Living After the Flesh Versus Through the Spirit Romans 8:13

Paul the apostle told the people in Rome, “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh”, and in chapter eight and verse thirteen of Romans, Paul told his readers about living, “after the flesh” or “through the Spirit” where we read:

For if you live after the flesh, you shall die:

but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.

The verse begins, “For if you live after the flesh, you shall die:” Paul began with the word, “for” which means “even as, indeed, seeing then, no doubt, verily and therefore” “if you live” or “whether you breathe, are active, fresh, strong, efficient, powerful, efficacious and full of vigor” “after the flesh” which means “according to that which denotes mere human and earthly nature of man apart from divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God”, “you shall die” or “Paul's believing readers will perish or be slain”. Paul shared how “living” according to the “sinful human nature” will result in “death”.

The verse goes on to say, “but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.” Paul continued with the word, “but” which means “moreover and” “if you” or “whether Paul's believing readers” “through the Spirit” which refers to “by way and means of the third person of the triune God or the Holy Spirit who is coequal, co-eternal with the Father and the Son” “do mortify” which means “put to death, mortify, render extinct, become dead or kill” “the deeds” or “the mode of acting in a deal, transaction or business” “of the body” which refers to “pertaining to the physical corpse”, “you shall live” which means “Paul's readers will breathe, are active, fresh, strong, efficient, powerful, efficacious and full of vigor”. Paul told his “believing readers” they would “live” when they “through God's Spirit” put to death the “works of the flesh”.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see the fatality of living according to the “sinful nature” and how “life” shall be given to people who “put to death” the “deeds of their mortal bodies”. When Jesus defeated “sin” and “death”, He provided His Holy Spirit power to help “believers” overcome the “deeds” of their bodies. When a person receives Jesus Christ as their “Savior and Lord”, they are filled with His “Spirit” and equipped to defeat the “deeds of the flesh”. Those who read these words have a choice – living according to “the flesh” or living through God's Spirit, and the decision has eternal ramifications.

Next time Paul writes to his readers about, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.