09/05/2025
Christ and the Spirit
We talked last week about how the law cannot save you. That even an atheist can follow the 10 commandments but will not be saved. Plus, we who call ourselves Christians can follow the 10 commandments, but if we truly do not have Christ in our hearts, then we will not be saved as well. The law cannot do it. Only Christ can do it. Only by having Christ in your heart can you be saved.
Once you fully accept Christ into your heart, then you will be saved. And Paul says, NOW there is NO condemnation. Now, right now. As soon as you fully accept Christ into your heart, there is no condemnation. The is no judgement of guilt. Remember, we all have to stand in front of God on judgement day. We will all be judged. We will all be judged to the same measure we judge others. If we have Christ in our hearts, then we will not judge others and to, we will be judged with the same measure.
For those who walk according to Christ. Like I have been saying for months. You have to live the way, the truth and the life, to get the life Christ is offering. For those who are in Christ. For those who do not walk the way of the flesh. For those who do not walk the way of the world. The world is all about the flesh. All about me. The world is not about others. You have to walk the life Christ did. In other words, think of others before yourself.
The law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus has made us free. Not the law of Moses, or the law of man, but the law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus. The law of the Holy Spirit. That law has to live inside each of us, if we want eternal life in heaven. Jesus Christ was sent to live a human life. To take on sin for us. To become sin for us.
God condemns sin. God condemned His only Son for our sins. God put His only Son on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ was hung on the tree, for our sin. It’s the least we can do to live a life worthy. To live a life as Christ lived His life. Jesus Christ took our sin, to fulfill the requirement of the law, that sin must die.
People who live according to the flesh, that is where their mind is. It is not on others. It is only on themselves. In the movie, God’s not dead, Dean Cain has a scene with his mother, who has dementia. He is sitting in the room with her and says, “You are the nicest person I know, I am the meanest. You have dementia. I have everything.”
She responds with, Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble, because he doesn’t want them turning to God. Sin is like a jail cell, except it’s all nice and comfy and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to leave. The doors is wide open. Until one day time runs out and the cell door slams shut. And suddenly it’s too late.
These are people who live in the flesh. Who live in the world. They are living their life as they want. Everything seems to be going their way. But time will run out. The door will slam shut. For they have set their minds on the things of the flesh. For to be carnally minded is death.
But spiritually minded, that is life. That is an eternity of peace. Living carnally minded is against God. It’s thumbing you nose at God. Those who live in the flesh cannot and will not please God. They only please the flesh. They only please the devil. If you live according to the flesh, you will inherit the kingdom of death. God wants everyone to spend eternity with Him. but if your wish is to live apart from Him here on earth, He will honor that request in eternity as well.
But if you have Christ in your heart, you are not of the flesh. You are not of the world. If Christ dwells in you, you are of heaven. You are of paradise. You have to live with Christ in your heart.
Carnally minded is death, but spiritually minded is life.
I did the rope analogy a while back. You have the rope form here going on for eternity. This little couple of inches on the end is your life right now. The time you have on earth. The rest of the rope, that goes on forever, that is the life after earth. What you do for those two inches determines where you spend the rest of eternity.
The thing is. You cannot wait. You cannot sit there and think, Oh I have plenty of time. Because when Christ comes back and you have not gotten yourself ready. It is too late.
Psalm 65; Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the [a]vow shall be performed.
2 O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me;
Iniquities prevail against me. If we keep the flesh in our hearts, we are done for.
But if we life with Christ on our hearts, David goes on,
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
4 Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
With Christ in our hearts, we will be blessed. We will dwell in His courts and in His house. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
If the Holy Spirit lives in you. If the life of Christ is your life. You will live in the house of the Lord forever.
It will be as Isaiah said in Chapter 55.
“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Instead of a thorn, a cypress tree. Instead of a brier, a myrtle tree.
Cypress trees, known for their longevity and straight growth, often symbolized immortality and the afterlife. Myrtle, represented love, beauty, prosperity, and immortality, often associated with joy, peace, and divine blessing.
No thorns. No briers. Peace, joy and love for immortality. For ever and ever.
Randy Travis, one of my favorites, sang of it. He talked of a love that last forever. That is the love of God. It does not matter how you look. It does not matter what has happened in our life. If you live with Christ in you heart, and you live a life valuing the way of Christ, the truth of Christ and the life of Christ. The you will live the love of God, forever and ever, Amen.
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