Daily Bread
Romans 8:20 - “For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly but because of Him who subjected it in expectation.”
God did not subject the creation to a meaningless existence of life with all of its labor and hardship to ultimately die without hope and return to the dust. God made a promise of a redeemer and a restoration of all things through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It would be through the reshaping of the inward man by redemption that God would raise up an eternal man by the resurrection. The Greek word ‘elpis’ is translated expectation instead of hope because the meaning of expectation conveys a greater degree of confidence than that of hope and because the meaning of ‘elpis’ is accurately related by the word ‘expectation.’
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Friday, September 22, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Daily Bread
Romans 8:16 - “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The spirit of the redeemed person is made new and God has also put His Spirit within us, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)." Therefore, the Holy Spirit gives witnesses to everyone who has received a new spirit that they are the sons of God. When we are born of the Spirit we become spirit and when we are joined unto the Lord by the new birth we are made one Spirit with the Lord (John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Romans 8:16 - “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The spirit of the redeemed person is made new and God has also put His Spirit within us, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)." Therefore, the Holy Spirit gives witnesses to everyone who has received a new spirit that they are the sons of God. When we are born of the Spirit we become spirit and when we are joined unto the Lord by the new birth we are made one Spirit with the Lord (John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Daily Bread
Romans 8:15 - “You have not received back the spirit of bondage to fear but you have received the spirit of adoption in which you cry out Abba Father.”
The spirit of adoption is the opposite of the spirit of bondage. Instead of fear governing man, the security and comfort of the Spirit of God dominates the consciousness of the redeemed - insomuch that the saints call God their own personal father. We may understand more fully what the spirit of adoption is from Galatians 4:5 which reveals to us that it is the Spirit of the Son, or the Holy Spirit, that came into our hearts at the time of the new birth.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Romans 8:15 - “You have not received back the spirit of bondage to fear but you have received the spirit of adoption in which you cry out Abba Father.”
The spirit of adoption is the opposite of the spirit of bondage. Instead of fear governing man, the security and comfort of the Spirit of God dominates the consciousness of the redeemed - insomuch that the saints call God their own personal father. We may understand more fully what the spirit of adoption is from Galatians 4:5 which reveals to us that it is the Spirit of the Son, or the Holy Spirit, that came into our hearts at the time of the new birth.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Sept. 19
Daily Bread
Romans 8:13 - “For if we live after the flesh we are about to die but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you shall live.”
The Greek word ‘praxtis’ may be translated ‘function, activities, deeds’ implying sustained activity as in Romans 12:4, “and all these parts have different functions.” Now Paul uses this word to describe all the possible activities that can take place in the mortal body. He is dealing with every activity or function of the body whether it is sin, sickness, or disease. It must be remembered in understanding the message of this text that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it belongs to the Lord, it is blameless, it is the place that God is to be glorified, and it is not the residing place of sin (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:13,18,19,20; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; James 2:26). Sin and the consequence of sin, which are sickness and disease, have no right to have any control over the mortal body (Romans 6:12). In fact, we are instructed to put all of these things to death by the Spirit. As much as Israel was commanded to put to death anyone who committed high treason against God, the new testament saint is instructed to put to death sin, sickness, and disease that would attempt to enter the body. We may view ourselves in some respects as both the temple and the temple guards. It was the responsibility of the temple guards to ensure that no one brought anything into the temple that would defile or profane the temple.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Daily Bread
Romans 8:13 - “For if we live after the flesh we are about to die but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you shall live.”
The Greek word ‘praxtis’ may be translated ‘function, activities, deeds’ implying sustained activity as in Romans 12:4, “and all these parts have different functions.” Now Paul uses this word to describe all the possible activities that can take place in the mortal body. He is dealing with every activity or function of the body whether it is sin, sickness, or disease. It must be remembered in understanding the message of this text that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it belongs to the Lord, it is blameless, it is the place that God is to be glorified, and it is not the residing place of sin (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:13,18,19,20; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; James 2:26). Sin and the consequence of sin, which are sickness and disease, have no right to have any control over the mortal body (Romans 6:12). In fact, we are instructed to put all of these things to death by the Spirit. As much as Israel was commanded to put to death anyone who committed high treason against God, the new testament saint is instructed to put to death sin, sickness, and disease that would attempt to enter the body. We may view ourselves in some respects as both the temple and the temple guards. It was the responsibility of the temple guards to ensure that no one brought anything into the temple that would defile or profane the temple.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Sept. 18
Daily Bread
Romans 8:12 - “Indeed then brethren we are not in debt to the flesh to live after the flesh.”
