 As I'm audible and clear. Thank you so much. Okay, so before we could begin with our session today, what we covered in last class, what did we cover in last class? We covered, we discussed on the crucification of Christ. We also discussed on the four points. We have been identified in the crucification of Christ and then buried with Christ, resurrected with Christ and then the fourth one been raised into the heavenly realm with Christ and we are seated at the right hand, the Father in Christ. So we know our identity and a position. So I, along with this identity and position, we have certain authority. Okay, so keeping that in mind, we are moving on to the next chapter. We are on page 66. We can turn to page 66. Section 6 talks about the spirit of life in Christ. We are going to talk about our life in Christ, the spirit of life in Christ. So even before I could start, let's begin the session with a word of prayer. Father, we thank You. Time and again, Lord, we are able to come into Your presence with heart of thanks and praise. Lord, I lift up each and every student from our class into Your hands. We pray that You will give us the mind of understanding. Lord, You'll open our mind where we can understand the hidden secrets of Your Word. We can identify ourselves in Your Father. We know the inheritance that we have in You, O Lord. Father, as we discussed on various aspects that we have been identified in You, I pray for the clarity in sharing Your Word. And also, we pray that You will give each of us the understanding of Your Word. Father, I pray that You will open our mind and our hearts and our hearts be prepared as a good ground, Lord, to receive Your Word. Thank You, Lord, for doing it so. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen. Okay, so in this session today, we're going to discuss on the spirit of life. So let's turn our Bibles to Romans chapter 8. We're going to discuss on various verses from this one chapter. So I request everyone to turn to Romans chapter 8 and we will go verse by verse, okay, to understand better. So when we say that when we receive Jesus as a Lord and Saviour, we have been born as a new creation. We have been identified in Christ and we have this newness of life in Christ. So this new and the wonderful life that we have in Christ has been much more presented well by Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 8. Okay, so where we can see there's life in the spirit and there's also life in flesh. So we're going to see the contrast between life in the spirit and life in the flesh and how we can understand better and how we can apply it and how we can feed the life in the spirit so that we can inherit all the blessings that the scripture has for us. The God has for each of us. Okay, so let's read verse 1. Romans chapter 8 verse 1. Thank you, Anand. So what we read here is there is therefore now no condemnation. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. You see there's a condition there. There is no condemnation only when you don't walk according to the flesh or there is no condemnation when we walk according to the spirit. So when you're it's a simple declaration of no condemnation that comes to those who are in Christ Jesus. So when we are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation. Why? Because we have this newness of life in us. In last class we studied that the old body, the old nature, the sinful nature, the flesh nature is dead in Christ. And now when something is dead there is no power, isn't it? No matter what special food we prepare and we keep near the dead person and we tell him, hey come on get up, eat. Can he eat? No, because he's been dead to it. The same way we need to believe. We need to believe the old nature, the old nature that was in us as no more power in us now. Why? Because we are in Christ now. When we are in Christ the old nature has no power over us. There's no power. It has lost its grip. Now how does that happen? We need to renew our mind. We need to believe on what the scripture says because the word of God has the power. The word has the power to remove, that does not belong to him, his nature and renew us. Get this fruit of the Spirit grow in us. So that can only happen when we renew our mind and allow the Spirit of the Lord to work in and through us. So here it says, so God the Father does not condemn Jesus. Does God condemn Jesus? Does the scripture tells that way? No. So God does not condemn Jesus. Now because God does not condemn Jesus, we who have been identified in Christ, we who have been inside Christ are not been condemned by the Father because when the Father sees us, He sees Jesus in us. Did you get that? Now we are identified in Jesus. This is what John 15 says, right? When you abide in me, I abide in you. We become one in Christ. We need to believe that. We are one in Christ and we are not alone. So because the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can the Father condemn those who are in Christ. So there's no condemnation when we are in Christ Jesus. You got it? There is no condemnation when we are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because when Father looks at us, He looks Jesus in us. He looks Jesus through us. So Paul here refers, the very start of this verse, you see there is called something called therefore. That means