 Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining class this morning. So while since you saw me, you saw me on Friday kong. Okay, I know that's been long time now. Yeah. Okay, so good morning everyone to see all of you. Welcome to class. Can one of you please lead us in prayer, please anyone like to lead us in prayer? All right, I'll pray. Thank you, have a seat. Heavenly Father, we thank you, our bless your name. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for the opportunity to go to study your word. Thank you for the gathering for this fellowship with God. We thank you that the words we have over here, we speak life to us and we'll bear fruit in us that we will take these words and go forth over them, preach the gospel and bring expansion to your kingdom. We sanctify our ears and we pray that you help us to open our minds to receive. Let the words of God that we hear be words from the throne of grace. Let us release in the God to your world this morning, this afternoon, this evening. I pray Holy Spirit that you will help us not just to be hearers of your word but also to be doers of your word. Thank you Father because we know at the end of this class we'll give you all the glory in Jesus much less than I pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much. Okay today we're going to be looking at the most beautiful chapter Romans 8. It's one of my favorite chapters, any of your favorite chapters anyone? Your favorite chapter is Romans 8, anyone? Romans 8 verse 1. Okay it's your favorite verse okay. Okay so it's my favorite chapters, one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible. Okay so we'll be looking at Romans chapter 8. Before we look at Romans chapter 8 we'll just recap a few things. Okay so in Romans chapter 5 and 6 Apostle Paul is introducing us to this whole truth of identification in Romans chapter 5. He presents to us how every human being is identified through Adam. Through Adam's sin came and also came condemnation and judgment and everything that leads to debt. And we know that Adam was a type of the real man who is to come that is Jesus Christ through whom you know Paul says we have received the free gift of God, we have received the gift of grace, righteousness, salvation, eternal life, the right standing in grace, the ability to rule and reign. We've received all this from Jesus Christ who he calls as the second Adam or the last Adam. Okay and in Romans 6 you know we see that Paul takes us into a deeper identification of who we are where he says you know we've been identified with Christ's death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension, his exaltation or seated at the right hand of the Father. He says all of this has meaning for us in the sense that these various steps you know has actually set us free from various aspects of the things that Adam put us into bondage or the various aspects of the things that Adam put us in bondage to. So he says being crucified you know we are set free from the power of sin, being buried he says we are set free from the old way of life that is Adam's life, being resurrected you know we are given a brand new life of God, we have the Zovia life, the very life of God, being raised up with Christ you know took us out of that place of influence of the darkness of this age and being seated up with Christ actually put us into a place of dominion and authority whereas you know Adam put us into subjection to sin, to sickness and to death okay. So the truth of identification you know is a complete reversal of what Adam put us in the fall and you know what Jesus purchased for us on the cross. So the main theme of Romans chapter 6 is that as believers we can live free from sin. Now in Romans chapter 7 you know Paul states a problem he says that there is weakness in the flesh and we know that the word flesh in the Bible is used in different contexts but in this context is talking about the evil desires of the body and the soul, the body and soul, soul means our mind, our will and our emotions. And then in Romans chapter 7, Paul is talking of himself as a man under the law where he does not have the life of God, he has every desire to keep the law and to please God but he finds there is a law in his members, in his body, in his soul, in his mind that's controlling him. So even though he wants to do what is good and what is pleasing to God and fulfill the law of God, he finds himself powerless in the struggle of sin and hence he calls it as the law of sin that is controlling him in his body again. And this is a state of every person who is unsaved and not living under God. And in verse 25 of Romans 7 Paul presents the answer to us and what is the answer? He says the answer is Jesus Christ. And then he brings us to Romans chapter 8 and we know that Romans chapter 8 is a very beautiful chapter for us as believers. It's telling us how we can live in the provision of the identification. Yes, we identify with Christ, we are in Christ but when we are identified with Christ, God has made a provision for us and how we can live in that provision. So what is the provision he's made for us? We have the gift of grace, we have the gift of righteousness, the salvation, eternal life, we have the ability to rule and reign, we have the right standing of grace with God and because of that standing, we learn all the benefits of our standing in grace. We also have the ability to rule and reign over every powers of darkness. We have peace with God, we are no longer enemies with God, we are children of God, we are sons of God and co-heirs with Christ Jesus. So all this is what we have received as our provision that God has given us as a provision because of our identification in Christ or with Christ and so you know in this chapter 8 he's telling us how we can live in the provision of identification. So when we look at identification in Romans 5 and 6, we also see God's provision that God has provided for us and God is saying you know I've done all this for you and I've provided all this for you through Jesus Christ but how do we live that experientially? How do we walk in this experientially? And Romans chapter 8 Paul tells us how we can walk in this experientially. So that's a brief recap and background to Romans chapter 8. So we'll begin with Romans chapter 8. So can somebody please read verses 1 to verse 11 please? Romans chapter 8 verses 1 to 11. