Two Different Ways To Live

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Romans 8:5-8

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.

 
 

We are going to break down this larger passage in the days ahead, but today we are going to look at what Paul says about the two different ways to live in a larger chunk.

Paul is explaining here that the fundamental orientation of humanity while enslaved to sin is toward “the flesh,” and that a mindset set on the things of the flesh will always take you away from God and make it impossible to live an obedient life.

In contrast, those who are set free by Jesus now live in the Spirit, and their mindset is changed. And even though their bodies are still mortal and headed toward death, through the power of the Spirit, Jesus will give new life to mortal bodies and raise the dead.

Where are you directing your thoughts today?