There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1 KJV
The Inspiration:
The critical question of identity runs through the verse above. The start point of any joy or peace is to settle the question about who you are and what is expected of you. Once I can establish these, then I am set free to pursue the purpose behind my planting. From the verse above, we can see the questions about identity, location and expectations all answered. First, the verse speaks about those who are IN Christ Jesus, not those who just go to church regularly, sing in the choir or keep up appearances. Cornelian gave arms and prayed regularly, but something vital was missing. I have to be IN Christ. The danger of not being IN Him is that you also do the regular activities of those who are IN Him, and sometimes, you will enjoy the supply of inspiration and grace that come from God's presence, but you need to be established in Him in order to sustain that supply. When I have found myself in Him, my location then defines the benefits and blessings I have access to, as well as the lifestyle choices I need to make. Being IN Him keeps the devil's condemnation and accusations away from me.
The Contention:
When the devil reminds me of my past, I remind Him that my past was the reason Jesus went to the cross. It was the past that took Him there, and the full price for the past was paid, so I could look ahead to a glorious future. The past can only power over me if it has not been forgiven. This is why the devil will seek every opportunity to keep my eye focused on the depth of my past sins, but if I can only look ahead to the grace and mercy now available to me in abundant measure, I know that the future is great. One of the blessings of the cross is a life free from the power, influence and condemnation of sin. Can I say, of a truth, that I have taken up the offer of salvation from Christ Jesus? It is important to be sure of this decision, because it will define and determine my daily walk with God. A man who is saved from sin is no longer under the bondage of sin. This man is now set free to walk in line with the dictates of the Spirit of God, given at salvation, and in increasing measure as a man continues to walk in and grows in His knowledge and personal experience of God.
The Conclusion:
There is a reason why the word 'walk' is used here, as it shows the fact that it is my contribution to the efforts God made to secure my life. My walk after the Spirit is my gratitude for the work of salvation done in me. How can God do such a mighty thing: give His life as the sacrifice for sin, be rejected by God for a moment as he hung on the cross, and I will think that all these will be just for fun? I can no longer live to satisfy the demands of the flesh, from which I was saved. Now, I am under new ownership and management, with new demands on my time and resources. The past no longer has a hold on me; I live by faith, and fully dependent on the grace of God for all that is ahead. Let the devil scream and shout about my past; if it is forgiven, it is forgotten. I look ahead to the supply of grace for me to live right, and to live well, and to make it to heaven at the end of it all. That is the ultimate desire of God for me; he has done all that is required. Would I now walk with God on this amazing journey? God's time of favour is here.
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