JC Blog

What Paul is describing here is the difference between living in the flesh as oppose to living by the Spirit of God. Paul is warning against trying to live a good holy live on our own accord. When we do this, we are setting ourselves up for failure because the same principal of the previous sin nature and condemnation of the law applies. We give that which we are dead to control over our lives because we are not living out of faith but out of works.

Just as it is futile to try to work your way into heaven, it is futile to work your way through the Christian life. When Paul said that nothing good lives within him, he was referring to the fact that without Christ and apart from his born again spirit there was nothing of good in him. When we operate apart from Christ and apart from our born again spirit then we will experience the dichotomy that Paul is describing in this passage. The innate desire to do what is right is in us, but the ability to carry it out is not. The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out." ( Romans 7:18 Amp )

Does this mean that the Apostle Paul continually struggled with sin? Does this mean that we are bound to continue to struggle with it as well? No, absolutely not! Paul is using this illustration to contrast the different between faith and works, between living in out of the flesh verses living out of the Spirit of God. I believe the Apostle Paul understood this and lived a victorious Christian life. Christ lived through him in everyway imaginable that is why he said in Philippians, "For me to live is Christ..." ( Philippians 1:21 ). Paul did not struggle with sin because Paul lived by the Spirit of God. Again, Paul is using this to illustrate what life is like when we live by our own means. We will struggle constantly. We will desire to do what is right but will not be able to do it. Paul is setting the stage for chapter 8 by showing us how futile it is to live a life of works. When we do, we will fail.

Understanding this is huge! This is the difference between living a victorious Christian live and living a life of failure and disappointment. Today, I pray that in the same way you accepted Christ, by faith, you will continue to walk in him. I pray that you remove any efforts or works to please him and find out what pleases him by fellowshipping with him! In this, you will find freedom and experience victory!

We don't question whether or not God can do things, we question whether or not God will do them for us. However Paul is writing to us to remind us that God is for us. He proved it by sending Jesus as our substitution and propitiation for sin. Jesus died a criminals death so that we could be reconciled to God. Since by faith, we now stand before him righteous, holy and loved, it only proves Paul's point, there is nothing God wouldn't do for us.

What an amazing concept to understand. God loves us so much. Mankind screwed up in the very beginning and yet nothing we did was too great to be undone by Him. Isaiah told us, "And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him" ( Isaiah 59:16 Amp ). God looked about and saw that in our present condition no one was capable to bridge the gap sin had created. This was unacceptable to him, so the Bible says that His own arm worked salvation for us. Jesus is the one who intervened in our behalf so that we could be restored to him.

This plan was put into effect over 2000 years ago when Jesus was born into a lowly manager. The plan was finished when Jesus arose from the dead conquering sin and death and bridging the gap for us, bringing us peace with God. Understanding the awesomeness of this deed will bring to light the fact that God will not withhold anything from you. He has written extensively in His Word all the sweet and precious promises that are yours by rights as his child. If he has promised it in his word, then you can be confident that it is yours. Peter talks about this when he said, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" ( II Peter 1:3-4 ). Not only are we redeemed but we can also escape the corruption of this world by walking by the Holy Spirit and living his Word. Through Christ we have total victory.

Paul penned in yesterdays passage, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" ( Romans 8:31 ) and then today, he said, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" ( Romans 8:32 ). What an amazing thing to ponder and internalize today. Not only have we be fully justified and put into right standing with God through faith in Jesus, but he has given us everything we need to navigate this life right now. And if that wasn't enough, he has promise to back us up in everything he has told us. The proof is written in the love story that unfolded so many years ago. Understanding this will change your heart. It will take you from knowing that God can do anything, to knowing that God will do it for you.

Today, on this Christmas morning, I pray that they eyes of your heart are opened to understanding this wonderful truth. As you celebrate Jesus' birth remember that he came for you. He loves you so much and considers you both friend and family. May the joy of this season overflow from your heart and change the world around you, amen!

No matter what you are going through in life, you can be confident in the Lord because he has made you sweet and precious promises through his word. As Christians it is important to understand the spiritual truths of God. What he says about you, what he has provided you, how he loves you... so you can understand what is yours by birthright in God's family through Jesus Christ. Did you know that you are so much more than flesh and blood if the Spirit of the God lives inside of you? Your natural existence is secondary to your spiritual existence. Jesus said in John, "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" ( John 6:63 ).The spirit inside of you is life, understanding how this operates will give you the victory that Christ purchased for you.

The spiritual is far superior is every way. The spiritual side always trumps the natural realm, that is why Jesus provided everything for you in the spiritual realm. He wanted to make sure that His promises were eternal and everlasting. Once they exist in spiritual form, then by release they will overflow into the natural physical realm and you will see results. There is evidence of this truth throughout the entire scriptures, look at creation as an example of this. Jesus spoke the world into existence. The words he spoke were spiritual, they existed before the physical creation came into being and His words formed the world as we know it. In another example, Peter tells us that Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world ( I Peter 1:20 ). So our salvation and propitiation for sin was secure before the world was ever created, but the physical manifestation of this redemptive act happened when Jesus came into the world and die on the cross for us. The spiritual gives birth to the physical. Understanding this truth and acting accordingly will propel your life into victory.

