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We get the opportunity to partner with God’s Spirit.
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5 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. – Romans 8:5-11
Before Paul lays out one of the most infamous descriptions of Jesus’ incarnation, he confidently asserts we can be like Jesus because we can “participate in the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1). In the next few verses, he stresses we can actually think with the same spirit, feel with the same spirit and love with the same spirit. This spirit – the divine lifeblood within us – belongs to us in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5) and resides in us as we actively live it out (Romans 8:9).
Similarly, in Paul’s theological writing to the newly established church in Rome, he says, “If the Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in you… he will give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in us – giving life to our bodies, our minds and our hearts. If this isn’t a cause to be happy, what else is?
We get the opportunity to partner with God’s Spirit. We get to participate in kingdom of this world as citizens of the kingdom of our God because we share the spirit of others who are citizens of God’s kingdom. We get to unite with Jesus in this life because he has offered us his Spirit. Now, we can choose to continually live distracted and comforted by the desires of our flesh or we can be excited and eager to live according to the Spirit who is at work within us. The same Spirit able to do more than we could ask or imagine. God’s Spirit is able to do give Jesus all that he needed for life and godliness and the same spirit resides within us. Let’s take us the courage to walk in the same spirit of humility as Jesus today. Step out in humility today by not talking about yourself first. Love others by committing to ask about their life. Only share about your when asked.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]
By Yvonne Biel
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