Date: Thursday, 2nd November, 2023
Text: Romans 8:1-13
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
Every human being has a choice to either live to please himself or to please his Maker, depending on each individual’s destination- eternal life or everlasting damnation. For the believer, who is heavenly minded, the only available choice is to set his affection on things above, not on things on the earth. In other words he habitually keeps his mind on heavenly things, not on things that are on the earth which have only temporal value.
There is a constant struggle between flesh and the spirit -Romans 7:14-24. The flesh is that sensual part of you; your self-centred instinct that wants to live outside God’s will. It is that part of you that wants to continue to be immoral, impure; passionate for sin, evil desire and greed. Basically, the flesh is your sinful nature.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s word, nor can it do so. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what it desires and they cannot please God.
But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. It is the believer’s responsibility to deliberately mortify or put to death the longings of the flesh so that you do not obey its lusts and passions. This, however, can only be done by the help of the Holy Spirit- Romans 8:1-13
By the Spirit of God, daily engage in self-denial and self discipline and you will successfully subdue the flesh.
Action Nugget: Prayerfully engage the power of the Spirit of God daily to have victory over the flesh.