Let's read slowly the passage from Romans 8 before I start on this continued idea of person and choices.
Romans 8:1-27 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 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.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For 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,
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 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."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17 Now 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.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Being a Christian in a society that has a "Judeo-Christian" heritage makes us aware of the past, but doesn't necessarily inform how we should live with present and future choices. In my reading on the Desert Fathers I find myself thinking about the way in which they approached temptations, the world, the flesh, and also the reality of Satan. They fled to the deserts - not just to get away from society - but to discover the interior motives behind their motives and attitudes. They were very aware of the "flesh" aspects of their humanity. While seeking to live a holy lifestyle, they had no illusions to their own perfection. Each day highlighted the incompleteness of their persons. In other words, as Paul says, "we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature (flesh), to live according to it." And, the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed....For the creation was subjected to frustration."
I went through this very thing last week. On Wednesday afternoon, we were told that because of a snafu at the application level the closing on our house had to be delayed; and as I was getting that news, my son (who with my grandchildren were staying with us for a few days) came downstairs to tell me that the dog had just thrown up on the carpet!
Frustration!!!!
I walked away thinking, praying, and I found myself talking to God - "Lord why are YOU doing this?"
I heard the Lord in my spirit reply: "Why do you start with Lord, why are you???" It was a check in my mind about the truth...is God the one who does frustrating, painful things...the creation in frustration? I think not. The frustration of creation...delays, trouble, pain and suffering, drought! These are not the "creation" of God, but rather the destructive consequences of the Fall. Why start with "why God"?
I'll come back to this...
Peace
Romans 8:1-27 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 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.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For 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,
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 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."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17 Now 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.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Being a Christian in a society that has a "Judeo-Christian" heritage makes us aware of the past, but doesn't necessarily inform how we should live with present and future choices. In my reading on the Desert Fathers I find myself thinking about the way in which they approached temptations, the world, the flesh, and also the reality of Satan. They fled to the deserts - not just to get away from society - but to discover the interior motives behind their motives and attitudes. They were very aware of the "flesh" aspects of their humanity. While seeking to live a holy lifestyle, they had no illusions to their own perfection. Each day highlighted the incompleteness of their persons. In other words, as Paul says, "we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature (flesh), to live according to it." And, the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed....For the creation was subjected to frustration."
I went through this very thing last week. On Wednesday afternoon, we were told that because of a snafu at the application level the closing on our house had to be delayed; and as I was getting that news, my son (who with my grandchildren were staying with us for a few days) came downstairs to tell me that the dog had just thrown up on the carpet!
Frustration!!!!
I walked away thinking, praying, and I found myself talking to God - "Lord why are YOU doing this?"
I heard the Lord in my spirit reply: "Why do you start with Lord, why are you???" It was a check in my mind about the truth...is God the one who does frustrating, painful things...the creation in frustration? I think not. The frustration of creation...delays, trouble, pain and suffering, drought! These are not the "creation" of God, but rather the destructive consequences of the Fall. Why start with "why God"?
I'll come back to this...
Peace
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