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh by according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life to Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh. God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condensed sin in the flesh that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to this flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God that you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he is not his and if Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of his righteousness but if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Thank you Asha. So in Romans chapter seven you know Paul has been talking about life without Christ and life under the law. Now Paul in Romans chapter eight the apostle Paul is changing his focus to speaking about life in Christ and he says in Romans chapter seven he says he tells us his difficulty you know that he wants to do the good things and you know he's not able to do it and so he's talking here about how you know we can experientially walk in the provision that God has made based on our identification in Christ Jesus. Okay so he says that he's finding it difficult to do the good things he wants to do so how does he make this shift and he's talking about this in Romans chapter eight and verse one he says therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Okay now in these verses Paul is talking to those who are in Christ Jesus which means he's talking to believers so he says for those who are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation there is no accusation there is no charge that is brought against them or can be held up against them or against us as believers we are totally free from every condemnation now Paul is you know he knows what it it means to feel condemned because under the law you know Paul felt completely condemned how do we know this we get this sense when we read Romans chapter seven where he says you know oh wretched man that I am okay so he feels condemned under the law but you know when he starts this whole chapter where he's shifting his focus from the law to focusing on Jesus Christ and life in the spirit or life in Christ Jesus he's saying there is no condemnation and for him you know this this word there is no condemnation means a great a great you know it has great meaning it makes a world of a difference for him because you know under the law he is feeling so condemned because he says oh wretched man that I am you know I want to do what is good but I'm not able to do what I want to do I do not do what I don't want to do I do it and you know I'm not able to keep the law I'm not able to please God and so he Paul says you know the law highlights sin but leaves the person feeling condemned okay the the law shows us that we have sinned we have broken God's standard it highlights sin but it leaves the person feeling condemned but you know Paul is saying in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation in him okay but he says when we come in Christ you know we're completely free from these feelings of condemnations life in Christ sets us free from all condemnation so as believers we should not live under any guilt or condemnation we are free from it if a believer is you know feeling condemned all the time you know they have actually not understood their life in Christ you know we can hear sometimes believers praying oh God and such a sinner you know I've done this I have done that you know before he came to know you I was this and was that then you know all of that yes that's the truth but you know we moved on from there we focus on who we are in Christ now we focus on our blessings so you know if believers are constantly feeling condemned all the time then actually in one way not understood their life in Christ and they're still living their life under the Old Testament under the law mentality you know understand mentality and that is why they're always feeling you know judged condemned or accused but when we understand who we are in Christ when we understand our life in Christ we know that there is no condemnation and he says these people who are in Christ he says that they do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit he says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and who don't have this condemnation those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit now to walk you know Paul often uses this phrase we see this phrase he uses in Galatians he says walk in the spirit we also read this in Corinthians where he says walk in the faith you know and he's basically saying how we need to live our lives or how we need to conduct our lives we do not walk or we do not live or we do not conduct ourselves according to the flesh you know in accordance too means you know in alignment with or in subjection to the flesh we do not live like this but he says you know we are not dictated or controlled by the flesh but we are under the influence of the spirit so he says we're not you know in accordance means we're not in alignment or we're not in subjection to the flesh we are not dictated or controlled by the flesh we are not under the influence of the flesh this is not how we live but how do we live he says this is how we live habitually this is how life happens to for us we live in accordance which means we live in alignment we live in subjection we live under the influence or we live under the direction or the leading of the spirit okay so when we are in Christ you know we are no longer in condemnation but we are also not to be walking you know in accordance to the flesh but according to the spirit that means in accordance means you know we are we are in alignment we are in subjection we are under the influence the direction or the leading of the holy spirit so in in Galatians when he is talking about walk in the spirit you know it means he's saying live in the spirit or live in alignment in subjection to under the influence in the direction of the holy spirit which is again you know of Galatians chapter 5 which is a very beautiful chapter where he lists out the beads of the flesh and the the beads of the the