Rules and Spirit

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by DEAK

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges of pastoring is using the current model of "church" to accomplish the call.

Too many just show up - and that is the level of their commitment. There are those that want to grow and those that want to take up space. It is a challenge to minister to both.

So many want you to think for them. I refuse to do it .....

Wow, bro. That is exactly the truth! A "dumbing-down" of Christianity has occurred in our generation. More folks dug into the Book than in our generation. Spiritual A.D.D. lol

[mfblume]

I like what one person said about today's church. The people come and leave their brains at the door with their coats.

[mfblume]

There are rules in the Spirit, otherwise it would not be the law of the Spirit of life. Rom 8:2. So there is a need to transfer one's attention to the rules on the outward written on stone (or paper in our day) to the rules written in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. This is a transference of attention that some simply cannot relate to. Religion, unfortunately, does that.

I believe that is what Paul meant when he said he was not under Old Covenant law, but yet not without law.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by mfblume

There are rules in the Spirit, otherwise it would not be the law of the Spirit of life. Rom 8:2. So there is a need to transfer one's attention to the rules on the outward written on stone (or paper in our day) to the rules written in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. This is a transference of attention that some simply cannot relate to. Religion, unfortunately, does that.

I believe that is what Paul meant when he said he was not under Old Covenant law, but yet not without law.

Finally!

What is this rule/law of the Spirit of life that is written in our hearts? and how do we walk after the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh?

...But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein..James 1:25

and Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Finally!

What is this rule/law of the Spirit of life that is written in our hearts?

I firmly believe it is everything God desires we do and live by. It is God's will. 2 Cor 3 speaks of it. Christ is the author of this EPISTLE OF CHRIST written in our hearts. And I believe iot is in every born again believer. The veil is removed from our hearts that formerly hindered this writing from occurring, if you read 2 Cor 3 closely. And it is removed when our hearts are turned to Christ.

What is so wonderful, is that 2 Cor 3 speaks of the epistle of Christ written in our hearts, and we know CHRIST IS THE WORD. So when the chapter finishes, we reasd WE ARE CHANGED INTO HIS IMAGE when this glory of His LIGHT and WORD is shone upon our hearts! Therefore, we become WORD of God as He is!

and how do we walk after the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh?

Romans 6:13 is how. We cease trying in our own fleshly power to do good and to obey laws written on paper, and rely upon the Spirit of God to empower us and lead us to do what is right. Ro 6:13 tells us to actually pray for God to use us as those fit to be used -- alive from the dead - and use our physical bodies and their parts as HIS INSTRUMENTS for Him to do good with. This is in line with Gal 2:20 where Paul said CHRIST LIVETH IN ME.

...But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein..James 1:25

I think the perfect law of liberty is one and the same as the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.

and Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

I believe this is a summary of what Paul explained earlier in the chapter. Earlier, Paul said that when he tried to do the good of what the law told him to do, evil was present with him instead. This was his own fleshly effort to obey the law. He did not trust in the strength of the Spirit. If we notice, Paul later said he could do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him. But in Romans 7, when he referred back to his past example of failures (which, by the way, he learned to overcome as seen in 7:24-25's remedy for it all -- the "THROUGH CHRIST" truth), he did it all without faith adn reliance in his unity with Christ and the Spirit's empowerment. So his MIND agreed with the law of God given to Moses. But when he tried to obey that law with his flesh, he instead served the law of sin and death.

So the answer was to stop trying in his flesh, and to do what he taught we should do in Rom 6:13. Ro 6:13 is actually walking after the Spirit. Paul was not saying this was his ever existing dillemma. He was simply sumamrizing what he learned about his failures and why he failed, after showing how he came to the realization that he is delivered from the body of death through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ is what he mentioned earlier in 7:4. It refers to the work of Christ on the cross in our places.

After Paul gave the error of his old ways in showing how he must not try in his own fleshly power, without calling on God to empower him, Paul gave the remedy in verses 24 and 25, and in verse 26 summarized once again the error and cause for it.

[mfblume]

Notice that after chapter 7 says the summary of the error Paul made -- with the mind we serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin and death -- chapter 8 begins by saying there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus who walk not after the FLESH -- the thing Paul served the law of sin with!!!!!