In this post we look at the Holy Spirit’s most important role of witnessing in the hearts of God’s children there relationship status with the Father. We also look at four different Greek words for ‘children’ or ‘son’ and it’s relevance to Romans 8:14-16 as we continue ‘Roaming through Romans.’
[Tweet “By two immutable witnesses, the Word and the Spirit, you have full assurance of salvation.”]
According to the Greek dictionary, carnality means to have the nature and characteristics of the flesh (or more simply, it means “fleshly”). What, then, is the flesh? Sometimes it refers to the whole material part of man (1 Corinthians 15:39; Hebrews 5:7), and based on this meaning, carnal sometimes relates to material things like money (Romans 15:27) or to the opposite of our weapons of spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4). But the word flesh also has a metaphorical sense when it refers to our disposition to sin and to oppose or omit God in our lives. The flesh is characterized by works that include lusts and passions (Galatians 5:19–24; 1 John 2:16); it can enslave (Romans 7:25); and in it is nothing good (Romans 7:18). Based on this meaning of the word flesh, to be carnal means to be characterized by things that belong to the unsaved life (Ephesians 2:3). 1 The Apostle Paul addresses carnal mindedness particularly in Romans chapter eight. Let’s take a look.
In the USA, at the declaration of independence, only 5% were Christians. By the Civil War, the figure rose to 12%. At the turn of the century, 1/4 of the people included Christians. Billy Graham told reporters in 1977 that 40% of Americans claim they have been born again, and 95% of young people believe in a personal God.1 The number of people who claim to be religious is staggering. But there’s a difference between being religious and being divinely, supernaturally spiritual. Jesus was never religious. He didn’t act religious. He didn’t talk religious. He didn’t have a bumper sticker on His camel. He didn’t have rosary beads hanging from His donkey’s neck. He was not a pious prophet. He was uniquely spiritual and highly effective in His ministry to the sick. And here’s the marvelous truth. You can be just like Him.
Romans chapter eight has several ‘who or what’ we have ‘in Christ’ positional statements. The entire chapter includes what Jesus has done for us as well as information we need to access His finished work through the vital ministry of the Holy Spirit. In today’s post we are going to look particularly at verse five in relation to what it says about flesh versus spirit.
D.L. Moody said these words on the subject of understanding. “It makes all the difference in the world how we look upon God. Some people fear God, but when they understand that He is their Father, that fear is gone.” 1. How we are to look upon God and God’s Word is laid out for us in the pages of the Bible. You can become a man of understanding.
In 1Cor. 12:6, Paul gives the church a list of nine extraordinary manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Many questions have arisen about what these manifestations are. One of the most misunderstood manifestations is the gift of prophecy. What is it exactly and how we can tap into it in our everyday life? What is the secret to unlocking our understanding of this gift? Let’s take a look.
The Bible is saturated with miracles. It doesn’t matter where you look, in the New Testament or the Old, the Bible is brimming with them. It is a common thought in this day in this age that miracles no longer occur, that they was just for Bible times, but I can assure you that there are miracles, displays of healing and Holy Spirit manifestations happening in countries across the globe today. For instance in China, half of the salvations that occur are direct results of a healing miracle. The gifts of the Spirit are manifesting, and learning how He moves will help you to flow with Him in these last days.
Have you ever noticed the words ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘power’ in the Bible? They are actually synonymous terms meaning when you have one you have the other. When the Holy Spirit comes, there is power. How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, become pregnant by herself without following the normal course of nature? By a manifestation of the anointing. The virgin birth is a ‘power’ manifestation by the Holy Spirit. Let’s look further into this anointing and look at it at work in the life of Jesus.
Have you ever noticed the words ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘power’ in the Bible? They are actually synonymous terms meaning when you have one you have the other. When the Holy Spirit comes, there is power. How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, become pregnant by herself without following the normal course of nature? By a manifestation of the anointing. The virgin birth is a ‘power’ manifestation by the Holy Spirit. Let’s look further into this anointing and look at it at work in the life of Jesus.