fruit of the spirit and in Ephesians 5 you know he also talks about living the spirit filled life the same thing he talks about in Colossians chapter 3 so all these you know Galatians 5 Ephesians 5 Colossians 3 all these are like parallel chapters and he's reiterating the all apostle Paul is reiterating the same truth to different audiences and he's bringing out different facets of the life of the spirit so we can study all of these references in parallel but here in Romans chapter 8 he's saying walk according to the spirit okay in verse 2 he says what happens when we walk according to the spirit verse 2 he says for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death okay so he says the law of the spirit of life and he's talking also of the law of the spirit of sin and death so he's talking about the law of the spirit of life and the law of sin and death and these are terms that he's already used earlier we read in Romans chapter 7 verse 23 he says but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members so here he's referring to the law of sin in his members which means members means in his body and then he talks about the law of sin which is the influence that controls you know the dominion of sin and so the word law repeats in in verse 25 again he's he's spoken about it in verse 23 of chapter 7 he also mentions it in verse 25 chapter 7 where he says I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord so then with the mind I myself with the mind I myself serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin so again we see here he's presenting the law of you know of God he's presenting the law of sin and so you know he's saying that you know our flesh is subject to the law of sin in Romans chapter 7 verse 25 he's saying that you know the the flesh is subject to the law of sin which means it is subject to the control to the dominion to the influence of sin and the natural evil desires of his soul and body is controlled by sin and Romans chapter 8 verse 2 he's here talking about you know the law of the spirit of life he's already spoken about the law of sin we see that in chapter 7 law of death we've also seen that in chapter 7 now he's talking of the law of the spirit of life and when he's mentioning the law of the spirit of life he's not referring to the old testament law but when he's talking about the law of the spirit of life it means the control the dominion the influence of the spirit of life so the word law here basically means the control the dominion the influence of the spirit of life and notice the holy spirit here is referred to as the spirit of life so what Paul is saying here is very intentional you know he's saying that the law of sin produces death but the law of the spirit of life is giving me life can we say amen to that you know the law of sin produces death in us death in our in the members of our body but the law of the spirit of life that is a holy spirit who's dwelling in us indwelling in us who infills us is giving me life is giving you life so the control the dominion the influence of the spirit of life you know sets me free from the control the dominion the influence of sin what sin is producing death in my body so sin is producing death both spiritual and physical death you know also it's producing I said death remember the last class I said death also refers to decay to corruption you know body is decaying it's been corrupted and then we experience physical death and ultimately spiritual death but the spirit of life you know is setting us free from the control the dominion the influence of sin and death amen okay so in roman chapter eight verse two you know Paul is actually presenting to us the answer to the struggle that he has presented in roman chapter seven where he says you know I'm controlled by the law of sin in my body you know there's nothing I can do about it I want to do the good I'm not able to do it what I don't want to do that I do you know and you know who can help me and then he presents the answer here as well as he presented in Romans chapter seven verse 25 the end the last verse in that chapter where he says the answer is Jesus Christ here he presents to us again he says you know the answer is what is the answer Paul says is the Holy Spirit the spirit of life the Holy Spirit that sets me free from the control of sin and death that sin has been producing in me the Holy Spirit sets us free okay so for all of us so for all of us who are in Christ there is no condemnation so all of us who are in Christ were able to walk not in accordance to the flesh but in accordance to the spirit and the Holy Spirit liberates us the Holy Spirit sets us free completely from the control of sin and the result of sin which is death okay we move on to verse three where he says for what the law could not do in that it was weak to the flesh God did by sending his son his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh an account of sin he condemned sin in the flesh okay Paul is saying that the law couldn't help him to overcome the flesh the law told him what is right and what is wrong but the law did not give him the power to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh so saying what the law could not do in that it was weak to the flesh you know God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh an account of sin and he condemned sin in the flesh now this phrase in the likeness of sinful flesh okay you know God became man Jesus his body you know could have been because he came in the body he became like one of us he became like you and me his body you know could have been subjected to fleshly desires just like you and I have been you know but we know that he did not submit to any of that but he came in that same kind of body that you and I have that could be subjected to the desires of the evil desires of the flesh of the fleshly desires but we know that the son of God did not submit to any of the fleshly desires he never sinned and he never sinned but he condemned the sin in the flesh very powerful you know what Paul is presenting to us is so powerful he said he did not sin but he condemned sin in his flesh you know it means Jesus subdued he overcame he deprived sin of its power in his own body Jesus deprived sin of its power