Day 135
We are continuing our look at Romans 8:13: "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." We want to understand how the Holy Spirit through us kills those practices that are not pleasing to Him. We have seen that He does so by giving us abounding grace in our hearts and by destroying the root and habit of sin in our lives. The third way is that the Holy Spirit brings the cross of Christ into our hearts by faith, and gives communion with Christ and fellowship in His sufferings.
This does not mean that God sends us evil to cause us to be unhappy. To the contrary, He brings us to a place with Jesus that our communion includes His sufferings. When the trials of life make you think that something is wrong (and it could because sin has consequences), if you know that you are walking close to the Savior, consider that what has occurred is being placed before you to draw you closer to Him. God has a way of dealing with His children to make us more like Him.
If you have children then you know that sometimes you will not allow them to do or have something that is harmful for them. When your child is starting to walk you allow them to fall down. You comfort them when they cry but you encourage them to get up. You know that they need to learn how to walk. They get up and they fall down. This process is repeated over and over until stability comes. Yet you are never far away; you are close near never letting them out of your sight. It is the same with God. He has His eye on you. He may want you to experience some of His sufferings (don't be confused here; His sufferings were not sickness or lack; His sufferings were for the lost and weeping with those that weep). In so working in our lives the Holy Spirit wants us to be living for Him and not for ourselves. Today ask Him to bring the cross of Christ into your life; have faith that He will do so and be prepared to fellowship in His sufferings. Now that is the Holy Spirit mortifying the deeds of the flesh!
This does not mean that God sends us evil to cause us to be unhappy. To the contrary, He brings us to a place with Jesus that our communion includes His sufferings. When the trials of life make you think that something is wrong (and it could because sin has consequences), if you know that you are walking close to the Savior, consider that what has occurred is being placed before you to draw you closer to Him. God has a way of dealing with His children to make us more like Him.
If you have children then you know that sometimes you will not allow them to do or have something that is harmful for them. When your child is starting to walk you allow them to fall down. You comfort them when they cry but you encourage them to get up. You know that they need to learn how to walk. They get up and they fall down. This process is repeated over and over until stability comes. Yet you are never far away; you are close near never letting them out of your sight. It is the same with God. He has His eye on you. He may want you to experience some of His sufferings (don't be confused here; His sufferings were not sickness or lack; His sufferings were for the lost and weeping with those that weep). In so working in our lives the Holy Spirit wants us to be living for Him and not for ourselves. Today ask Him to bring the cross of Christ into your life; have faith that He will do so and be prepared to fellowship in His sufferings. Now that is the Holy Spirit mortifying the deeds of the flesh!
