According to the Spirit

This exploration of Romans 8:5-11 challenges us to examine where we truly live: in the flesh or in the Spirit. The message draws a stark contrast between two ways of existing in this world. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on earthly desires, selfishness, and hostility toward God, while those who live according to the Spirit embrace love, joy, peace, patience, and all the fruit that comes from divine indwelling. What makes this teaching particularly striking is the reminder that our good deeds done in the flesh, no matter how morally upright they appear, cannot please God. Only when we walk in the Spirit, empowered by the very presence of Christ within us, can we truly live in a way that honors our Creator. The Spirit is the seal of our adoption, the down payment on our inheritance, and the voice that reminds us of everything Jesus taught. When we face conflict, temptation, or the pull of our old nature, we now have a choice we never had before: we can say no to the flesh because the Spirit lives within us. This is the battle of sanctification, the daily putting to death of fleshly practices while being transformed into the image of Christ. The question we must ask ourselves is simple yet profound: when we think of Christ's return, are we terrified or filled with hope because of His Spirit within us?