<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Romans 8;4<div><br></div><div>8;3b. &nbsp;He (the Triune God) condemned sin in the flesh, (of Jesus)</div><div><b>4. &nbsp;in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk&nbsp;not according to the flash, but according to the Spirit.</b><br><br>It is of utmost importance for us to carefully read this verse.</div><div><br></div><div>The reason Jesus died, is <u>not</u>&nbsp;simply so that we may be forgiven, or so that our names might be written in the&nbsp;Book of Life. (Revelation 20;12) &nbsp;(I like to refer these truths as God’s ‘Transactional Gospel.’).&nbsp;It is solely by Christ becoming sin for us, that we have become, <i>“the righteousness of God.” &nbsp; </i>We do not make ourselves righteous. &nbsp;God has done that in us who have received the gift of faith and&nbsp;been baptized into&nbsp;Christ. &nbsp;(see,&nbsp;Romans 3;21-27)</div><div><br></div><div>The full reason Christ died is what we read today, so that, “<i>the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled&nbsp;</i></div><div><u>in us, <b>who walk</b>&nbsp;not according to the flesh, </u><b>but according to the Spirit.”</b>&nbsp; &nbsp;This is what I refer to as&nbsp;<i></i></div><div>‘Transformational Gospel.’ &nbsp;It is Paul way of explaining to&nbsp;us what the <i>“Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” </i>is.</div><div><br></div><div>When Paul says that, <i>“the law might be fulfilled </i><u>in us, who walk.”</u>&nbsp; &nbsp;He is referring to our present,&nbsp;<span>earthly lives of good works&nbsp;of holiness and righteousness, which&nbsp;God has prepared for us (to actually live out)&nbsp;from before the foundations of the world. &nbsp;(Ephesians 2;10)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>These lives are lived <i>“in Christ Jesus.”</i>&nbsp; &nbsp;We have been made one with Jesus indwelling us&nbsp;by the Spirit and the Word. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>You and I (even though we believe in Christ’s death and resurrection and have been baptized)&nbsp;have not the power or strength <u>in ourselves</u></span><span>&nbsp;to “</span><u>live for the praise of His glory,</u><span>” sacrificially </span><span>denying ourselves and following Jesus in paths of righteousness. &nbsp; (This is what Paul complains of in Romans 7)&nbsp;But, Jesus indwelling us by Word and Spirit does!</span></div><div><span>In Christ by the Spirit,&nbsp;we <u>can</u>&nbsp;do what the forgiven,&nbsp;flesh cannot do. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Therefore, if we turn our eyes from pornography, if we put God first in our financial planning, if we love our enemies and pray for them, if we devotedly read God’s Word daily, meditate&nbsp;on it, memorizing it, if we are compassionate, faithful, joyful and thankful&nbsp;in all circumstances, <u>it is not <b>we</b>&nbsp;who do it</u>, but Christ indwelling us, empowering us.</span></div><div><span><i>“…I worked harder than any of them</i>&nbsp;(the other apostles), <u>though it was not&nbsp;</u></span><u>I, but the grace of God which is with me.”</u><b>&nbsp; </b><span>(1 Corinthians 15;10b)</span></div><div><span><u></u></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Paul attributes all his good works to the <i>“grace of God” </i>and claims nothing as&nbsp;</span><span>coming from himself, that is his flesh.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This is why Galatians 2;20 is&nbsp;such a foundational verse for us all.</span></div><div><span><i>“I have been crucified with Christ;&nbsp;</i>(baptism) <i>it is no longer I who live, but <u>C</u><u>hrist who lives in me</u>; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,&nbsp;who loved me and gave himself for me.”</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>We must not let this verse be only a historical reference to the crucifixion. &nbsp;If we do, then the Gospel becomes only ‘Transactional.” &nbsp; But if we allow, <i>“gave Himself for me” &nbsp;</i>to be&nbsp;in the present, then, the Gospel becomes ‘Transformational’ and we are now able,&nbsp;by faith in Christ, presently indwelling us, to</span></div><div><span><i>“walk according to the Spirit.” &nbsp;</i>We truly, actually, are manifesting Christ in His holiness,&nbsp;righteousness, and love to be seen in this world. &nbsp; <i>“You shall be holy, for I the LORD you God am holy.” &nbsp;</i>(Leviticus 19;2)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise You that <u>“the Law of the Spirit of Life </u><u><b>in Christ Jesus, </b>&nbsp;<b>has&nbsp;</b>set us free from the </u><b>&nbsp;</b>law of sin and death.” &nbsp;(Romans 8;2) &nbsp; By the Word and Spirit, we are able to, <i>“walk in newness of life” </i>(Romans 6;4) <i>“dead to sin” </i>(see, Romans 6;11-14)&nbsp;living out the lives of&nbsp;good works You have prepared for us. &nbsp;We praise You that <i>“we have died, and our lives are now hidden with&nbsp;Christ in </i>(You)<i>God.” </i>(Colossians 3;3) &nbsp;We pray, keep us broken, contrite, dead to self and sin, and alive to You dear Father, in Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.”