Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Death came because Adam sinned. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that our body will not die. But 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. This life is guaranteed to us. Of course the life that He gives our mortal bodies will be different when we are raised from the dead. Notice from yesterday and today the different ways that Paul speaks about the Spirit. Sometimes he uses the phrase Spirit of God, and sometimes he talks about the Spirit of Christ, almost alternating them. Is he doing that just for variety; saying that they are two different Spirits; or is he emphasizing that They are the same? Good question. So then we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if y...

  Good morning. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. The mind set on the flesh not only is not able to subject itself to the law of God, it does not even want to. We should be seeking how we can better set our minds on the law of God, and not just on Sunday. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. True, but some who profess to be Christians do not act that way. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. That is the big difference between true Christianity and religion. It is the defining factor that mak...

  Good morning. After chapter 7, it makes us feel like - woe is me! But after chapter 7 comes – chapter 8! Therefore: remember the saying, if you see the word therefore, find out what it is there for. After the doom and gloom: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Are you in Christ Jesus? Then there is no condemnation. Yes you have messed up; but if you are striving to serve the law of God, there is no condemnation. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. We are free! For what the law could not do; weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The law was not meant to save people. It was a guideline as to how they were to act without having the Holy Spir...

  Good morning. So Paul, how do you feel about yourself? Wretched man that I am! Don’t water it down; how do you really feel? Who will set me free from the body of this death? It looks like you are between a rock and a hard place. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. In Galatians, Paul writes, for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for they are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. I’m sure you’ve heard this before: there are two wolves inside of you fighting against each other. Which one wins – the one that you feed. The more you give in and feed the flesh, the harder it is to resist. The more you feed the spirit, The easier it is to resist the flesh. I didn’t say it was easy, just easier. How do we feed our spirit - with the word. Father help us to constantly fee...

  Good morning. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Thankfully he clarified that – in my flesh. In and of ourselves, we can and will do no good thing. Thankfully we do not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. For the good that I want, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not want. That is true apart from God. Before we became Christians, we possibly wanted to do good; but were utterly helpless to do so on a regular basis. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. This totally does not sound like a Christian. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man. So is he talking about the Mosaic law before he became a Christian? However, even as Christians we agree with God‘s laws, but sometimes it seems we are unable...

  Good morning. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? In other words did it have unintended consequences? God forbid! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. Now we get to the controversial part of chapter 7. Is Paul talking about himself before he became a Christian or afterwards? For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. That is true about our old man, who is now dead. Unfortunately, we do not act like our old man is dead. It seems like he is alive and kicking. We all do go through some form of the following at times. What I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I’m doing the very thing I hate. One would think that after becoming a Christian that Paul’s desire to disobey would be eradicated. But if I do that very thing I do not want ...