Romans 8:1-4
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
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because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
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For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
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in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
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I quote Paul tonight from his letter to the Romans. But, I was led to this scripture, by the Holy Spirit. Why?
Earlier today I defended Spirit led understanding that served the Father's will. When I shared this, a few people were placed in front of me to show me the blindness that the Lord sees. Blindness that comes from ministry that is defined by studying scripture and generating lessons that serve the will of the leadership. The followers of such leadership are not seeking to be loving, they instead are demanding to be recognized as correct. This I endured with the holy patience, and responded to them each twice, and then left them with a blessing.
And it hurt. And I began to question my faithfulness because of it. That doubt ended, when the Holy Spirit guided me to read from chapter eight in the book of Romans.
We are not grounded in scripture, we are the living gospel.
If we are indeed in Christ, we are by faith, able to seek out the understanding and strength of God's Authority. And this power and wisdom is perfect, and overflowing. Once we have learned of the Kingdom, once we have died of our old ways, we can embrace the Spirit of life and rely upon it as we go forward.
Otherwise we are simply relating our desires to the Law of Sin and Death. Scripture is good for instruction, but we are called to be the living gospel, the faithful.
This is why I serve you well by saying 'do not hate', because even the act of hating what you consider evil, you are acting on your own will and based on your own knowledge. If not guided by the Holy Spirit, you are not honoring His Authority, and what you then consider to be the light of wisdom is actually a greater form of evil. Consider this as how the enemy works. So we embrace faith, and seek holiness which is fearless and rooted in love.
In our Today, we are the vessels filled by love. We are separate from the ways of the flesh and the worldly influences that were leading us to death and condemnation. Instead of seeking what we were raised to do, we seek to act on what holiness is set upon us in the moment. We believe that all the holiness that is in heaven, is available to us, so we may serve the will of the Father here. This is the Kingdom and when we seek its holiness, it is given freely, so we may serve in living ways.
We have no reason to continue to identify sin.
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1 Corinthians 15:56,57
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The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
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But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Before Christ, identifying sin led to more sin.
After Christ, we are called only to deny ourselves, and seek in the present moment, to serve the will of God by the states of love available through the Kingdom. Jesus sat with drunkards and tax collectors, not to identify sin, but to be an example of love for them to be witness to. We mimic this, being the vessels of holiness, and pouring out love in the presence of those set before us.
And in the circumstances where others trespass against us, we are to be forgiving, showing mercy and compassion. We give more than is asked, we turn the other cheek so that those who harm us, can witness our willingness to give them the justification they seek. Because we are in sufferance, we are in denial of our human aspects of survival and instinct. We are set in heart and mind to loving the Father and others, as we are the body of His Authority. Fearless and constant in our faithfulness. Treating others how we would have ourselves be treated.
What the Law was powerless to do was to to knowledge of sin and turn it into righteous acts. Mankind through Adam had been given over to knowledge but did not have the Authority of Life in us.
Now, our faith places us within that Life as its body, and that life we rely upon in Spirit. We do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. This is not just denial of self but an expression of faithfulness. Being the hands and feet of the Gospel, means we are the living expression of God's love here. I ask that you consider constantly seeking to listen to what is set upon you by the Holy Spirit. Learn to rely upon it, being hungry for it, thirsting for the eternal wisdom to work through you in the present moment.
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