How Alive Are You?

How Alive Are You?

Romans 8:6-11

INTRO:

People look a lot of places to find “life”

Possible, popular sources of “life:”

Jesus said:

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. NIV

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. NLT

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. The Message

Jesus Christ claims to be able to give you more and better life than any of these other sources, better than you can imagine.

What does this mean? Our first inclination is to think that this has something to do with heaven, with extending our life after we die. That is true, but it is only part. It obviously has to do with the life that you and I have, that we experience right now. If you watch certain folks on television, you might come to think this has to do with wealth, with prosperity. As attractive as that sounds, it is not what Jesus means. He’s not just promising to dump on you a load of cash. He is promising something far better than that. He’s promising the most real, satisfying, best life you can imagine.

How does he do that? Have you ever wondered how?

The vehicle of this new life, this great and eternal life, is the Holy Spirit.

This is what Jesus told his followers before he left them:

16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

When you believe in Jesus Christ, you receive the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell inside of you. And this Spirit gives you life. The Holy Spirit is the source of new life that Jesus gives you.

PREV: Today we will see 3 vital parts of you that the Spirit brings alive. 3 key aspects of who you are that the Spirit of God gives life to. 3 ways the Spirit gives you the best life ever.

The first place that God’s Spirit brings you life is found in Romans 8:5-6.

A. You have a mind

Paul begins here talking about your mind. Today we are going to talk about your mind. Do you mind?

When I ask you to define your mind, what comes to mind?

Probably something about your brain, the part of you that thinks, reasons, understands things. When we say, “What’s on your mind?” we mean “what are you thinking?” But your mind is much more than that. Your mind is also your outlook on things, your assumptions, values, desires, and purposes. It is what you think, how you respond. These things make up your ‘mindset.’

We say, “I have a mind to…” and that shows determination, purpose. We say, “Make up your mind,” and that has to do with choices, decisions.

And your mind often governs your body, it determines how you act, the course you take.

Illus.: Lately I’ve heard some of the women in our church talking about tackling some of Colorado’s 14ers this summer. Nobodies body just pops out of bed one morning and starts hiking up a mountain. No, it begins with a decision, a determination in your mind.

Your mind is a significant aspect of the immaterial part of you – what we might call your soul. Your mind represents the rational side, whereas we refer to your heart as the more emotional component of your soul, your inner being.

B. You experience mind control

Did you notice what Paul said about our minds? Paul describes two kinds of minds: one belonging to someone who lives according to the sinful nature, and one belonging to someone who lives according to the Spirit. To live “in accordance with” means ‘to be under the control of.’ That’s clear in verse 6, where it talks about the mind controlled by the Spirit. In other words, Paul is talking here about mind control.

In fact, he says each of us is subject to mind control. That’s right, mind-control. One of the things we like to think about our minds is that they are independent. We pride ourselves in having a “mind of my own.” But Paul points out that none of us has a truly independent mind. They are controlled, either by “the sinful nature” or by “the Spirit.” The sinful nature (also called “the flesh”) refers to your nature left to its own devices, infected and impacted by sin.

As we saw a few weeks ago, this is our natural state, the way we are born, because of sin running rampant in the human race. If your life is dominated by, controlled by your sinful nature, it effects your mind. Your outlook, disposition, values, desires, purposes, etc., are shaped, literally controlled by this sinful nature. This mindset results in death. It produces nothing but death.