there's something before that. We need to look into it. So Paul, Paul's therefore, Paul mentioning here, therefore means that is there is something important in the scripture. We need to look into it. So what is that? It means that what he says comes from a very logical argument or there is a beginning. He begins saying, I can prove what I say here. So this is what he proves. If we are one with Jesus, he is our head. You got it? If we are one with Jesus, he is our head. We give him the importance. We give him the priority. So we cannot be condemned. So in Christ, the phrase introduces that there is a mystical and a spiritual union here between the Christ and the believer. What is that? Sometimes we express Christ being in them. That is Christ in us. But here, in this verse, if you see, we are in Christ. We are inside Christ. You got it? We are inside Christ. The last class, I gave you an illustration of a blazer. When we wear blazer, the blazer surrounds us. Yes or no? Same way, we have been inside Christ. So we insert Christ in us. You know, we have been inserted in Christ. So when Father looks at us, he looks at Christ and then we are inside him. You got it? So Christ is inside every believer by his spirit and believers are in Christ by faith. You got it? We are in Christ. John 15 says, as I abide in you and you abide in me, we are one. So when Father looks at us, he looks at Jesus. And that's why Paul says here, there is no condemnation. Why? Because Father is not condemning Jesus. Because now Father seen Jesus in us, he cannot condemn us. And he can see Jesus in and through us. So who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit? The scripture says we do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. What happens? We do not perceive the things at which we were doing before. But now because we are in Christ, we do things that pleases God. We do not take the grace of God for granted. Right? The old nature. And here we do things that pleases God. So what is this flesh nature according to the flesh? What does Paul talks about the flesh? What does it mean? Anyone from the online the scripture verse 1 says, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit? What does Paul mean by this? Flesh is nothing but a nature, an old man. So here Paul is very clearly saying that we do not follow the old nature or we do not walk according to our flesh but according to the new man, the spirit of the Lord. We heed to him and we walk according to him. That's why there is no condemnation because the law of the spirit of life, the scripture says, let me read that, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, we are in verse 2. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free, has set me free from it, from whom? From the law of sin and death. So what is this law of sin and death means? Anyone in the class? Law of sin and death, suppression, okay, suppression of our condemnation from the wrongs that we do. We are feeling guilty, we have been condemned by the nature, by the old nature what we go through, yes. So we see the law of sin and death is something very strong and it is the absolute law but we see that every sin that we commit in every cemetery, cemetery that we see proves that there is a law of sin and death because the scripture also says the wages of sin is death but the law of spirit is life, enduring life, eternal life. How? Because we have it in Christ and that is much stronger than the law of sin and death. So the law of spirit frees us from the law of sin and death because that is much stronger because Jesus conquered death. He has victory over the death and He has rose again. He has been seated at the right hand of the Father. He has conquered it. So through Christ we have the victory. So the law of the spirit which is much stronger frees us from the law of sin and death. That we will move on to the next scripture. It says free from the law of sin and then we will move on free from the law of death. We move on to verse 4 and 5. It talks about walking according to the spirit of life. How can we walk according to the spirit of life? How can we walk according to the spirit of life? How can we walk according to the spirit of life? Anyone in the class? We see in verse 3. Can anyone read verse 3? Thank you. Thank you. So verse 3 says, Romans chapter 8 verse 3 says, For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. But God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh. He condemned sin in the flesh. So what do we see here? You see the law cannot do many things. Why? What are the things the law can do? The law can guide us, instruct us, share knowledge, teach us. The law can tell us about God's character, right? The Ten Commandments. Law can tell us about God's character. But sorry, yeah, what is right from wrong? The law can teach us, guide us and tell us God's character. But the law cannot give energy to our flesh. The law cannot give life to our flesh. The law can give us the standard to live, but it cannot give us the power to please God. You got it? Because it will condemn us. Hey, you have done wrong. This is not right, isn't it? So this is where a scholar called Morris Manson is quoting. Moses' law has right, but not might. Moses' law has right, but not might. Sin's law has might, but not right. Again I repeat, right? Moses' law