Living in The Spirit

Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

repeat to your neighbor - for you are not under the law but under grace.

Being under the law is a hard pursuit. An impossible one at that.

Paul said the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin.

The law doesnt give me the motivation to want to fullfill it to walk in it.

One Poet says

“ Do this and live, the law commands, but gives me neither feet nor hands. A better word the gospel brings, It bids me fly and gives me wings.”

To be under grace is to be a christian.

romans 7:1-3 “Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.”

The law doesn’t rule it doesn’t control you. The law is not Master of you.

The law does not have dominion over you .

Death does not have dominion over you. Romans 6:9 “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”

Sin does not have dominion over you. Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

People no longer have dominion over you. Me as your Pastor doesn’t have dominion over your faith. 2 Cor 1:24 “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.” I’m a helper of your joy. I’m a laborer in the faith with you but I don’t have dominion over you.

Finances could have dominion over you.

Work place can have dominion over you .

A previous boyfriend or girlfriend could have dominion over you.

But now only Christ should have dominion over you 1 Tim 6:15 “which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,”

Paul is comparing the law to a marriage

But this isn’t any kind of marriage its a bad marriage.

Imagine a wife doing everything she can do to make the husband happy.

She cooks she cleans. She faithful . Clothes neatly folded she works .

But she comes home one day and she can’t do those things she sick or tired .

And the husband yells at her hits her mistreats her.

Like you just can’t measure up to this standard. Its to difficult.

The women is only subjected to the husband as long as he lives.

In reality It doesn’t matter how unhappy she is, she will be still bond to the law of her husband as long as he lives. ( This law is like a bad marriage ) .

But also the husband puts heavy restrictions on the wife .

1 Cor 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. In order to be from the legal claims death had to take place .

the legal claims are only experienced as long the husband is alive

the women bond by the agreement of the law as long as the husband lives , but if he dies she is discharged from the law

Theres no love relationship between man and the law.

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

What is the Old way .

Maybe traditions. Maybe traditionally you dress a curtain way and talk a curtain way. Maybe God is trying to break those traditional strongholds.

I remember we went door knocking and the guy thought because I’m a black man our services last 4 to 5 hours. Traditionally this was his concept about churches.

2. Maybe is a hyper religious sense.

When I use to drive pass a church I would may a cross symbol .

3. Maybe doing spiritual things but neglect the main things.

Maybe you’re up hear singing but yet you don’t have a prayer life.

Maybe you’ll travel overseas to Europe to help in Ukraine but your bother and sister you see everything day who has a need you don’t look twice at them.

The purpose of us dying and being married to another is so we might bear fruit unto God.

Romans 6:22 “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

the law restricts us the Spirit of God liberates and enables us.

Phil 1:11 “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Only a person who is spiritually alive can bear fruit, that is, holy living

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Romans 7:5-6 “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Gal 5:24 “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Passions aroused by the law.

Our passions having a ultimate destiny. Theres a outcome for my passions

Theres a pursuit for my passions.

My sinful passions have a destiny which is death.

sinful Passions are an experience but an evil experience.

Romans 7:24-25 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 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.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 7:24–25

Paul recognized that as long as he was in his mortal body he would face the conflict with the indwelling sin principle and would have defeat in his own strength.

Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

The carnal trying o be spiritual . The law are spiritual principles. But I am carnal . How can someone who is carnal live up to a spiritual principle..

The law comes from God who is Spirit John 4:24. And expresses Gods will for human living.

In this mortal body its always going to produce sin and death. Only in our new body where sin will no longer be an issue.

Romans 8:23 “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

Phil 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”