Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Also Colossians 3:5.)

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

MEMORY VERSE: For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. —Galatians 6:8

CENTRAL THOUGHT: In order to maintain the Spirit’s indwelling, we must live and walk each day, responding not to the flesh and its desires, but to the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Romans 8:1 “Condemnation”: results of judgment; punishment following condemnation; sentence.

5 “Mind”: to direct the mind to (same word as in Philippians 3:19 and Colossians 3:2). “To esteem, desire, and delight in the things that please and gratify our senses and animal appetites and passions, or our corrupt nature, namely, things visible and temporal; the things of the earth, such as pleasure (of sense or imagination), the praise of men, or the riches of this world, — to set our thoughts and affections upon them.”—Benson Commentary

7 “Enmity”: Hostility; alienation.

10 “The body is dead because of sin”: There seem to be opposite opinions of this phrase. One is that the body, even of a believer, will die because of sin and death having passed upon all men (Romans 5:12); however, the spirit does not die with the body, but will live on eternally through Christ (I Corinthians 15:22 and II Corinthians 4:7-5:6). The other thought is that “body” is referring to the flesh, or “the body of sin,” or “the old man,” which, because of the power of sin warring against the soul, is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6-12; Galatians 2:20 and 5:24); and the spirit, through the imputed righteousness of Christ and the quickening power of His resurrection, is empowered to live unto righteousness and holiness. The mortification, or crucifixion of the flesh MUST take place (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:3-5), and be maintained, in order for the new life of Christ to live in and through us. I believe this meaning follows the context of Romans 8 and many other scriptures that teach this truth.

Galatians 5:25 “In the Spirit”: properly, “by the Spirit.”

LESSON BACKGROUND

The eighth chapter of Romans follows two chapters where the power of sin and death, the powerlessness of the law to save and deliver and the victory through grace and the Holy Spirit are clearly defined. The discussion continues in Galatians, and on into Colossians.

Up to this point, as the lessons have progressed, we have been given a clear picture of what the Holy Spirit came to do and what was necessary in the heart to prepare for His indwelling. Today’s lesson emphasizes the proper way to respond to the guidance and leadership of the Spirit and the way to maintain His presence. There is great opposition in the religious world to the concept of crucifixion of the flesh and obedience to the Spirit; yet, this is the only way to real victory in the Christian life.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. No Condemnation: How must we live in order to experience this?

2. Quickening: By Whom is this accomplished for our mortal bodies, both now as we encounter the powers of temptation and sin, and in the final Resurrection? What does this personally mean to you?

3. Mortify: What things are in this list in the scriptures?

4. Harvest: Walking in the Spirit requires denying/crucifying the flesh. What will we reap, both now and hereafter?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

We have studied how the life in the Holy Spirit was foreshadowed by the conquest of Canaan—the toppling of its cities and slaying of its giants. We saw how the Sabbath rest pointed forward to how we set ourselves apart for God alone, ceasing from our own works and not living for our selfish interests any more. We observed that the entrance into the holiest was by the application of Christ’s shed blood, the washing of our lives by obedience to His word, and yielding our bodies as living sacrifices to God. We read of the disciples in the upper room, preparing their hearts and bodies for His empowering fullness.

Now—to maintain this in our lives. He has come to guide us. To lead us. To empower us. What is our response? More of the same! An initial consecration, yes. But every day, we renew our consecration to the Lord. We gave Him the “Yes, Lord, yes” of our hearts. We gave Him permission to purge, to purify, to refine. Now we continually say, “Yes” to His process. We crucified our desires and ambitions at the beginning, promising to choose His way at any cost. Now as we face the cost of each decision, we say, “Not my will” again. And again. And all the way to the end of the way. That is walking—taking step by step—by the Spirit.

The scriptures speak of singing in the Spirit, praying in the Holy Ghost, and John’s testimony of being in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. We learn that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, both individually and collectively, so we are to glorify God with our bodies and spirits, which are His. We offer up spiritual sacrifices and sing spiritual songs to the Lord. Put these all together, and you have a clear picture of what living in the Spirit means.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

I remember struggling, as a young Christian, with the thought of what the scriptures taught about the “flesh.” I understand that I am flesh and blood and as such I have desires and feelings. I have a desire to eat when I am hungry, I have a desire for love, friendships and communication; when I get weary I have a desire for quietness and rest. Are these sinful? No, I was created as such.

I also have a host of feelings that come and go. I remember an occasion of the enemy accusing me about feeling angry. Then I read, “the anger of the Lord was kindled.” Wow! God gets angry and yet He is without sin. The negative connotations in scripture regarding flesh have to do with excess or being out of control. When I am angry I have a choice of what to do. I can allow the anger to control me, throw a hammer across the room and use hurtful words that injure others, or I can channel my energies into seeking a solution that will help fix a problem. People murder because they have allowed anger to get out of control. God said He was a jealous God. Is that sin? Of course not. It is how we handle jealousy when we feel it. Can it become sin? Certainly.

The Holy Spirit was given to give us power to keep these God-given desires and feelings in their proper bounds. We, through the Spirit, are to control our desires and feelings, not allowing them to control us. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

–Bro. Bob Wilson