In today's passage, Paul tells us that you have the very same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living inside of you as born again believers. This is an amazing revelation! Ephesians chapter 1 gives us more detail on this truth, "...and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come" ( Ephesians 1:19-21 ). Did you know that the grave could not hold Jesus? The darkness tried to keep hold him, but this power that raised him from the dead was so great that it could do nothing but release him. Up through the heavenly realm Jesus ascended triumphing over every power, authority and dominion that tried to hold him in darkness and was seated as first born from the dead at the right hand of the father in heaven. And you have also been seated in the heavenly realm with Christ Jesus. "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" ( Ephesians 2:6 ). Meaning that this has already happened in the spiritual realm, it is a done deal. And if it is done in the spirit then it can be done in the physical because we have learned that the spiritual side always trumps the physical side of things.

Paul wrote an encouraging word in today's passage, "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." ( Romans 8:11 ). Paul is stressing the incomparable victory that we have in Jesus. We are alive in everyway! If the Spirit of God raised Christ from the dead, then that very same spirit who lives inside of us will also give live to our mortal bodies. It is already done in the spiritual realm and we also experience this in the natural realm because our redemption was so complete and eternal through Christ Jesus. Paul was so convinced and assured of this that he wrote at the end of this chapter that he was convince that nothing was able to separate us from the love that was in Christ Jesus ( Romans 8:37-39 ). Why was he convince? Because he saw what had already been accomplished for us by Jesus. He knew that if it existed in the spiritual realm then it would exist in the natural as well. This is why we were given a new born again spirit at the time we were saved, because this became our guarantee of the sweet and precious promises of God. Jesus wanted to make sure we had everything that was promised and provided for us and that these things would never be taken away from us.

So today, no matter what you are going through in life, you can rest assured by faith that you have victory in Christ. These things have been provided for you. And if they've been provided for you, then they are yours for the taking. Paul said in II Corinthians 4, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal ( II Corinthians 4:16-18 ). This is the key, understanding that the troubles of this world are light and momentary, but by fixing our eyes on what we do not see then we will release this life giving, death raising power that lives on the inside of us. Today, it is my prayer that you understand that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of you and this spirit has been provide for you to operate in that very same power. Today, I pray that you start focusing on what is eternal and what is yours in Christ Jesus and let it overflow into the natural realm. Amen!

Everyone loves to watch an exciting football game. We hold our breath and root for the underdog, but some teams excel to the point where they cannot be beat. This fall was a great example of this. The country watched the Iowa Hawkeyes win nearly ever game they played. Even in the last moments of the game, when they were down and all seemed lost, they would miraculously come back for certain victory. Their name alone struck fear in their opponents. No matter how strong and highly ranked their rivals were, the Hawkeyes would crush them and send them home defeated. This football team was victorious everywhere they played even when outmanned or outranked. They didn't listen to the media who said they were a poor team, they listened to their hearts that told them they were winners and proved it based on this knowledge.

In today's passage, Paul is writing that we are winners. The victory is ours through Christ Jesus. This knowledge will keep us going in life when all seems hopeless. What a marvelous perspective to have. In the midst of trouble, persecution, being beat and run out of town, Paul writes to us that in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. He knew the love of God and his position in the Kingdom and this knowledge brought him victory in all things.

Many times, we act like our circumstances and opposition is too overwhelming for us to be victorious. But Paul said, "in all these things we are more than conquerors..." The Greek word in this passage for conquerors denotes that we are literally hyper-conquerors. We are pre-eminently victorious through Christ Jesus. We will gain a decisive and surpassing victory because Christ was victorious and he conquered death. Not only is this so, but he passed along this victory to us. Paul said in Colossians, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" ( Colossians 2:13-15 ). Christ made a public spectacle of all powers and authorizes and hyper-conquered them. He defeated them so badly that there was no hope for a counter attack. This victory was passed along to us through faith in Christ. We are more than conquerors because Christ loved us.

Paul knew that this victory stems out of the fact that God loves us. Victory in life only comes through Christ's strength displayed in us. The power of God's love for you will changed circumstances in your life. This is the most important thing that you can know and understand. God loves you. Paul tells us that we should be rooted and established in this love. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" ( Ephesians 3:16-19 ). How are we filled to the full measure of God? It is by understanding the breath, the length, the depth and height of His love for you. This will make you rooted deep and founded securely in him. This knowledge will prove to your circumstances that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves you.

Today, I pray that your spiritual eyes are opened to understanding the depth of God's love for you. May you understand your victory in Christ Jesus. May you be fully convinced, rooted securely and strengthen in power through in him alone, amen.