In the realm of sports, you can tell by the way a coach coaches his team, whom he learned from or whom he studied from. In the case of Eric Mangini (Cleveland Browns head coach), you can tell he learned some of his coaching tendencies from Bill Belechick (New England Patriots head coach) because he served as a coordinator under Belechick for years. In a Belechick system, you know his focus is defense and in turn, so is Mangini's focus, defense. In the case of former head coach Mike Holmgren, you can tell he learned his coaching tendencies from former head coach Bill Walsh. In a Walsh system, you knew his focus was the West Coast offense and in turn, so was Holmgren's. If you were to flip this thing spiritually, you can identify those who follows after our Heavenly Father and you can identify those who do not. How do you know? Let today's text bless you and provide clarity.
Our focus book for today is the epistle, written by the Apostle Paul, to the Romans. Of the thirteen epistles/letters written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, Romans, along with 1 Corinthians, are the longest, chapter wise, with sixteen chapters. Romans was written to proclaim the glory of Jesus through the teaching of doctrine, edification, and encouraging those who would receive this epistle. Aren't you blessed to receive some encouragement and edification along this Christian journey? Within today's focal chapter, we see Paul discussing life through the Spirit, the future glory, and being more than conquerors. Within Paul's discussion of life through the Spirit is where we understand how you identify who you follow.
Paul begins this text by saying, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires". In other words, when one falls into this category, you see the acts of their "sinful nature" in action through their lifestyle. These things include pride, idolatry, whoremongering, hatred, envy, jealousy, backbiting, tattling, and other things. Paul, in his letter to the church at Galatia, Galatians 5:19 - 21, allows us to understand the characteristics of one that resides in the sinful nature. As you identify those with these characteristics and attributes, then you know they live a life conducive to their sinful nature.
Then, Paul comes back and concludes the text by telling us about those who follow after the Spirit. He tells us that, "but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires". If truth were told, this piece ought to be applicable to all of us on today. When we live in accordance in the Spirit, we ought to be in tune what He desires, whether if it is serving your brother and sister, whether if it is praying for someone, whether if it is encouraging someone through the Word, whether if it is edifying your brother/sister to do better, whatever the Spirit needs from you and me, we ought to be doing it! If we are doing what the Spirit, then people can see who you follow, see the Father that shines in us and from that, He can get the glory (Matthew 5:16) out of our lives!
In closing, we all ought to have the tendencies of our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Through the viewing of these tendencies on Earth, men can see that you are men/women of God and that you follow Him with great respect and love! Can anyone you hang around identify the God in you?
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