Walk By The Spirit

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Scripture: Romans 8:3-4 (ESV)

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit

Devotion:

            We often think of the laws of God as having tremendous strength, and they do! However, human fleshly desires keep the law from accomplishing what God gave us the law for. Hence, there is a need for God to send His Son Jesus Christ into the world. Because the flesh was weak, it was necessary for Jesus to come to remedy what was lacking in the law.

            Jesus' appearance on earth put to death the ill effects of the weakness of the flesh but gave us a new life we live in the Spirit. Jesus is a perfectly sinless life lived in the weakness of the flesh, put to death in us the power of sin in our lives. God is a righteous God who cannot tolerate the presence of sin. So, God in Jesus became sinless flesh that all flesh would be redeemed. Humanity was saved from the power of sin. No condemnation was possible after Jesus defeated death at the cross and empty tomb.

            Indeed, we who walked by the flesh and gave in to its sinful desires were changed. The death and resurrection of Jesus meant that we could have freedom from the sentence of death the law had imposed upon our flesh. Now, those who have believed in Jesus could walk about in the power of the Holy Spirit, conquering sin daily in our lives. Praise be to God, who was willing to go to such lengths to save us because of how much He loved His creation.

            What do we do with our newfound freedom and power as we walk about filled with the Holy Spirit? First, we must tell the world about the transformation that has occurred in us. For us, living out that power in our daily lives is more important than talking. We must care for the widow, the orphan, and the otherwise powerless people in the world. We are to take care of all those pushed to the margins of society. The future of souls lies with us to be faithful witnesses to the Spirit that lives within us.

Prayer:

            Thank you, Lord, for giving us your Holy Spirit so we may live in His power. Help our lives be demonstrations not of slavish adherence to the law delivered to Moses but to the Spirit brought to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May all the world know that we are living under a superior power now? We transform all our relationships with this power. Being filled with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, may we bring a new and living hope into the world. Amen.

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