and sin had no power over him and you know in his body he broke the power of sin so in his body he broke the power of sin and he gained the victory over sin and death and you know he shares the victory with us so we also have the victory over sin and death so powerful and so beautifully Paul presents this for us and in verse 4 he says that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit again very beautifully presented he says that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us okay Jesus did the work he completed the work he condemned sin in his flesh uh he broke the power of sin in his flesh he won the victory he gave us the victory he shares his victory with us he did the work but who is walking in that victory it's you and I who is walking in that victory okay so he condemned sin in his body so that we will be able to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law so each one of us you know we can fulfill the righteous requirements of the law why because Jesus has won the victory on the cross he has condemned sin in his body so how do we fulfill the righteous requirements of the law uh you know he says we do not Paul says we do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit so Paul is saying this is God's answer to our problem what is God's answer to our problem when we walk according to the spirit in order to according to flesh we will fulfill the righteous requirements of the law and this is God's answer to us for our problem that you know he you know condemns sin in his body and you know because he condemns sin in his body we are able to keep the righteous requirements of the law the righteous requirements the law can be fulfilled in as a policy and this is God's answer to our problem so when we walk according to the spirit we fulfill the righteous requirements of the law so Paul's struggle in Romans 7 uh is finding its solution in Romans chapter 8 the answer is you know walk according to the spirit because a spirit is the one that sets us free from the law of sin and deck but how do we walk according to the spirit that is what you know Paul of course Paul is teaching us here in this chapter in the further verses okay so to walk according to the spirit he says we need to be spiritually minded we cannot be or we should not be carnally minded we need to be spiritually minded and it places before that you know we before us it places a choice that we make so we are constantly in a choice you know Paul says you know there's always a constant a war that is happening between the flesh and the spirit so we need to choose whether we want to be spiritually minded or we need we want to be carnally minded but if you want to walk according to the spirit if you want to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law then you have to walk according to the spirit and to walk according to the spirit we need to be spiritually minded we cannot be carnally minded so in verse 5 he says for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who live according to the spirit the things of the spirit okay so he says set their minds on the things of the flesh which means you know a person who is seeking after or a person who is pursuing after the things of the flesh but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit which means they are pursuing they are seeking after the things of the Okay, so here is a key on, you know, how do I live and walk according to the spirit or how do I live my life in subjection or in alignment to the Holy Spirit, who says we need to set our mind, set our mind means, you know, we need to are seeking our thinking, pursuing our affections, our desires should all be set on the things of the spirit and be consciously need to make the shit from setting our minds on the things of the flesh to setting our minds on the things of the spirit. When we set our minds on the things of the spirit, we will be finding ourselves walking in the spirit. And we read in, you know, when we look at Romans chapter 12, you know, we see that Paul comes back to the same point where he says do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So our minds need to be changed to think spiritually, to think spiritual things. So practically, you know, how do we set our minds on the things of the spirit, you know, one way that we can do to set our minds on the things of the spirit is we need to think aligned to the word of God every day of our life in every aspect of our life in every choice that we make a day in and day out. So for example, you know, for example, if we are going to work, you know, we're working in an office, you know, people go to work for different reasons, you know, but the basic reason is, you know, we go to earn money so that we can take care of our basic necessities. But people also work because they want to grow professionally, they want to enhance their skills, which is very good. But you know, a carnally minded person, when a carnally minded person goes to work, he's basically thinking how he can earn more money, whether he's doing business or, you know, whether he's working in a company, how he can earn money, how he can overtake others, how he can rise up other faster than others, how he can pull down others so that he can climb up the ladder of success. But a spiritually minded person, you know, things, you know, I want to glorify God in my work in, you know, the way I'm working, the way I'm spending my time, what time I come in, what time I go, what I do during my office hours, everything I want to be excellent, I want to honor God, I want to glorify God in my work. And, you know, I want to see how I can influence, you know, the kingdom of God in my workplace because, you know, the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, the spiritual dimension of the kingdom that we're living in now. And the kingdom of God is in us and the kingdom of God in and through us infiltrates, it permeates through, you know, every area of our life. So the kingdom authority, the kingdom power that God has given to us, it infiltrates, it permeates, it influences our environment. You know, we don't have to be under situations, we don't have to be overwhelmed, but we stand above it because, you know, God has given us a kingdom authority, that power to decree, to