JC Blog

Can you relate to what Paul is saying? Do you find yourself struggling between the old and the new? Do you desire to live a holy life only to fail and succumb to the mandates of the world around you? Paul lived the victorious life that you and I desire, because he knew the key to that life, the key is found in the Word, Paul is setting the stage for hope in today's passage of scripture.

In the last two chapters of Romans, Paul has masterfully written that we were freed from the sin nature when we accepted Christ Jesus as our savior. When we were born again we received a new spirit and now we belong to another. Because of this, we have no obligation to that old nature, instead we are free to live according to our new nature and to live free before God.

However, Paul starts summarizing at the end of Romans 7, pointing out the struggle that still exists between the old and the new. At first glance this dichotomy doesn't make sense, we are freed from the old nature but it is apparent that it still has effect upon us. How can this be? Paul explains that it is the body of sin left over from the old nature that has died that still wages war against us. He says in today's passage that this battlefield is ever present in our being. We want to do what is right and good, but evil is present and we are subjected to it's insistent demands. Our new nature delights in the Lord, but the left over residue of the old nature makes us sensitive to the appetites and wills of the flesh. This fight goes on and on unless we do something about it.

Paul is stressing the important of living by the spirit as opposed to living by the desire of the flesh. When we live out of our flesh, we are living contrary to our nature and the battle is severe. He adds further clarity to this in Galatians 5, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." ( Galatians 5:16-17 ). Paul is giving us the answer to the question? The question is, how do we escape the leftover effects of our previous nature? The answer is to live by the spirit of God. When we do this, the demand of the old nature will have no effect upon us. We will see them pass away in the same manner as the sin nature.

So how do we live by the Spirit in order to live contrary to the flesh? This is the million dollar question, but Paul is merely setting the stage in order to answer this question once for all. He will spend the entire chapter of Romans 8 talking about how to live by the Spirit. We have been given everything necessary to live a victorious Christian life by Jesus. And when we renew our mind through the Word we will understand how to live. Today my prayer is that you will join me on this journey of faith!

In Christ Jesus we were set apart to belong to God. No longer a part of this world we have been made sons and daughters through Christ and called into a royal priesthood. In the same way, we belong to the body of Christ which is the church. Although the sum total makes up many members we are joined together in such a way that makes us one body. We belong to each other in unity and service to bring the operation of God's kingdom in this world.

Each one of us has been given a special gifting and called to a specific purpose. But on our own we will not accomplish much. Joining together with other believers and utilizing their gifting is what brings meaning and fullness to the body of Christ.

A great example of this is our physical bodies. It has many organs and parts but each part cannot exist on its own. Being a part of the body is what enables the various parts to operate within their function. A heart pumps blood throughout the body, the brain processes, thinks and gives instruction, the skeletal system supports the entire operation and our muscles are what enable us to move about. They all work together to create a living human being capable of amazing things. When there is a problem in any of these parts, then it affects the entire system and as a result the whole body suffers.

The same is true within the body of Christ. We all have different functions, gifting and strengths, but they complement other parts of the body. When operating as God designed us, we are blessing the entire body. When we don't operate the way we were designed, then the body suffers. We are mutually dependent on one another and the makeup of the whole body far outweighs the sum of the individual parts.

Each one of us should consider this and operate as God has called us. There are many parts to the body of Christ and many roles. Not all are teachers, not all are pastors but all have a place. The fact that some roles are not visible within the body of Christ does not mean they are less important. Actually the opposite is true, these gifts are absolutely necessary to the body and hold special honor by God. "While our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" ( I Corinthians 12:24-27 ).

The great thing about this is each one of us can play to our strengths and the within the gifting that the Lord has given us. This is why we need to renew our minds and prove the will of God for our lives ( Romans 12:2 ). This is how we know what we are called to be. Each part is necessary and each part blesses the body of Christ. We are called to belong to each other.

Today may you understand how you have blessed the body by being called and set apart for a specific use. By faith may you continue to operate in that calling, amen.