” is not the Ten Commandments, or the Old Testament law in general. It is the operating system of human nature, the flesh, corrupted by SIN, which leads to “death.” It is an operating system with inherent rules and behaviors—much like a computer operating system—and it is corrupted.
How can the human operating system be fixed?
Will a new set of commands fix it? Look around: Does telling people what they should do fix their essential nature, and their behavior?
Will religion—codes of conduct, ceremonies and group cohesiveness—make people right? Look around: Religion doesn’t seem to change people very deeply.
Will a non-religious code of conduct work? ***I see billboards sometimes, advocating for values like Tolerance, Perseverance, Unity, Courage, Love. Do those really change people?**
People are controlled by their own system of values and behaviors. They are influenced by other people as well, sometimes caught up in a herd mentality, following the crowd or their own “tribe.”
Paul recognized the ineffective ness of commands, religion, or secular values, saying that outside influences are “powerless…weakened by the sinful nature.”
Who can fix our operating system, our flesh, ruled by “the law of sin and death”? Can we fix ourselves?
***Your computer is corrupted by a virus, and you can’t access the internet. How are you going to get online to download a fix? You can’t do it on your computer, because your computer is corrupted. That is why a corrupted conscience, corrupted religion, and corrupted social influences can’t fix us.**
Only God can fix us.
Romans 8:3-4 “For what the [OT] 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.”
“God sent his own Son IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH to be A SIN OFFERING.” Jesus was not a sinful man; he never sinned. But Jesus took on the same flesh that is corrupted in every other person in the world. He offered himself (shifting the metaphor) to be vulnerable to the disease of sin and death, so that it could be overcome, providing an antidote for humanity.
“And so he condemned sin in the flesh”—our flesh, humanity’s flesh. He identified sin. He quarantined it, stripping it of absolute power to corrupt.
Therefore, Paul says in verse 1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are not condemned to death, for Christ has overcome death. But there is more: We are not condemned to sin, because Christ broke the power of SIN—the virus that corrupts our flesh.
HOW DOES THIS WORK FOR US?
Romans 8:2, “…through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Who is this “Spirit who gives life”? The Holy Spirit, of course.
The Holy Spirit was always the Spirit of life. The word “spirit” can also mean “breath,” and the Holy Spirit was the Breath that blew over the waters of creation, to bring life. The Spirit was the power that came upon people in the Old Testament, and the wind that brought dead bones to life in a vision given to the prophet Ezekiel.
God gave a promise through Ezekiel, that someday the Holy Spirit would personally bring life to all of God’s children:
Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to his disciples, to be with them, as he was with them:
John 14:16-17, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
After his resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon all believers.
If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you! (Romans 8:9) “You… are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (The logical equivalent of that statement [the contrapositive] is, “All who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit.”)
That is a mystery! Does God live in some corner of your brain? No, but if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit can work within your brain, to reprogram how you process and respond.
If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit within you, and you have 2 operating systems available to you. You can choose to operate with one or the other.
Paul says it this way in Romans 8:5-7, “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.”
The “flesh” is human nature, corrupted by sin. It is corrupted by false ideas and beliefs, past decisions and actions, and self-centeredness. It is also corrupted by “inherited corruption” (sometimes called original sin), which simply refers to the influences of our ancestors and the society in which we live.
No one gets to choose their parents, and inherited corruption affects us all. The Israelites had a saying, (Jeremiah 31:29) “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” Jeremiah quoted that proverb, but he prophesied a time when that sad adage would no longer be true: (Jeremiah 31:31-33) “The days are coming…when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah…. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
That prophecy was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came to reprogram our minds and hearts.
Since that is true, we can choose whether to live according to the corrupted flesh, or the Spirit of God in us. “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.”
We choose what our minds are set on…continually. It is not just a one-time choice, or even a aily login. It is a continual choice.
Our actions and thoughts are a natural result of which operating system is in control.
Do you ever ask yourself, “Why did I do that?” It came from the operating system that controlled you at the time—the one you chose to use.
