LAW OF THE SPIRIT
Romans 8:1-5, tells us this is a NEW LAW, 'There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT. For
the LAW of the SPIRIT of life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the LAW of SIN and DEATH; 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: That the righteousness of the LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED in us, who walk NOT after the flesh, but
after the SPIRIT; 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.'
Remember this statement of Paul in Romans 7:24, 'O wretched man that I am! WHO shall deliver
me from the BODY of this death?' Read on to Verse 25 where he says, '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.'
The New Living Translation explains
Verse 25, 'Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my MIND, I really want to obey God's
LAW, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.'
There is an inherent evil in our human nature that
does not want to obey God. Paul tells us the only answer to overcoming it is in our CHOICE to serve Christ. He says he chooses
to serve Christ and His RIGHTEOUSNESS and finds his FAITH has liberated him and set him free from the bondage of this evil.
This FAITH gives him the POWER to overcome sin.
In Romans 4:5, ‘FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’
It is considered a RIGHTEOUS act. He chooses CHRIST and HIS WORKS over his own evil works with the MIND OF FAITH. The FRONT
LINE of the Spiritual struggle to OVERCOME "Individual" sin is in the MIND. We defeat the Devil by purposing in
our MIND to obey God and then we have the ability to RESIST EVIL tendencies. This is called FAITH in CHRIST.
James
1:8 says, 'A DOUBLE MINDED man is unstable in all of his ways.' The New Living Translation says of this scripture, 'They can't
make up their MINDS. They waver back and forth in EVERYTHING they do.'
James 4:8 tells us, 'purify your HEARTS,
ye DOUBLE MINDED.'
Romans 8:1-5 describes WALKING in the SPIRIT with a "Made-Up" MIND, is the key to
SANCTIFICATION provided in the 2nd REDEMPTION of the HEART and MIND of the BODY.
O HEART, WHERE ART THOU?
"Where is the HEART: In the SOUL or the BODY?" If we use our reasoning that the SOUL is either
HOLY or EVIL, then we must find that the HEART is in the BODY because it is evident that a struggle between good and evil
is waged there. Can any Christian deny that he has evil thoughts and sees corruption in his HEART? Not only is the physical
body of the Christian subject to sickness and physical death; but the evil tendencies in the HEART and MIND of the "Born
Again" is in need of constant SANCTIFICATION by the HOLY SPIRIT of God. Jeremiah 17:9, 'the HEART of man is desperately
wicked: Who can know it?'
The HEART reveals motives, desires, and IS the SEAT of the MIND, which brings forth thoughts.
Jeremiah 17:10 tells us, 'I, the LORD, search the HEART; I try the reins, even to give every man according to the FRUIT of
his doing.'
Matthew 12:34. 'For out of the ABUNDANCE of the HEART the mouth speaketh.'
You might wonder,
"Am I really saved if my HEART has evil (SIN of "Old Adam") in it?"
The Apostle Paul had the
same question. In Romans 7, he describes perfectly the BORN AGAIN and his struggle against THE SIN that still remains in his
mortal BODY (the HEART). The apostle Paul describes a warfare and wrestling with evil in his HEART and MIND against THE MIND
OF CHRIST living within him. Some theologians would argue that Romans 7 is to the "Unsaved", but Paul, in his beginning
salutation in Romans 1:7, fully states that the letter of Romans is to those "called to be saints" that were in
Rome. In addition, an unsaved person does not have the struggle against SIN in his mortal BODY, because he is a SERVANT of
that SIN and follows wherever "It" leads. Paul also mentions a WARFARE going on within the BORN AGAIN in Ephesians
6 that can only be concluded to be going on in the BODY and not the SOUL of the BORN AGAIN.
EVIL IN THE
HEART
How can we
obey God with evil still in our heart after we are saved?
The BORN AGAIN
must "die" to the EVIL tendencies still in the HEART. A dead man does not become angry. We must crucify this inherent
evil by submitting to daily cleansing by the SPIRIT, and by the WORD, in our daily walk in fellowship with Christ by right
CHOICES and a SURRENDERED life to CHRIST.
Hebrews 2:3, warns us not to NEGLECT so great a salvation, as possible
DEFILEMENT of the SOUL could take place. If evil is not put away and resisted, it could result in the LOSS of the KINGDOM
of GOD. 'How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.'
In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, "If any man
will come after Me, let him DENY himself, and TAKE up his cross and FOLLOW ME."
Romans 6:6 tells us, 'Knowing
this, that our OLD MAN is CRUCIFIED with HIM, that the BODY of SIN might be destroyed, that henceforth we should NOT serve
SIN.'
Even though we still have the corruption of SIN (Old Adam) in our BODY (HEART and MIND) for as long as we
live, we are to resist and fight against it. That SIN cannot control us, because we have the RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST living
in our SOUL, WHO CLEANSETH us from all unrighteousness when we submit ourselves to him. It is the “putting on”
of Christ and the “putting off” of SIN. In our struggle we have victories and we have failures, but because God’s
MERCY and GRACE are so vast, HE rescues us and keeps us if we TRUST in HIM. HE is greater than our hearts and the battles
of the mind, I John 3:20. Again, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH, Galatians 3:11.
It is not OUR righteousness that
we are trying to achieve in our daily walk: It is the RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST in the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. Isaiah 64:6 plainly
states that man's righteousness is as "filthy rags" to God. The New Living Translation says, 'We are all infected
and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we
wither and fall, and our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.'
There is only ONE way to change “Old Adam's”
HEART and MIND to bring forth the RIGHTEOUSNESS (Fruit of the Spirit) that God requires; and that is for GOD to IMPUTE (or
add to the HEART) His Son’s RIGHTEOUSNESS to the BORN AGAIN.
Psalms 32:1-2 says, 'Blessed is he whose transgression
is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there
is no guile.'
II Corinthians 5:19-21, 'To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him
to be SIN for us: Who knew no SIN that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in HIM.'
The New Living Translation
explains, 'For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself: No longer counting people's sins against them. This is
the wonderful message He has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We
urge you, as though Christ Himself were here pleading with you, "Be ye reconciled to God!" For God made Christ,
Who never sinned, to be the offering for our SIN, so that we could be made RIGHT with God through Christ.' This REDEEMING
POWER OF CHRIST covers FORGIVENESS of sins committed "before" or "after" conversion for the BORN AGAIN.
In Romans 12:1 the Apostle Paul tells us, 'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye PRESENT
your bodies, A LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be ye not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the RENEWING of your MIND, that ye may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
WILL of GOD.' This is our part in the keeping of THE KINGDOM of GOD within us until the 2nd REDEMPTION of the physical BODY
in the Rapture when we are free from the struggle with SIN in our mortal bodies (in the HEART and MIND).
CHAPTER 3-2 Proof of a Spiritual Life