Eyes on JesusSample

Romans 8:11—I am fascinated by this verse. I have found myself thinking about it a lot. Too often I would skim right past it without ever fully trying to understand it. Whenever I would try to contemplate it, I realized that I cannot fully grasp what is trying to be conveyed here.

I believe I have the Spirit of God as a gift given to those who are redeemed. There is fruit of the Spirit that should be displayed in my life. I can pray in the Spirit and live by the Spirit. But this is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead! How does that exactly work with my spirit relating to God’s spirit? How does He live in me; how does it all function when some Christians don’t move in the Spirit? And there goes the rabbit trail. 

We are in no way gods and will not become god, but we should have the mind of Christ because we have the Holy Spirit. This verse is not talking about the resurrection when we will be raised to life and receive new bodies at the end of days. This verse is talking about NOW; his Spirit that lives in us right now. 

The conclusion along this line of thinking relating to discernment is knowing that if we have the mind of Christ now and the Spirit inside of us, we should be making decisions along the narrow path. This is not to say we won’t be tempted by alluring options in our path to discernment, but if we are aligned with the Spirit, the best option will be made known to us. 

Reflect: What is the significance of having the same Spirit in you that raised Christ from the dead? How should this impact your life on a daily basis?