Daily Devotional Thoughts All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  This Week’s Study: Romans 8:5- Monday - You Choose Your Destiny. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:5-6). These verses identify the secret of holy living vs. living the sinful life.  God has provided both forgiveness and the way and the strength to step up out of the muck of sin.  Whether we step up out of the mud is determined by our own choices.  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. . . .”  The issue to settle is where are our minds? Are we watching, reading, listening to and dwelling upon the filth of this sinful world?  The formula is easy to follow.  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. . . .”  Conversely those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  So where are you setting your mind?  This isn’t rocket science.  It is childishly simple.  If I dwell on sin, I will gravitate toward sin, if I dwell on the righteous things of God, I will live more and more as God wants me to live. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  And so my friend, where is your heart today?  Are you dwelling on the things of the Lord or own the things of sin? Tuesday - Those in the flesh cannot please God. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:5-8). We learned yesterday that we become just what we set our minds upon. If we set our minds on the things of the flesh, we live according to the flesh.  When we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, we live according to the Spirit.  Yesterday’s text continued: “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Why is this so? Very simple. If we feed our mind on the things of God we become more and more godly.  If we feed our mind on the things of Sin, we become more sinful.  Our text reminds us: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”  Why feed the carnal side of our natures when when we KNOW the carnal mind is not subject to God’s law, NOR can it be?  Remember, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” This is so very important to your Christian growth. Make the choice now to meditate on God’s word. Memorize it, internalize it, set your mind on the things of God.  Want to please God? Want to grow in grace?  Set your mind, daily, moment by moment, on the things of God.  Avoid those things of the world (including much of today’s entertainment, TV, Radio, Music) that drag you down in sin’s fleshly muck.  Set your mind on the things of the Spirit! Wednesday  - If Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (Romans 8:9-10). Today’s text continues the good news!  We do not have to dwell in the muck of sin!  “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.”  When we allow the Spirit of God to dwell in us, we no longer live “in the flesh.”  This simply means we no longer live, dwelling on and being consumed by the carnal, fleshly, or sinful nature.  We set our minds on heavenly things and rise above the muck of this sinful world. If we don’t have the Spirit of Christ, we are not His and we are in real trouble.  However, “if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”  So the real challenge is to let Christ’s Spirit dwell in us.  Day by day, moment by moment, and as we continue in that abiding, indwelling relationship, our bodies die to sin, and we more and more live unto righteousness.  And that is today’s Good News! Thursday  - Present your members as slaves of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 8:11). More good news!  We learned yesterday that when Christ is in us, our bodies die because of or in respect to sin.  Today, we read, when we allow God’s Spirit to dwell in us, “He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” So as we allow God to put our bodies to death insofar as sin goes, we can also allow God to bring our bodies back to life, to live a life rejoicing in righteous and holy living!  We are still in the middle of the war going on all around us (Romans 7) but we can rise above that mess.  We can live with even our bodies alive to the good things of the sanctified life with Christ. So now we live, dead to sin, but alive to righteousness.  Now we are fully alive!  Paul is merely reinforcing his words in Romans 6. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. . . . Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts (Romans 6:8-12). Friday/Weekend - While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:12-13). “Therefore, . . . we are debtors.”  Why are we debtors?  We are in debt to God for all He has done.  Especially are we debtors to God because God rescued us from sin!  We are debtors because as Christ lives in us, our carnal bodies die and we are resurrected to the new life of holy living through His Spirit. And so we are debtors to God, we owe God not to live according to the flesh. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).  Now that text does not take rocket science to understand.  If I choose to live according to the flesh, I will die, but if I choose to allow the Spirit to put to death the sinful deeds of the body, I will live!  The same holds true for you.  Do you today choose to live in sin or do you today choose to live according to God’s Spirit?  Press <Control>+D to bookmark this page 2010-2012 Marvin Glass, Inc. And now back to more great Southern Gospel Music!