(Romans 8:4) “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
There were many people in Paul’s day that believed the only way to be righteous came by keeping the law.
Yet, Paul says that the law cannot be kept, because of the weakness of our flesh. (Romans 8:3) “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”
It is impossible to be righteous in the sight of God by trying to keep the law in the flesh. When one tries to keep the law by using the power of flesh it will not work. The reason is that the flesh is weak. If one could keep the law by the power of his flesh, God would not have had to send his own Son to become a man so that He could die to pay the penalty for our sins.
There is another reason trying to keeping the law by the power of flesh will not work. It is because our flesh does not want to.
If one looks at his flesh honestly, he will see that his flesh is very selfish. The one law that cannot flesh obey is this one, (Galatians 5:14) “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” There is no way that the flesh could love someone else the way he loves himself.
When one has kept the law, that is done by the power of our flesh, it means that he has not truly kept the law. (Romans 8:5) “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
A mother might say about her son, “John does not mind me.” What she is saying is “John does not obey me.”
The thing that Paul is saying is that our flesh cannot do the will of God, for the flesh will only do what the flesh wants to do. The flesh will not obey God.
In contrast to this, the ones that walk after the Spirit will do what the Spirit wants them to do.
It comes down to the way one thinks. (Romans 8:6-8) “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
When Paul used the word “carnally minded” he is talking about the way our flesh thinks. He is talking about the “lust of the flesh” which is the way he expresses it in (Galatians 5:16) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
If you, in your pride, think that we can please God by using the power of our flesh so that we can say, “I did it!” – think again; for the flesh cannot please God.
(Romans 8:9-10) “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Know this: that when you are saved, your old man is crucified with Christ. And the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you. The way that God makes you righteous is by putting His Spirit in you so that you will become a new man.
There is more to living with God’s Spirit dwelling in you. For now, remember this: if you are saved, you have the Spirit of God in you and you need to let His Spirit control you.
*Devotional written by Ralph Williams, retired pastor and member of One Hope Mobile.
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