One who is in debt or a debtor is one who is in bondage or under obligation to another to work for them to clear their debt. They are not free to pursue their own interests and live their own lives until that debt is paid. Those who are in Christ Jesus have no debt. All of our debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ and now we are no longer under any obligation to the powers of darkness nor a sin cursed world.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Daily Bread
Romans 8:12 - “Indeed then brethren we are not in debt to the flesh to live after the flesh.”
One who is in debt or a debtor is one who is in bondage or under obligation to another to work for them to clear their debt. They are not free to pursue their own interests and live their own lives until that debt is paid. Those who are in Christ Jesus have no debt. All of our debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ and now we are no longer under any obligation to the powers of darkness nor a sin cursed world.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Sept. 16
Daily Bread
Romans 8:11 - "And if the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you the one that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive your body that is subject to death through the Spirit of Him that dwells in you."
God subjected all mankind to death because of Adam’s sin. This subjugation to death as it relates to man’s physical body is emphasized by the Greek adjective ‘thnetos’ which means ‘mortal’ or ‘subject to death’ or ‘bodies which will die.’ The same one who subjected us to death in hope of the resurrection has made provision for us to receive divine health through the working of His Spirit that dwells in us (1 Corinthians 12:7-10; Acts 19:11-12). While it is true that once our bodies die they will be raised up from the dead; it is equally true that when we become sick God has provided a means of healing by the Holy Spirit. In these verses, the subject is the current state of our body which is viewed as now being dead even though we are living. The dead state of our bodies is contrasted to the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Thus, the making alive of our mortal bodies now refers to the healing of the body from disease and sickness.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Daily Bread
Romans 8:11 - "And if the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you the one that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive your body that is subject to death through the Spirit of Him that dwells in you."
God subjected all mankind to death because of Adam’s sin. This subjugation to death as it relates to man’s physical body is emphasized by the Greek adjective ‘thnetos’ which means ‘mortal’ or ‘subject to death’ or ‘bodies which will die.’ The same one who subjected us to death in hope of the resurrection has made provision for us to receive divine health through the working of His Spirit that dwells in us (1 Corinthians 12:7-10; Acts 19:11-12). While it is true that once our bodies die they will be raised up from the dead; it is equally true that when we become sick God has provided a means of healing by the Holy Spirit. In these verses, the subject is the current state of our body which is viewed as now being dead even though we are living. The dead state of our bodies is contrasted to the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Thus, the making alive of our mortal bodies now refers to the healing of the body from disease and sickness.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Sept. 15
Romans 8:9 - "And you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ this one is not His."
Paul makes it absolutely clear to the saints that they are not in the flesh. The definition and proof that a person is not in the flesh is that the Spirit of God dwells in them. In order to make it perfectly clear concerning who has the Spirit of God dwelling in them Paul makes it known that he is referring to the Spirit of Christ. These are those who are in Christ because of the spiritual birth. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about the new birth He said, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” (John 3:6). John described those who are born of the Spirit and made sons of God as being those that were, “not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God”, (John 1:13). Obviously, Paul is not referring to a natural human body when he uses the word flesh. He is speaking of the unredeemed who have not been born of the Spirit. The argument therefore goes that since we have been born of the Spirit we are led and governed by the Spirit and, therefore, are no longer prisoners to realm of condemnation - nor are we dependent on human ability to please God.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Romans 8:9 - "And you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ this one is not His."
Paul makes it absolutely clear to the saints that they are not in the flesh. The definition and proof that a person is not in the flesh is that the Spirit of God dwells in them. In order to make it perfectly clear concerning who has the Spirit of God dwelling in them Paul makes it known that he is referring to the Spirit of Christ. These are those who are in Christ because of the spiritual birth. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about the new birth He said, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” (John 3:6). John described those who are born of the Spirit and made sons of God as being those that were, “not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God”, (John 1:13). Obviously, Paul is not referring to a natural human body when he uses the word flesh. He is speaking of the unredeemed who have not been born of the Spirit. The argument therefore goes that since we have been born of the Spirit we are led and governed by the Spirit and, therefore, are no longer prisoners to realm of condemnation - nor are we dependent on human ability to please God.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
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