Holy Trinity

Romans 8:12–17 (NIV84)

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.

Romans Chapter 7 has this extended section where Paul is talking about struggling with sinful nature

The whole, “I keep doing what I don’t want to do”

And ends by crying out “who will save me from this?”

He answers himself - “Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The point being: in Jesus we liberated

Not just from the guilt of sin but from the power of sin over us

It’s not just that we’ve received a pardon but the shackles are now off and we’re walking out of the prison

And the question becomes, how should we live then?

Chapter 8 is largely Paul saying, “here’s how”.

You used to just be led by your natural desires, which were tainted by sin, leading you to death.

Now be led by the Spirit of God, who will guide in in righteousness, and lead you to life.

Romans 8:13 - 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,

We can think of that as a negative and positive framing of the same decision.

Stop this, start this.

Most change in our lives involves stopping one thing and then doing something different

If we want to change our diet, maybe we stop eating fast food and start cooking more meals

The one thing has to cease so the other can take effect.

So we put the old way to death, a motif Paul uses often

Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Kill that old way of being SO THAT a new way of being, can take effect

Talking about KILLING the old way is pretty decisive language, right?

Yes, but neither Paul nor Jesus were wishy washy about the call to new life.

It was always, ‘repent and seek the kingdom’, ‘follow me and don’t look back’, ‘put the old life and old ways to death so that new life can emerge’

And note that believers are not just people called to STOP sinning.

Believers are ones who address the whole WAY OF LIFE connected to their sinning and PURSUE righteousness instead.

But we don’t pursue righteousness as an abstract concept, we pursue a person, who is righteousness.

That person is of course Jesus.

At the end of this chapter Paul will say that then end goal is for God’s people is to be transformed to the image of Christ

The Spirit is given to us to guide that work

In the gospel of John when Jesus is trying to encourage his disciples to be strong and keep following his example in the midst of suffering he says

John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

He’ll confirm what I tell you.

In 1 John 4 we’re told to test spirits and that we can know we’re following the Spirit of God by whether it lifts up Jesus

The Spirit of God always points to Jesus.

Even the fruits of the Spirit are simply manifestations of us modeling Christlikeness, rather than the bankrupt ways of the flesh

The Spirit leads people to become more like Jesus

Truth is God has always led his people

We might look at a passage like Psalm 23:3 - “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

God has always led his people by being present with them, revealing himself to them, and speaking to them

So that his people can be liberated from sin, walk in righteousness and, in doing so, be a light to the nations

Same thing here.

We’re liberated from sin by Jesus.

God is present to us through his Spirit to guide us.

So that we can be transformed into a righteous people and be a light to the nations.

What does it look like to be led by the Spirit?

There isn’t really a way to nail that down into a simple formula

Remember in 1 John he’s talking about testing the spirits to make sure you’re following the right one.

But let me offer this.

Gordon Fee - "this phrase has no connotation either of ‘ecstacy’ or ‘Spirit seizure’, on the one hand, or of ‘guidance’ in the sense of direct help for the details of one’s life, on the other."

He’s saying being led by the Spirit isn’t about going on Spirit autopilot. The Holy Spirit doesn’t REPLACE our spirit.

Nor is it about getting a sign at every turn. The Holy Spirit isn’t leaving bread crumbs.

Yes, the Spirit can guide us in specific circumstances in a variety of ways.

But Fee is saying that isn’t what Paul’s talking about here.

That isn’t the base meaning of being led by the Spirit.

There’s something more foundational and consistent than asking for a sign periodically.

Again, think of Psalm 23 - “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

And at the risk of sounding very soft Evangelical, we might say being led by the Spirit is more about a relationship.

It is about a dialog between the Spirit of God and our spirit.

Theologian Kevin Vanhoozer talks about the human spirit being “that aspect of the human person that relates directly to God.”

He says

Christian spirituality is “the study and experience of what happens when the Holy Spirit meets the human spirit.” And the Holy Spirit lives for this: to witness to Christ, conform people to Christ, and in all things to glorify Jesus Christ … … genuine Christian spirituality is a matter of our relationship to one person, Jesus Christ, a relation enabled and deepened by the Holy Spirit.

The Christian faith is about our union with Jesus.

The Christian life is about becoming more like Jesus.

But Jesus ascended to heaven.

Not to worry, the Spirit of God is present with us, cultivating the connection.

And just to round out Paul’s words in this passage...

when the Spirit of God meets our spirit He reminds us that we have been adopted by God, that Jesus is our brother

and that we will suffer with Jesus, but even that confirms that we are co-heirs with him of new life and every spiritual blessing

In that sense, the Spirit leads us to become who we are, the children of God.

So if it’s about relationship, how do we cultivate that?

Primarily, through the disciplines that Christians have utilized for centuries

Prayer and solitude

getting away from the noise to make space to meet with God

Service and generosity

finding God at work in the world an in the faces of others, especially the hurting and marginalized

Reading scripture

the Spirit guides us in truth and God’s word is truth

For us to be a Spirit led people

We have to desire a more intimiate relationship to jesus

Desire to be transformed to become more like him

Open to the Spirit teaching us and convicting us

And purposeful in making space to hear and see what the Spirit is doing

God will meet us in that