Key Verse: Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” What dictates the way you live? For some people it’s finances, others say its love, pleasure, or even their family. Paul narrows the answer to question down to two options. Pauls says that either we live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. How can we know whether the flesh dictates our life, or if the spirit dictates our life? One way is very simple. We can look at our actions. Do our actions exhibit that the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives? As Christians we are called to surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This means we are to allow the Holy Spirit to totally control what we do! If you are living a life of consistent and intentional sin, you are living according to the flesh. If you are living according to the Holy Spirit your life will be characterized by the fruits of the spirit which are: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindnes, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. If you live according to the Spirit yours actions will show it. However, there’s another way learn if you are walking according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. Paul tells in this verse, that what we think about dictates what who we are living for. If we are living for the flesh, then fleshly things dominate our mind. We will overly concerned with wealth, population, worldly acceptance, pleasurable living and other things that the world concerns themselves with. If our minds are set on the things of the Spirit, then the the concerns of God dominate our thinking. We dwell on things like praying for those far from Christ, praying those who have drifted from Christ, living a Godly life, raising our kids in a home that prioritizes God and His commands, and attending church regularly. So I ask you, are living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit? Ask God to help you live according to Holy Spirit’s guidance!
