Living in the Spirit
May 25, 2018
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1-17
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
So then, brothers and sisters, 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. –Romans 8:9-17
What are we afraid of? Are we questioning whether there really is a God, a God of love who longs for the well-being of all? Are we afraid that evil has finally overwhelmed good? Or are we afraid to take the next steps toward making the Kingdom of God a reality in our world today?
The Spirit stirs the water when we become complacent to our call to make disciples of all. It is not a call to see who can baptize the most people in any given year. Making disciples is not the equivalent of selling the most cookies in a fundraiser. Making disciples is living a way of life that wants the best for everyone as established by the life and example of Jesus Christ. We should all cringe in remorse when we hear something like what Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Are we afraid to let go of the lesser gods we seem to cling to personal safety, good families, friendly neighbors most who look and act just like us, and value the same things we do? We even extend ourselves to accepting others who are willing to reshape their lives to be like us. Our goal is not for everyone to be like us but for us to be like Christ and for everyone to see the Christ in us.
I have believed for some time now that our governments at all levels are mirror reflections of their citizens. Not a pretty picture wouldn’t you say? What do you think our governments would be like if our lives reflected Christ’s ways?
You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes,
From the bondage of sorrow the captives dream dreams;
Our women see visions, our men clear their eyes,
With bold new decisions your people arise*.
Prayer:
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness
Blow through the wilderness, calling and free.
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
*. Amen.
*Fourth verse with the chorus as the Prayer of the hymn Spirit by James K. Manley, as found in the Chalice Hymnal on page 249. Published by Chalice Press, St. Louis Missouri.