Bible Study - Never Alone (3) - Indwelt by the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9-17 - June 19, 2022

 Bible Study – Never Alone (3) – Indwelt by the Holy Spirit – June 19,2022

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “Never Alone: The Holy Spirit in our Lives.”

Our focus scripture is Romans 8:9-17.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives affirms our relationship with GOD.

In our last week’s study, JESUS made it clear that the person who is born of the Holy Spirit is GOD’S Child. The Holy Spirit gives eternal life to all who are “born-again” in their spirit. New eternal life begins the instant a person asks JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and believing that JESUS is the only atonement for sin.

We read In Ephesians 4:22-24:

²² to take off^[g] your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, ²³ to be renewed^[h] in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on^[i] the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

When we ask JESUS to forgive us for our sins and to come into our hearts, a miracle takes place because we are born-again. As Spirit-born people we, in essence, take off our old self or “mind set” and put on our “new mind set.”

Also, we read in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - ²¹ Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us. ²² He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

GOD’S seal upon us shows GOD’S ownership of us. We are sealed by the shed blood of JESUS eternally.

The Apostle Paul makes the process of salvation clear in what is referred to as the Roman road to salvation:

Romans 3:23: ²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the^[a] glory of God;

Romans 3:10: ¹⁰ as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

Romans 5:12: ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.^[a]

Romans 6:23: ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8: ⁸ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 10:9-12: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13: ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[h]

Romans 10:17: ¹⁷ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.^[l]

How can this be? The heart of GOD’S redemptive plan is recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of God.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to prefect those who have placed their faith and trust in JESUS and to confirm their salvation through the miracle of Spiritual birth.

In essence, the Spirit-born person is already in Heaven but assigned to earth to minister as led by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul capturers this in Romans 6:6-11:

⁶ For we know that our old self^[c] was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin^[d] might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, ⁷ since a person who has died is freed^[e] from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, ⁹ because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.^[f]

When JESUS died on the cross, all who place their faith in JESUS died with HIM and were buried with HIM and resurrected by GOD when JESUS was resurrected never to die again. WOW!!! That is worth shouting about. All Spirit-born people are already in Heaven but assigned to earth to minister, as led by the Holy Spirit. How about that!!!

This opens the Spiritual door to what is taking place within every Spirit-born person while they remain upon earth. The Apostle Paul wrote about this in Romans 6:22-23

²² But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Spirit-born people are being “sanctified” or the process of being made “Saint-like.” Sanctification is GOD’S process of setting aside Spirit-born people to be used for GOD’S purpose. It is GOD WHO makes Saints. It is putting to death the deeds of the body/flesh. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit for Spirit-born people. The process of being made more CHRIST-like begins at the instant of conversion or salvation and is a life-long process.

Let’s read Romans 8:9-11:

 ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit^[f] gives life^[g] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through^[h] his Spirit who lives in you.

The Apostle Paul is writing. The word “if” can be translated “since” or as we read in this translation “if indeed.” Only the individual person knows for certain whether or not the Holy Spirit lives in him or her. If a person is not sure that he or she has asked JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and for JESUS to come into his or her heart, that person needs to ask GOD to confirm it one way or the other. All who have been “born-again” in their spirit are eternally alive upon earth and when their earth suit (physical body) dies, they are immediately in the presence of GOD.

In Romans 8:1-2, we read - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,^[a] 2 because the law^[b] of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you^[c] free from the law^[d] of sin and death.

This scripture presents two mindsets: (1) Those who live according to the flesh and (2) Those who live according to Spirit.

Those who live according to the “flesh” will die and those who live according to the “Spirit” will find peace and live eternally with GOD in Heaven.

The question every person must answer, are you living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?

Living in the Spirit means that a person has asked JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and asked JESUS to come into his or her heart. That is the miracle of being “born-again” in your spirit, never to be Spiritually unborn.

Then once you have been born Spiritually, what is your mind-set? How do you live being a Child of GOD?

The Apostle Paul wrote in the scripture leading up to our focus scripture in Romans 8:5-8: (mindset)

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Let’s read Romans 8:12-14:

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

¹² So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, ¹³ because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons or (daughters). 

“So then,” those who have been “born-again” are not obligated to live according to the “mind set” of the flesh but according to the “mind set” of the Holy Spirit. Earth is no longer the Spirit-born person’s home. His or her home and citizenship is in Heaven, however, GOD chose for those who are Spirit-born to remain upon earth to be HIS Ambassadors, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 20:

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

As Spirit-born people, earth is not our home. We are sojourners or simply passing through earth on our way to Heaven. As we sojourn, GOD has work for each of us to do as we remain upon earth, after we have been Spirit-born.

The key is “No Person who has NOT been Spirit born will go to Heaven!”

How do we, as Spirit-born people, know where to work? The Holy Spirit leads us to that which GOD desires to be done. The Holy Spirit opens our Spiritual eyes to where HE is working and when we see HIM working, that is our invitation to join HIM.

Some may think, “but GOD may ask me to do something beyond my comfort zone?” GREAT!!! That reveals that HE knows what you are capable of and wants you to grow in your faith in HIM as we read on ----

Let’s read Romans 8:15-17:

¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba,^[i] Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, ¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Once we have placed our hands on the plow, we are not to look back but straight ahead. When a person is to plow a long row, he or she picks out a stationary object at the end of the field and keeps his or her eye on that object, as he or she moves forward. GOD desires for each of us to fix our eyes upon JESUS as we journey through life. When we do and follow the direction/leadership of the Holy Spirit, we will see that the path we have plowed is straight. We may have to remove a rock or bolder or tree or various obstacles as we plow the straight row, according to GOD’S plan.

Will it be easy? NO!!! There will be obstacles along the way which will increase our faith. We, as Spirit-born, must keep in mind what JESUS has already done for us. Satan has been judged and JESUS has equipped all Spirit-born with the Holy Spirit and with Spiritual gifts. HE has placed HIS eternal seal upon us, the Holy Spirit.

Just think, being Spirit-born, we can call GOD, FATHER and we can come to HIM 24/7and call HIM “Daddy”.

We read in Hebrews 4:14-16:

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,^[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Yes, Spirit-born people will sin and in 1 John 1:8-9: ⁸ If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

GOD’S mercy and grace always keeps those who are Spirit-born in right standing and relationship with GOD. GOD never leaves those who are Spirit-born and will never forsake them.

JESUS understands what it means to be human and living in a sinful world. That is why HE came to earth to give HIS sinless life by the shedding of HIS blood, that all who place their faith in HIM will have eternal life. What a loving Savior we have!!!

If you have never asked JESUS to save you from eternal death, follow the Roman road to salvation and experience the miracle of being Spirit-born into GOD’S Family and becoming eternally GOD’S Child.

Blessings!!!