ROMANS 8:12

“So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—”

Sometimes when you see, hear or read something, the real meaning does not come across. In this day of AI, we have to be extremely careful not to believe our first glances of things. What may appear to be real may actually not be true. That principle applies to Scripture as well. You need to look closely at the text and the context of the verse to get the full meaning.

That certainly applies to today’s verse. If you just read this verse by itself, you might think Paul is saying “we are under obligation…to live according to the flesh.” How preposterous is that? Paul would never tell us to do that. He had just been telling us how we are to live in the Spirit. That’s the context (read verses 8:9-11). Our obligation has shifted from death through the flesh to life through the Spirit.

APPLICATION

The Topical Lexicon says, “Believers no longer owe allegiance to fallen desires; their new debt is to live in step with the Spirit who secured their adoption.” Paul tells us in Colossians 2:14 that Christ is the One who has changed our obligation. “having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” That old debt or obligation is dead. Praise the Lord.

I think it’s interesting that the same word used here for “obligation” is used also in Matthew 6:12 where Jesus taught the disciples to pray. He said, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God has wiped away every debt we ever owed or will owe through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. All we have to do is receive it and follow Him.

What are you in debt to right now? I don’t mean your mortgage or car loan. I mean what do you feel indebted to besides the Spirit of God? We should have no other debtor besides Him. As Paul says in today’s verse. We are not under obligation to the flesh or anything connected to it. We are in debt to the Spirit of God within us. Live like it.

Thank You for freeing me from the debt of sin and giving me a fresh start through Your Spirit.

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