</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Romans 8;4
8;3b.  He (the Triune God) condemned sin in the flesh, (of Jesus)4.  in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flash, but according to the Spirit.

It is of utmost importance for us to carefully read this verse.
The reason Jesus died, is not simply so that we may be forgiven, or so that our names might be written in the Book of Life. (Revelation 20;12)  (I like to refer these truths as God’s ‘Transactional Gospel.’). It is solely by Christ becoming sin for us, that we have become, “the righteousness of God.”   We do not make ourselves righteous.  God has done that in us who have received the gift of faith and been baptized into Christ.  (see, Romans 3;21-27)
The full reason Christ died is what we read today, so that, “the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”   This is what I refer to as ‘Transformational Gospel.’  It is Paul way of explaining to us what the “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” is.
When Paul says that, “the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk.”   He is referring to our present, earthly lives of good works of holiness and righteousness, which God has prepared for us (to actually live out) from before the foundations of the world.  (Ephesians 2;10)
These lives are lived “in Christ Jesus.”   We have been made one with Jesus indwelling us by the Spirit and the Word.  
You and I (even though we believe in Christ’s death and resurrection and have been baptized) have not the power or strength in ourselves to “live for the praise of His glory,” sacrificially denying ourselves and following Jesus in paths of righteousness.   (This is what Paul complains of in Romans 7) But, Jesus indwelling us by Word and Spirit does!In Christ by the Spirit, we can do what the forgiven, flesh cannot do.  
Therefore, if we turn our eyes from pornography, if we put God first in our financial planning, if we love our enemies and pray for them, if we devotedly read God’s Word daily, meditate on it, memorizing it, if we are compassionate, faithful, joyful and thankful in all circumstances, it is not we who do it, but Christ indwelling us, empowering us.“…I worked harder than any of them (the other apostles), though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.”  (1 Corinthians 15;10b)
Paul attributes all his good works to the “grace of God” and claims nothing as coming from himself, that is his flesh.
This is why Galatians 2;20 is such a foundational verse for us all.“I have been crucified with Christ; (baptism) it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
We must not let this verse be only a historical reference to the crucifixion.  If we do, then the Gospel becomes only ‘Transactional.”   But if we allow, “gave Himself for me”  to be in the present, then, the Gospel becomes ‘Transformational’ and we are now able, by faith in Christ, presently indwelling us, to“walk according to the Spirit.”  We truly, actually, are manifesting Christ in His holiness, righteousness, and love to be seen in this world.   “You shall be holy, for I the LORD you God am holy.”  (Leviticus 19;2)
Prayer:  Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise You that “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,  has set us free from the  law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8;2)   By the Word and Spirit, we are able to, “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6;4) “dead to sin” (see, Romans 6;11-14) living out the lives of good works You have prepared for us.  We praise You that “we have died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in (You)God.” (Colossians 3;3)  We pray, keep us broken, contrite, dead to self and sin, and alive to You dear Father, in Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.”

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