has right, but not might. Sin's law has might, but not right. Again, the law of the spirit, the law of the spirit has both right and might. I'll post that quote for you all. It is posted on the chat for an understanding. Yeah, so Moses' law has a right, but not might. And sin's law, sin's law has might, but not right. But the law of the spirit has both right and might. Here we see, though we see in the scripture, the law is weak to us because we are weak to it. The sun cannot give light to the blind eyes. Can the sun give light to the blind eyes? Not from any impotency in itself, but from the incapacity of the subject it shines upon. So in that, it was that weak through the flesh. So in the scripture, when it says weak through the flesh, that means the law is weak because it speaks about flesh. So it comes to fleshy men and speaks to them as fleshy men. But when the work of the spirit transforms us how? How? By the crucification of the old man and it imparts the new man, a principle higher than the flesh. When our old man is dead, we have the new man risen in us and he has much power, much potential than the old man. The old man is a sinful man, is related to the flesh. But the new man is a spirit man who's been connected to the new life in Christ and he is much stronger than the old person. That's why Paul clearly says your old nature is gone, is dead and the new man, the newness in you has much power than the old man. The enemy may come and remind you, hey, these are the things that cannot leave you. But then you remind the enemy, the old nature that is in me is dead and that has no power and I'm in the spirit and Jesus is in me. The scripture also says greater is he who's in me than he that is in the world. So every time the temptation knocks at your mind you need to remind him just like how Jesus said it is written. Tell the scripture to him and he will flee from you. Remind yourself the new nature that is in Christ in you because he is much greater, he is much powerful and he does things that pleases God and he helps you to focus on what God has called you. That's nothing but the Holy Spirit who's in dwelling with us. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us will lead us to be more like Jesus. Be more like Jesus. So walking according to the spirit of life is intentional. We need to make a decision that I'm not going to give power to the nature of my flesh but then I'm going to walk in the spirit. I'm going to walk in the newness of life. It is the decision that we make so that we can cultivate the spirit to be spiritually minded. We can renew our mind and lead our life that pleases God. So with that we will move on to the next scripture verse 9 to be led in the spirit. What it means to be led in the spirit? So we read in Romans chapter 8 verse 9 but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit. 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 as very clear but if you are not in the flesh that means you're in the spirit. The new nature, the newness of God is in you. If indeed the spirit of God dwells in you that means the spirit of God. When we receive Jesus as a Lord and Savior, you see the spirit of the Lord in dwelling with us. He who dwells in us will lead us by ministering to us. So what happens is as per Galatians chapter 5 verse 6 and 24, we see that when the spirit of the Lord is in dwelling in us, we walk in the spirit. We have this new life in him where we desire to please God. So when we desire to please God, we start living in the spirit. That means we try to heal to the spirit, we try to listen to him, we try to please God in every area of our life. So let's move on to verse 12 and 13. Same chapter Romans 8 verse 12 and 13 says, therefore brethren 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. So what is it? Much before that verse, we also read in Romans 7, 20 to 25. Romans 7 verse 20 to 25. What does it say? Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I would do it but sin that dwells in me. See that? Talking about the weakness that we have. Paul is you know very practical, is very practical. I know what is right and I know what is wrong but then though I desire to do the right things but because my flesh is weak I land up doing that is not right in God's sight. So here you see, I find in the law that evil is present with me. The one who wills to do good. Next verse, for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. So what we see? Anyone who has tried to being good can understand this. Isn't it? It is always a struggle. It's always a struggle for us because we are striving. We are striving to be good, to please God but then the more and more I try, I tend to fail. Why? Because we are still the human nature. This is what Paul is also saying in chapter 7, Romans chapter 7 he's saying do I know right from wrong? Do I know what pleases God? I desire to do the will of God. I have this desire but then more and more I try, I fail. But then there is a war against the law of mind and you know brings me into captivity to the law of sin. So what he's trying to tell you? Paul is stating our old man, the old nature. We are not forgotten right? We know, we remember and he is real man but we need to remember the old man is dead. He has no power. So the flesh is not real. The flesh is destined to pass away