Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
Today’s verse is a continuation of the instruction Paul gave that described the difference between living in the flesh (the worldly, sin filled life) and living by the Spirit of God. He tells us that we are no longer in the realm of flesh. We have been freed from that bondage and dwell there no more. We may still sin, but it no longer holds us captive or dictates how we act. Now we choose Him, living for God instead of living for self.
Paul goes on to point out that we live by the Spirit when the Spirit is within us. We cannot live by the Spirit without being children of God. We must put our faith in Jesus, accept His death in our place in the cross, and believe He rose from the dead. Once we become believers we are filled with the Spirit. And once we are filled, we can then walk in the Spirit.
But what does that mean? Walking in the Spirit simply means living a life that is pleasing to God. We are guided by the Spirit instead of by our own sinful desires. We align our thoughts and actions with His. But walking by the Spirit is not an automatic default behavior after we become believers. We must learn to seek His guidance, align our thoughts with His, and surrender to His will. All of these are actions we take every day. Daily we surrender to God’s will.
We don’t truly understand what a blessing it is that we have the Spirit within us. Our minds simply cannot comprehend just how amazing it is. The indwelling of the Spirit is transformative. It affects every aspect of our lives. And it empowers us, enabling us to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Take a few moments today to ponder that great gift. Thank God for giving you the Spirit and for the work He is doing in your life. And then step out in faith, knowing the Spirit walks with you as you move through your days.
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