Romans 8:6-8 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Here we have the clearest possible statement of the condition of “natural man.” The thing is, people aren’t concerned about the last part of this statement because they don’t believe the first part. That is, they don’t believe that the mind of the flesh is death. That’s why it’s so important for believers to “let your light so shine before men,” as Jesus said, (Matthew 5:16) so that they can see that “the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace,” as it says here. This is the explanation for the existential frustration Paul talked about in the last of Romans 7, and it also makes it very clear that the solution to that frustration is submission to the Holy Spirit. Jesus made salvation available by His sacrificial death on the cross, but it is the Holy Spirit who indwells us to enable us to work that out on a daily, continual basis. (John 14:16-17) It is only when we are submitted to Him that we have the full life and peace that Jesus paid for with His body and blood.

This is a truth that I continue to grow in living out. I won’t know its ultimate expression until I am out of this body and with my Lord, (2 Corinthians 5:6) but I continue to taste it more and more. There are those who look at me and think they could never be as I am now, not understanding that I am far from perfect, but I am also far from what I once was. There are those who see the life and peace in me and become envious, and that’s a good thing. My task then becomes helping them understand that same life and peace are equally available to them. (1 Peter 3:15) I’ll be with a gathering of a support group for a genetic disease for the next few days, and many of those parents are desperate for the life and peace that are only available in Christ by His Spirit. They see the life and peace in Cathy and me, but they don’t want to make the commitment that is called for to receive it for themselves. My task is to speak the truth gently and with respect, as Peter said, so that as many as will may accept God’s free offer, and be born again into His family.

Father, thank You for this opportunity You are giving Cathy and me. Some of those we will be with will be new to us, but most have seen us before. May we not be holier-than-thou, but gentle and humble toward them, just as Jesus was, so that nothing may interfere with Your Spirit drawing them through us, for their salvation and Your glory Thank You. Hallelujah!