Maybe the kids are sort of squirrelly. Your reaction is either from the flesh—the hard day you had, and the temper that often is out of control—or the Spirit.
You see something you want in the store. Your flesh tells you that possessions can fill a void of dissatisfaction, advertising feeds that lie, and culture reinforces your desire for self-gratification. The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of wisdom, a clear mind, and true joy—helps you sort through your motives, to make a wise decision about the purchase.
A sudden temptation pops up—to exaggerate the truth, to be overly critical, or to dwell on evil thoughts. If the flesh is in control, the sinful thought or deed will be irresistible. If the Holy Spirit is in control, God promises to provide a way to escape the temptation.
Maybe you have bad habits, and you have a long history with them. They are ingrained in how you live. If you are operating under the flesh, you go with the flow, as always. If you are operating according to the Spirit, he gives you the strength to break free and set new patterns.
HOW DO WE KEEP THE SETTINGS OF OUR MIND AND HEARTS ON THE “OS” OF THE SPIRIT?
-Trust Christ and the Holy Spirit in us to guide us to the best life possible.
***in a 2002 study of college students, one group of students were shown a film that highlighted how the brain is capable of making new connections and growing in response to intellectual challenges. They also wrote a letter to a struggling younger student, emphasizing that intelligence expands with hard work. Two control groups were not shown the film, and did not write a letter affirming the brain’s ability to grow. By the end of the term, the experimental group showed greater valuing of academics, enhanced enjoyment of the academic work, and higher grade-point averages. (Carol Dweck, 2008)**
What we believe does change how we live! But it is not just a positive attitude: Christ makes it possible, through the Holy Spirit. The cross and resurrection of Jesus defeated the power of SIN and DEATH. (See verse 2.) His life is now in us, through the Holy Spirit. (verses 9-10) Believe it! Live by faith!
We are not just watching a video about how the brain can grow. We have the reality of Jesus Christ, and the power of Holy Spirit, transforming our minds and hearts.
-Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We live in a noisy environment. We hear personal voices—from our past, our cravings, confusion, temptation, and self-centered desires. We hear the voices of the world—the media, friends, social connections, past hurts and pain, and the seduction of possessions.
Some of these voices feed the flesh, and some (hopefully) feed the Spirit in you. Which voices do you hear the most? Which do you want to hear more?
Those who want to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit will find time for spiritual practices: reading the Bible, prayer, solitude and reflection. They will make church attendance a priority, and join a small group or class to hear God speak through others.
In today’s interactive world, the voice of the Spirit can easily be drowned out by other inputs, unless we are intentional about making times to hear him speak to us.
Also, we want to tune out inputs that feed the sinful flesh. Maybe it is images and narratives of sex or violence. Maybe it is bad company, or environments of materialism and dissatisfaction with what God gives.
-Obey the Spirit.
Romans 8:12-14, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
Change doesn’t come by sitting back until, as they say, “the spirit moves you.” Change is choosing how to live, and living by the choice.
Paul tells us to “put to death the misdeeds of the body.” The image is graphic: Kill off the actions stemming from the flesh!
How can we do that, if they are ingrained in us? Paul says we can do it “by the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit changes how we process our lives, giving us the strength to kill off what corrupts us.
“Therefore…we have an obligation…,” Paul says. The “therefore” connects to what God has done, in raising Christ from the dead, and giving us the Holy Spirit to live in us. God made it possible to live by the Spirit, but our obligation is to give him total control of our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions.
What does this mean for you today? As you examine your life, are you living by the Spirit, or the flesh?
If your sinful flesh continues to control your life in some way, confess to God that SIN is strong, and you cannot seem to overcome the corruption inside. Then invite the Holy Spirit to take over—to block out the temptation, overcome the habit or weakness, and change the desires and lies in your mind and heart. If you belong to Christ, he promises to do that!
Then, step out in faith to change what needs to be changed. You can do that, because the Spirit of God is in control of your life.
