Who is the master of your life? Everyone has someone in control in their life. Often it is ourselves. We like to call the shots when it comes to what we do, and how we live our life. If we are saved, who is directing our choices? Is it our old, sinful nature, or is it the Lord Jesus Christ? This was something that the Apostle Paul wanted the readers of our Scripture today, from the letter to the Romans, to ask themselves. It is something we should be examining in our lives, as well. Let’s take a look.
The Book of Romans was written to believers in the church in the capital city of the Empire. As Paul has instructed in various portions of Scripture, when someone accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell that new believer. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit, the very life of God, is in our body. And with the Holy Spirit in residence within our life, we should be letting Him take control of our actions and behavior. Our life is to be led and controlled by the Spirit, not by the flesh (vs. 9). Since we are now believers, and no longer depending on the flesh to direct our life, why do we resort to the flesh with our behavior and actions? We now have the privilege of being led and empowered by God’s Spirit.
Paul warns his readers that if there is no evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence through any fruits of the Spirit in their life, then that person has no legitimate claim to the Lord Jesus. If our life is out of control, we are in bondage to the flesh and the devil. We cannot live a victorious Christian life through our own power, strength or ability. The flesh nature is not something that we can overcome through our own willpower, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are unable to successfully live the Christian life on our own, but when we are obedient to God and His Word, the Holy Spirit guides us, and enables us to be victorious (vs. 11). We need to break loose and empty our life of all things that are not of God.
Many of us try to live a “good Christian life” through our own power. We make resolutions, especially on New Year’s Day, in an effort to do better, and be a better Christian. We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to. As mentioned above, and as we read in numerous portions of Scripture, when we are saved, the Holy Spirit indwells us. We have the same power in us which raised Jesus from the dead (vs. 11). The Holy Spirit will enable us to live His life through His grace. As He lives through us, we can put to death our sinful urges and desires. Through the Holy Spirit, we are to put to death all of the misdeeds our sinful nature does, and separate from the sinful deeds of the flesh.
So how is this possible? The more we try in our own strength, the more we fail. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God, we can relax (vs. 14). He is in control of everything. We don’t have to chart our own course in life. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in all truth. All we have to do is to follow Him.
Paul concludes this portion of Scripture by relating again a very blessed truth. Because of the finished work of the cross, we are now one with Jesus, and co-heirs of His glorious inheritance (vs. 15-17). The moment we are saved, we go from being an orphan to an heir. Jesus and us share the same inheritance. Whatever He inherits from God, we also inherit. We are His co-heirs, and He is pleased to share it with us.
In order for this to become true in your life, you must accept Jesus as Savior. This is not handed to everyone who has ever lived. God is the Creator of everyone, but not everyone is His child, and He is not Father to everyone (John 1:11-12). God’s inheritance is only for those who accept and follow His Son, and we must each accept Him ourselves. Just because your parents or grandparents were Christians doesn’t make you one. God has no grandchildren!
The question that each of us must ask ourselves is have we, personally, accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior? As we read in our Scripture for today, if we have, then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and we can live His life, not that of the flesh. And as believers, we are also God’s children, and co-heirs with Jesus. What could be more blessed than that!
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