LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

One of the things that God promises us is a new life. That’s a great promise, but what does it actually mean?

Well, imagine that you’ve been in jail for the last twenty years. Finally, the day comes for your release. You step outside with fresh clothes into the bright sunlight, and finally, the jailhouse door clangs shut behind you for the last time.

Going from captivity to freedom on the one hand would of course be wonderful, but coming to grips with this new-found freedom would take time.

In this devotional series, we’ve spent time looking at the central problem in our lives: sin. God dealt with sin so decisively on the cross, when Jesus died a brutal death for our sins. That tells you the priority God puts on dealing with this problem!

But stepping into this grace is a bit like stepping out of that jail. We have to come to grips with our new life, and make sure we don’t end up in the prison again.

How do we do this?

 Well, Jesus didn’t only open the door for us to leave the jail – He also gave us a way to live going forwards. We are now to live according to the Spirit. Paul writes about this in Romans:

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but 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. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And 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 because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)

This is such an awesome thing. The plan of God is not just to give us a new start, but to give us a new life.

When we shift our minds from what we used to desire to what the Spirit desires, the Spirit of God brings us a new life, a new freedom, a new peace, a new glory in our lives.

That’s God’s grace. Extravagant grace.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 

1. In walking with Jesus, have you found yourself struggling with sin in your life? Why do you think that is?  
2. Did you try to be a better Christian? How did that work out for you?  
3. Read all of Romans 8. What is God saying to you about the new life that He has waiting for you?  
4. How can you rearrange your day so that you have time to set your mind on the things of the Spirit?  

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