Romans 8:12-17

Romans 8:12-17

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We have many obligations in life don’t we? We have obligations to our spouses, we have obligations to our children, we have obligations to our parents, work, church, our country, financial obligations to our creditors you name it we are obligated to it. It is the American way of life.

So the question is where does our obligation to God & Christ fit into all these other obligations? With all these other obligations do we even have time and resources left for God & Christ?

Living the American dream that’s what it is all about. People come from all over the world to live here in the hope of getting a little of that dream for themselves. We have all fallen into that trap, and I know I have done more than my fair share in chasing that dream.

I thought at times about moving to some remote place as if that in some way would remove the temptations of my sinful desires of this so called dream life. But the reality is wherever we are, our sinful tendencies just follow us right along don’t they? We just trade the nice new car for the hottest camel or donkey or whatever it may be.

What do we have left for God & Christ when we are done at the end of the day chasing this dream? Maybe some scraps that we hold up and say look God, look at all that I am giving you, as if God doesn’t really know that He is just getting the bits and pieces we have left.

Romans 8:12-13 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

We talked last week about living a life controlled by The Spirit and not by the sinful nature. We talked about joining our hearts and our minds together in order to overcome the sinful desires of the flesh and I would also say the sinful temptations of this world.

Ephesians 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Do you at times find yourself living a little to close to the ways of this world maybe even closer than that of the ways of the Spirit?

1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

Who are we obligated to?

Mathew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

We need as Christians to continually align ourselves with God and Christ. We need to live our lives according to the Spirit. Everything we do, everything we say, and everything we think must be continually adjusted and aligned for the glory of God. We have been joined together with Christ by the Holy Spirit, and we have been made a new. God and Christ did their work, now we need to fulfill our end of the deal.

Romans 8:15-17 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.