Key Scriptures: Romans 8:5-11
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 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.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
.
Lesson One: A mind controlled by the flesh vs. A mind controlled by the Spirit.
Controlled by the flesh
Ease
Selfishness
Pleasure
Control
Unforgiveness
.
Controlled by the Spirit
Operational power in the context of a body for the purpose of making Jesus known in all the earth.
.
Lesson Two: How the Spirit works in our lives.
*He gives the ability to overcome the desires of the flesh.
Romans 8:10-11, But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
*He gives us a brand-new identity.
Romans 8:16, The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
*He helps us to remain focused on future glory.
Romans 8:17, Now if we are children then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
*He helps us in our weakness.
Romans 8:26, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
*He seals us in the victory of Christ.
Romans 8:37-39, No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
.
Lesson Three: How we activate the operational power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Complete surrender
Daily intentionality
Obedience in the moment