1January 2, 2011

Romans 7 closedclosed with these words:

Romans 7 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (this body of

death) ? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

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We will strugglestruggle in this life: the inner maninner man, born of God's Spirit, against the flesh manflesh man, born of our mama and daddy.

But we will be deliveredwill be delivered from this body of death.

Romans 8 1 There is therefore nownow no condemn-ation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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Believers may be chastenedchastened of the Lord, but will not be condemnednot be condemned with the world. By their (our) union with Christ through faith, they (we) are thus secured.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

John 5 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hathhath everlasting life, and shall notshall not come into condemnation; but is passedis passed from death unto life.

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Every believer is alreadyis already passed from death unto life, and will never be condemnednever be condemned.

Condemnation = judgment; damnation.

"who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"

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This is notnot a conditional phrase as inas in

IfIf we walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We are in Jesus Christin Jesus Christ and He is in us,

In the Person of His Holy SpiritHis Holy Spirit.

As we submitsubmit to the Power of God's Holy Spirit, our way of lifeour way of life will be, more and more,

SpiritualSpiritual..

We will at times straystray or wanderwander from the straight pathstraight path of Righteousness.

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Hebrews 12 6-8 For whom the Lord lovethloveth He chast-eneth, and scourgeth every sonevery son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sonssons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof allall are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

InsteadInstead of condemnation, we receive disciplinediscipline to bring us backback into fellowship.

2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

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SinSin produces death; the Holy Spirit gives lifelife.

Eternal LifeAbundant Life

By By gracegrace through through faithfaith in our in our Lord, Jesus Christ.Lord, Jesus Christ.

EternalEternal and and abundant lifeabundant life is ours; we is ours; we only have to only have to receive itreceive it and and enjoy itenjoy it..

1 John 2 1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

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Because we are two mentwo men, the new inner maninner man who is born of God,who is born of God,

And the carnal mancarnal man who is born of the flesh,We will sinwill sin, but will nevernever be condemned.

3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the fleshweak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con-demned sin in the flesh: That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in usin us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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The LawThe Law was not weak, it was perfect.

Human nature is weakis weak, and prone to sin.

God loved usGod loved us so much that He sent Jesus, Who was not weak, and in Himin Him

FulfilledFulfilled the Righteousness of the Law in usin us.

Jesus did it, and we get credit for it!

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That would make a

mummy shout!

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

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(NIV) 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set onminds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set ontheir minds set on what the SpiritSpirit desires.

This is the differencedifference between the children of the devil and the children of God.

It's all about mindsetmindset and desiredesire.

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The unsaved cravecrave the things of the flesh.

Their minds are setminds are set on having those thingsthings and fulfilling those desiresdesires.

God's children desire, with great desirewith great desire, the things of Godthe things of God.

Certainly our minds may wandermay wander at times, but we alwaysalways come back to our first lovefirst love.

6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9a ButBut ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in youSpirit of God dwell in you.

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9b Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit), he is none of His.

Many people strugglstruggle with these Scriptures, thinking that they are contradictorycontradictory:

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Are we spiritually minded, or are we carnally minded?

First we have to understand the difference in unbelieversunbelievers and believersbelievers.

BelieversBelievers love God, and our minds are set on

Him and His WayHim and His Way..

Unbelievers love themselves, and have a self-centered mindsetself-centered mindset.

Then we have to understand that a believer still strugglesstruggles with a sin nature that is contrary to his

innermost desire -- to please God.

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John 3 6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Romans 7 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (born of the Spirit): 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (born of the flesh).

An unbeliever doesn't struggledoesn't struggle, because he has no no conflictconflict; he has only one nature.

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He can sin and enjoy itenjoy it.

He seeksseeks opportunity to sin.

He doesn't even see sin as sinfulas sinful.

But when a believer sins, we are convictedconvicted by the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us.

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We know that sin is sinfulsinful and destructivedestructive.

We have only one desireone desire:

Draw nighDraw nigh to God through repentance.

Friday, January 7, 2011 at 7:00 P.M.

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