Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,520
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:1-8 NASB’95)
What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus”? It is not lip service only. It is not just words that you repeat after someone else in a prayer, or a confession of Jesus as “Lord,” and/or an acknowledgement of his bodily resurrection, as many would have you believe. If you go back two chapters to Romans 6, you will get a very detailed explanation of what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, and of what is required of you to be in Christ and to remain in Christ, and of what faith in Jesus Christ should look like, in reality, in your daily life.
By God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands. Thus, sin is to no longer be allowed by us to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God.
For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. He died that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for self but for him who gave his life up for us. And his grace is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for his return.
So don’t make the assumption that you are “in Christ Jesus” if you did not die with him to sin, and if you are not now walking with him in obedience to his commands, and if sin is still what you practice, and not holy living. For the righteous requirement of the law of God, i.e. his rule of law for us who believe in him, is fulfilled in us who do not walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For Jesus put our sins to death with him so we will die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.
So, if your minds are set on the things of this world, and on the passions of your sinful flesh, and if you are, thus, living to please your flesh, and if you are not living to please God with your lives, the result of that is death, not life eternal with God. It doesn’t matter what you have professed with your lips if by your practices you reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of your lives and if you continue in your deliberate and habitual sins, and if you do not make obedience to the Lord’s New Covenant commands your practice.
For what does it say here? If our minds are set on the flesh, on pleasing our sinful flesh, and not on pleasing God and obeying his commands, that is hostility toward God, for we are not living our lives in subjection to God and to his New Covenant commands, but we are still living to please the flesh, instead. And those who are still living to please the flesh cannot please God. And this isn’t just about living a moral life. This has to do with our lives surrendered to God and to doing his will for our lives, or the opposite of that.
So, if we are truly “in Christ Jesus,” we should be those who have died with Christ to sin, who are still putting sin to death in our lives, by the Spirit, as a matter of practice, and who are walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in the power of God, by the Spirit, in practice. This is not saying that we will live in absolute sinless perfection, and that we will never fail, but that sin should not be our practice, but obedience to God in holy living should now be what we practice (our lifestyles).
So, going back to verse 1. When this states that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, it is not speaking of those who give lip service to God only but who are still living to please the flesh and who are not living to please the Lord with their lives. It is speaking of all, who by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Pleasing God? Or Pleasing Flesh?
An Original Work / April 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus”? It is not lip service only. It is not just words that you repeat after someone else in a prayer, or a confession of Jesus as “Lord,” and/or an acknowledgement of his bodily resurrection, as many would have you believe. If you go back two chapters to Romans 6, you will get a very detailed explanation of what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, and of what is required of you to be in Christ and to remain in Christ, and of what faith in Jesus Christ should look like, in reality, in your daily life.
By God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands. Thus, sin is to no longer be allowed by us to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God.
For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. He died that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for self but for him who gave his life up for us. And his grace is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for his return.
So don’t make the assumption that you are “in Christ Jesus” if you did not die with him to sin, and if you are not now walking with him in obedience to his commands, and if sin is still what you practice, and not holy living. For the righteous requirement of the law of God, i.e. his rule of law for us who believe in him, is fulfilled in us who do not walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For Jesus put our sins to death with him so we will die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.
So, if your minds are set on the things of this world, and on the passions of your sinful flesh, and if you are, thus, living to please your flesh, and if you are not living to please God with your lives, the result of that is death, not life eternal with God. It doesn’t matter what you have professed with your lips if by your practices you reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of your lives and if you continue in your deliberate and habitual sins, and if you do not make obedience to the Lord’s New Covenant commands your practice.
For what does it say here? If our minds are set on the flesh, on pleasing our sinful flesh, and not on pleasing God and obeying his commands, that is hostility toward God, for we are not living our lives in subjection to God and to his New Covenant commands, but we are still living to please the flesh, instead. And those who are still living to please the flesh cannot please God. And this isn’t just about living a moral life. This has to do with our lives surrendered to God and to doing his will for our lives, or the opposite of that.
So, if we are truly “in Christ Jesus,” we should be those who have died with Christ to sin, who are still putting sin to death in our lives, by the Spirit, as a matter of practice, and who are walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in the power of God, by the Spirit, in practice. This is not saying that we will live in absolute sinless perfection, and that we will never fail, but that sin should not be our practice, but obedience to God in holy living should now be what we practice (our lifestyles).
So, going back to verse 1. When this states that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, it is not speaking of those who give lip service to God only but who are still living to please the flesh and who are not living to please the Lord with their lives. It is speaking of all, who by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Pleasing God? Or Pleasing Flesh?
An Original Work / April 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