but when we are in Christ it has the power to be resurrected. So this new man, the new nature what we have in Christ, that nature is real. Because that carries life. That carries life in Christ and now Paul challenges us to live life pleasing God. Because God has given us the grace, God is giving us the strength and we are not alone. He's saying when we strive to please God with your own strength is then when you fail. But when you take the help of the Spirit who is living inside you, you see the strength to overcome that old nature. You can overcome that old nature. How? By renewing our mind and knowing that the old man is dead and you know the new man. You have this newness of life in Christ with the new and that has the strength, that has the power to overcome this old nature. So there is a war that happens. There's always a battle in our mind but you need to overcome that battle by the Word. You need to overcome the battle knowing that Christ lives in you. By knowing we can overcome the battle. Why? Because there is power in this new life. There is power in the new man. That's why the Word says greater is he who's in you. Greater one is in you. You are not alone. You are much stronger, much bigger, much capable than what we can think of us. So in the verse, he also says, Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body. We are still in Romans chapter 7 says, Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me? Who can deliver me from this body? Because it is a recurring. Sometimes you think I don't want to do but you see time and again the temptation comes to keep falling, failing. So we see in the ancient there's a Greek word for this wretched. It's more literally saying wretched through the exhaustion of hard labor. When we do the hard labor, so weak we would have gone. So Paul is completely worn out by trying on himself to be right, to be pleasing to God. And so he calls himself like wretched because of his unsuccessful effort to please God under the principle of law. We fail. We cannot please God. We cannot keep up that law but it is worth bearing in mind just like how the great saints through the ages do not commonly say like how good I am. They don't boast the goodness in them. When they write about them, they don't boast the goodness but then they have to regret the sinful nature that is in them. They say, Lord, please help me. Help me overcome. So we are here. The scripture also says who will deliver me? So Paul's perspective finally turns to something outside himself. So Paul says he referred about himself 40 times in the Romans. He says in the spite of his unsuccessful struggle against sin, Paul became entirely self-focused and self-obsessed while he comes to this place of any delivery living under the law. So who looks self and personal performance rather than looking first to Christ. So when we look at ourselves and try to overcome or please God, we fail. We cannot keep up the law. But when we look at Jesus, when we look at him, when we look at the spirit of life who's in dwelling in us, we can overcome. So he concludes like this, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. So Paul shows that even though the law is glorious and good, it cannot save us. The law cannot save us. We need a saviour. We needed a saviour. So Paul is stating us to look at Jesus. Look at Jesus. So Jesus stands between us and God. This is what Paul is saying. The law cannot save us. We need a saviour. And Paul is saying we have Jesus. He's pointing, now he's pointing us to Jesus who is between us and God. So bridging the gap and providing a way to God. So when we accept Jesus as a Lord and saviour, we have the spirit of adoption with us, where we can call Father as Abba Father. We see the relationship has been restored back through Jesus, only through Jesus. There is no other mediator. There is no other mediator between man or God. There's only one man, Jesus, where we can be identified, where our relationship has been restored back with God and we can call Abba Father. So we need to heal to the spirit. So we are back to Romans chapter 8 verse 12 and 13. We see that 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 you live by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body and you will live. So this flesh gave us nothing good, isn't it? Flesh nature or the nature of man does not bring anything good. So we have no obligation to pamper it. So there's no need for us to pamper the flesh nature. Our debt is to the Lord and not to the flesh. So the next line says, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, isn't it? The world nature, it leads to death. But then if you live according to the spirit, when we put to death the deeds of the body, this is what the scripture says, when we put to death the deeds of the body, that means what? We forcefully put the sinful nature that is in man to death. We can only do it by the power of God. We can only do it by the spirit of life that is in us. So that we may lead a life that is pleasing God. So how? By listening to the spirit, by healing to the spirit, we need to lead our life. It may not be very easy. It is a very disciplined life, a life that may go through a lot of sacrifices to discipline us. But when you go through it, you see the life, life in abundance. So we are led by the spirit of God. Verse 