The Fourth Sunday of Advent (NTA)

Romans 8:1-11

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Are you alive or dead? If you are dead can you really understand any of this? If you are alive do you really understand all of this? I am reminded that I do not want a God I can understand, because he would be too simple. But what is all this Spirit/flesh talk about. Didn’t Jesus take on flesh to save me?

St Paul sets up a dichotomy of flesh verses Spirit. The flesh is recognized by all the sinful things you do. The flesh is also the recognition of the corruption that has been passed down from Adam. The Spirit is connected with the Holy Spirit or the right spirit within you (given by the Holy Spirit). God creates in you a clean Spirit and makes your heart pure.

So live a pure life because Christ has made you pure, the Holy Spirit continues to strengthen you to do so. St Paul says it a little differently by reminding you that flesh or sin leads to death and the Spirit or redemption leads to life. Jesus Christ has raised you from death to life. He has killed your old Adam and given you new life in Christ, by means of the Holy Spirit creating in you a new spirit.

You confused again? Here is what you need to know. Sin is bad. You are full of sin. You are dead. Jesus and Holy Spirit provide life. They make you alive. You have Holy Spirit. Now don’t fall back into sin. (But you will anyway and the process starts all over again.) God forgives you.