speak, to see his kingdom come, his will be done on earth, at least in heaven, in every area of our life, whether it's in our marriage, in our homes, in our finances, in our job. So, you know, a spiritually minded person is beginning to see how he can, you know, do something of, or bring something of meaning and food for God's kingdom in and through his job. And yes, he's doing the same mundane routine activities, but he's being spiritually minded. He's saying, I want to glorify God in my work. I want to fulfill God's purpose in what I'm doing. I want to bring kingdom values, kingdom principles, kingdom lifestyles, kingdom culture in this place that I'm living. I want to take up this mountain of business or this mountain of education or, you know, the mountain of family, wherever God has placed me, I want to bring in God's kingdom. I want God's kingdom to just prevail and to prevail through every aspect of this fear or this area or this mountain in my life. So, we see that, you know, the spiritually minded person is basically seeking, thinking, pursuing, and setting his affections and desires on the things of the spirit in his routine, everyday work of life. And because he's doing this, you know, he's going to be living or he's going to be walking in accordance to the spirit. So at his workplace, you know, you know, as he sees people doing different things, manipulating, fighting with each other, pushing down others, you know, gossiping, backbiting. He's not hassled about, you know, how to climb up the ladder of success to get to the top. He knows God is his promoter, God is his rewarder. Yes, he's going to work hard. He's going to be excellent in what he's doing. He wants God to bless his work. Of course, he wants to climb up the ladder of success. But in his mind, he's not out doing the other person. He doesn't want to put down the other person. He doesn't want to climb over them to reach up to the top. And whatever he has in mind, he's doing his work. He wants it to glorify God. So this is just one basic example that, you know, how we see a kindly minded person and how we see a spiritual minded person, things and lives. You know, so we see that, you know, the person who is spiritually minded, you know, he's living according to the spirit in his workplace. He's not worried about what people are doing behind his back. He's not retaliating. But he's just walking loud, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, exhibiting the fruit of the spirit. Why? Because he set his mind about and he's walking in the spirit. So, you know, to walk according to the spirit, we have to be spiritual minded in every area of our lives. Again, when we come to verse six, he says, For to be kindly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So here Paul is basically making a contrast here. This is what he's telling a believer saying, if you are kindly minded, what is the outcome? The outcome is death. So here he's not talking to a person under the law, but he's talking to a believer. So he's saying, he's telling the believer here that if you are kindly minded, what is the outcome? The outcome is death. But if you're spiritually minded, what is the outcome? The outcome is life and peace. And verse seven he says, Because the conan mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So Paul is saying that a believer, if you are kindly minded, then there's going to be death, you know, death working in you, death working in the members of your body. He says that you are an enmity with God. He says then you are not subject to the law of God. And he says, nor can you be. So he's talking about the conan minded, what is the result of a conan minded person? He says enmity against God, you know, death is going to be working in the members of his body. And he says that, you know, the person is not subject to the law of God. And verse eight he says, So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And these are very strong words that he uses. In our parallel structure, we read in James chapter four verse four. So again, all of us can turn in our Bibles to James chapter four verse four, please. Can somebody read James chapter four verse four? Thank you, Asha. So here, you know, he's saying that those who are friends with the world or those who live their lives, you know, pleasing the desires of the world or the conan nature, he says they are enmity with God. Okay. So the same thing here, you know, he says if you are walking in a conan mind, you are an enemy of God, you cannot do what is right. You cannot be subject to the law of God. You cannot please God, which does not mean that God is going to disown us. Or neither does it mean that God is going to say, I don't like you. I don't or I don't love you anymore. No, because in Christ, you know, God loves us. He's merciful. He loves us. He accepts us. His love for us will never change. We are always his sons and his daughters, you know, we are hairs of his kingdom, you know, but yes, sin, you know, hurts or grieves the very heart of God, grieves the Holy Spirit that is living in us. But you know, it says, but if we live our life pleasing to the conan nature, then that is working in us. We are enemies of God. You know, we are going one way where God is asking us to go the other way. So we are constantly, we are in two different directions. And when we are going our own way and God wants us to go in a different way, we know that we cannot please God through our life. Now, we can ask or we can think, you know, why is it when, you know, God has made all these wonderful provisions that we looked at in chapter five and six and chapter seven, the wonderful provisions that God has made for us as because of the truth of our identification or because of our identification in Christ. When God has made all of these provisions, which I also mentioned in the beginning of this class, why is it that so many believers are still living such defeated lives? Why is there still debt at work in them? Why is it that they are going in an opposite direction? This is talking about believers. Why is they're going? Why is it they're going in an opposite direction when God wants them to go in a different direction? Why is it that they're living lives that does not please God? And the