Romans 8:6-11
6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
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The book of Romans was written by Paul around 56 AD and may have been his last letter. This comes after two decades of teaching, preaching, and writing to address the problems that had arisen in the churches he founded.
The theme of this passage is living in the flesh, vs. living in the Spirit. Paul says by living in the flesh, our minds are controlled by our sinful nature and we do not belong to Christ and cannot please God. Living in the Spirit; however, pleases God. Our sinful self is put to death and we are given a renewed life in Christ.
For me, weekly church attendance and Bible Study help keep me in the Spirit. They both nourish the Spirit within me, and help me to fend off the sin around me. I can’t imagine a week without the two. We all NEED that weekly nourishment!
Prayer: Lord help me to live in your Spirit with joy and gratitude.
–Nancy Dynneson