14 says, for as many are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. So they are sons of God. So we see that as we healed to the spirit and as we are led by the spirit, as we walk in the spirit, we see that we are walking in the sonship with God. We are healing to God that pleases Him. So Paul didn't say, as many as go to church are called sons of God. Does he say like that in the scripture? Oh, you're going to church every day. So you are the sons of God. I see you, a Bible college student reads scripture every day. So you are sons of God. Does he say that? Or you're taking communion every day. No, you relate yourself, you take communion every day. So you are sons of God. No, he very clearly says, the spirit of the Lord who's in dwelling with you, when you listen to that spirit, when you're healed to the spirit and when you're led by the spirit, you are sons of God. What does it mean you're led by the spirit? Remember one thing, the Holy Spirit who's in you will always lead you to Jesus, will always lead you to do that pleases God. He will not take you away from Jesus, away from Jesus, away from God, or something that is contrary to the word of God. Holy Spirit will always lead us to what pleases God. So those who are led by the spirit are the sons of God. So we need to be led by the spirit. So when, how does the Holy Spirit lead us? How does the Holy Spirit lead us? What does the scripture say? We are led by His guidance. We are led by drawing with Him. When we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, you know He is ministering to you. Our ears, our mind, our heart has been tuned to His voice. You see, we are led by His guidance. We are led by drawing. We are led by His governing authority and we are led as we cooperate with Him. He leads us. Now, as we know that He's leading, now where does the Holy Spirit lead us? Anyone from the class? You can post your comments on the chat. Where does the Holy Spirit lead us? Surya, I see your hand been lifted. Is there any question? Sorry, I didn't see it before. Okay, great. Okay, so where does the Holy Spirit lead us? Where does the Holy Spirit lead us? Confession, Prince, Anyonevimal, Purification, Repentance. Yes, Forgiveness. What did you say? Santification. Purify us. Yes, anyone from online? We lead us through the Word of God. He leads us through righteousness. He leads us to God and His will. Anyone from the side? Sri Radha, Rin, Nina, anyone? Okay, Holy Spirit renews our mind. How does He lead us? Does He lead us into holy inner voice? He leads us to the inner voice with His love. So, where does He leads us? He leads us to Jesus. Anyone else? Okay, do we see that the Holy Spirit leads us into repentance, giving us the mindset, Hey, this is not right. This does not please God. Do we see that? Have we come across that? So, Holy Spirit leads us to repentance. Does the Holy Spirit make us think little of ourselves and more of Jesus in us? Does He allow us to give glory to God in every area of our life? Does He? How about y'all? Does the Holy Spirit leads us into truth? Because the scripture says, know the truth and the truth will set you free. So, does He leads us to the truth so that we have been freed from our old nature? Does the Holy Spirit lead us into love? Isn't it? Does the Holy Spirit lead us to holiness because our God is holy and He's encouraging us to be more holy? I mean, to be like more like God in His holiness, in His lightness. Does the Holy Spirit lead us into usefulness where we can be, where we can be that instrument of His work, a vessel of honor? You see yourself being led in that way. You see yourself in a new image, a new identity and also you have been recognized by others that you are not the same what you were before. There is something different in you. You may look the same, height, weight, color, maybe the weight may change depending on what we do. But then we look the same, but there's something different. People around us will notice that you are not the same. The way you think, the way you act, the way you speak, everything changes because there is a new person, a God nature who's in dwelling with you and He is much greater than the one who's in the world. We see that we are being led by the Spirit. So, we haven't covered the whole chapter. We just covered till Romans 8 chapter 40 that is till 56, age 68. We will continue I think in the next class on the remaining scriptures and Surya has also said that we are led to connect with God. Yes, we are led to a new relationship with God. So, with that we will end this class with a word of prayer. Can I request one of one of them to pray from online class? Anyone? Karan, are you ready? Can you pray? Yes, Pastor. Sorry. Okay, Surya, you can go ahead, unmute and pray. Father, thank you lots. Thank you Jesus for leading us. Wonderful class and thank you with us in the whole class and thank you for giving strength to know more about your word and thank you for being with us in every situation and every case. Thank you for leading us till from starting to ending. So, thank you for everything. Thank you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much for praying. Thank you each one for joining in today's session. I hope it was a time of blessing and God bless. Have a good weekend. See you all next class next week. God bless.