SUNDAY August 2, 2020

God Sent His Son

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4

Listen to Paul as he masterfully taught how Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. He took upon himself a human body––but He never, ever sinned in His life! When Paul said, in the likeness of sinful flesh, Jesus took upon Himself the likeness of a sinful body, but He never sinned or lost His deity. He was always God.

On the Cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, once and for all. God literally condemned sin in the flesh. Paul explained our freedom by painting a beautiful picture for us to understand. He was a great illustrator of truth. Remember, he gave to us the symbolism in baptism to help us understand that going under the water is like a burial––dying with Christ. Coming out of the water, we are raised with Him in newness of life.

Paul explained how God sent His Son from out of all eternity to take on the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus tabernacled among us in human form; He looked just like us (John 1:14).Then Paul made a declaration of our deliverance through Christ’s death on the Cross. Believers can now walk freely, according to the Spirit––not to be controlled by the flesh! We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as Christians every day of our lives.

Walking in the Spirit is exercised through our daily conduct in the way we behave. Christians are to imitate Jesus Christ. We are His models in earthly vessels. Doing this, we prove to the world that Jesus came, died, rose again and empowered people by His Spirit. Believers confirm Jesus is real, the new birth is real, and when we die, the hope of heaven is real. Spirit-controlled Christians give hope to those who are lost in this world.

God has taken the attributes of his being — his love, his mercy, his holiness, his justice, his power — and has translated them into a form that men can understand, believe and respond to.
~Richard Bube~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!