answer for all of this is for those believers who are, you know, not living the truth of their identification. We don't see the provision of God, the provision of God is made because of their identity in Christ. We see them going in a different direction. We see that debt is still working in that and in the members of their body. We see that they're not living their lives to please God. Why is it that happens is because the answer is that believers are still carnally minded. They are setting their minds on pleasing and satisfying the evil desires of the flesh of the body and soul. And that is being carnally minded. And this is actually more important for them than setting their minds on the things of their spirit. They're enjoying, you know, feeding their car in nature. They're enjoying pleasing and satisfying the evil desire of the flesh, you know, than setting their minds on the things of the spirit. So we need to ask ourselves, you know, what are we thinking, desiring and pursuing? Where is our thoughts? Where is our desires? Where is what we are pursuing? Are we thinking, desiring and pursuing the things of the flesh? Then we are carnally minded. Or are we thinking, pursuing and desiring the things of the spirit? And we do, you know, we are, we are spirit minded. We are setting our minds on things of the spirit. So the believer's life is thinking, desiring and constantly pursuing the things of the spirit. Paul says the believer will enjoy a life of peace. So if you're saying, well, there's no peace in my life, then you need to ask this question. You know, what are you thinking, desiring and pursuing? Is it thinking, desiring, pursuing the things of the flesh, the evil desires, the carnally nature, or the things of the spirit? Okay, so if you are pursuing the things of the spirit, he says the believer will enjoy a life of peace. He will be friends of God and he will please God. If my thinking, my desiring and my pursuing is how I can desire the evil desires of my flesh as a believer, then I will just see death at work in me. Okay, there will be brokenness, pain, depression, fear, anxiety, every kind of sickness, pain. That's just because we are so focused on seeking, desiring and pleasing the evil desires of our flesh. So so important for us to move, to make that shift from being carnally minded to being spiritually minded. And we need to get our fellow believers from making that transition, from moving, making that shift from being carnally minded to being spiritually minded. Otherwise, all that God has done for us on the cross, all the wonderful promises and blessings that he's given to us, everything will just be in this book. It will just be in our Bible and we won't be able to experience anything and all of these things will just be like words to us. It will just be like, oh, I can't do it. Sin is dead in my body. I don't believe that. And we'll come to that state. So we need to pursue, to be spiritually minded and not carnally minded. What's nine, he says, but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. So Paul is telling the believers they're not to be living according to the flesh, but the spirit. Why? Because the spirit of God dwells in us. We know that when we're born again, the spirit comes and dwells in us forever. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have no excuse to live in the flesh, but to live in the spirit. He says you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. And this is the life of the believer. The life of a believer is that he's not in the flesh. He is in the spirit. In the spirit means living out of the spirit. You know, a nice analogy that we can use is that of a fish living in water. Now, a fish living in water, its life is in the water. I'm sure you've all seen when a fish, you know, when the net is cast and the fish are gathered, you know, and it's pulled out of the water. What happens to fish? It's basically wriggling and struggling to breathe, to survive. And it cannot die in the environment that we are living in, you know, because its environment is the water. Its life comes from the water. Likewise, you know, we believers need to live in the spirit. We need to be in that spirit. That is the environment that gives us life. That is the environment that can help us to live, you know, not calmly minded, but spiritually minded. So how is this possible? You know, how can a believer live spiritually minded? How can he live in the spirit? It's possible because of the spirit of God who's indwelling in me, the spirit of God who lives in me. And because the spirit of God, because the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is called the spirit of life. Because the spirit of life is living in me. My life is coming from the Holy Spirit who's living in me because he's a spirit of life. He gives life. So our life, our existence, our strength is drawn out from the spirit of God that is dwelling in me. Just like, you know, the existence of a fish is drawn out of the water that it is living in. So my life is coming from the spirit of God who is also the spirit of life. Who is the giver of life? Okay. What's then says, and if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. So in verse seven, he says the spirit of Christ is in you. What's then he says Christ is in you. And here we see a title for the Holy Spirit. He's calling it as a spirit of Christ. Okay, the spirit of Christ. It means all who are in Christ is, all who are, all who, sorry. It means all who Christ is, you know, is the Holy Spirit is in you and is in me, all who are in Christ. You know, we have the Holy Spirit who is in us and the Holy Spirit brings Jesus to you and he brings us life, but he also brings Jesus to you and me. Okay. So we stop here because it's time up. Anyone has any questions? Anyone has any questions? We'll continue with verse 10 onwards on Friday, but anyone has any questions now? Okay, see you all on Friday then. Thank you all for joining class. Have a blessed day. And please read Romans chapter eight, you know, take hold of what the provisions that is made for us based on our truth of our identification and what the Holy Spirit can do in us and speak the life of God into your life, into your circumstances, into your situation. Thank you everyone.