The apostle Paul, who started as one of Christianity’s most enthusiastic enemies, was hand-picked by Jesus Christ to become the gospel’s most passionate courier. Paul towers as one of the all-time giants of Christianity .he made three long missionary journeys all through the Roman Empire, planting churches, preaching the gospel, and giving power and support to the early Christians. Paul writes in the book of Romans 8:9 that you are not in the monarchy of the flesh but are in the monarchy of the spirit if indeed the spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. In order to walk a Christian life, you must first accept the spirit of God. He emphasizes on the importance of allowing the spirit to dwells in Christians. Those who live according to the flesh will die, but if you live by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body you will live (ROMs 8:9, 11-13). If the spirit of God dwells in you, he will make your bodies alive to live virtuous. The only life that is conditioned on the spirit’s indwelling is the Christian life in the here and now (Douglas J 2000, 268). Again, notice that there are only two kinds of people, those that are saved and those that are not saved. If you are saved, then the Spirit of God dwells in you, and if you are not saved, then the Spirit of God is not in you. It is very simple, but how can we tell if we are saved or not? If you do not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you, then you are not controlled by the Spirit and thus, the sinful nature will control your life, the flesh! But, if you are saved, then the Spirit of God dwells in you and you are not controlled by the sinful nature, you are not controlled by the flesh, but by the Spirit! .Paul is dealing with our past, where we came from, and it was not good. We walked aimlessly, walking without direction, doing those things that satisfy our flesh and yet, never really being content.
New Life through the Spirits
Paul makes it clear on the application of the spiritual gifts. These spiritual gifts should be shared thereby ensuring life in faithfulness and fruitfulness is achieved within the community.
These spirits were to be shared without any jealousy or envy concerning what gifts certain people within the community have benefited from. You are expected to let your emotions of deep affection for fellow beings come to real manifest and view others as more vital than yourself. Be joyful in hope and pray regularly- Life in the Spirit- We are under law to live a pleasing life, though it seems we are losing the battle (Ferguson, 1987, 263). How can we overcome adjust to act in accordance to God's will? We do so, continually, via the power and direction of the Holy Ghost within us. In spite of the inner controversies in this life, if the Spirit lives in us now, we still have confident hope of eternal life. I f we are willing to live a Christian life, it is our obligation to respect our neighbors and provide the Holy Spirit to take control in our lives (Barrett, 1989 100,208).
Assurance of Resurrection
Paul assured the Christians that resurrection would only occur to the just, and the sinners would not receive this privilege since Jesus died and rose again. Paul assures Christian that the only path that will lead to resurrection is accepting life in the spirit. Christians are obliged to live a holy life since indwelling Spirit transforms us from death to life (Douglas J 2000, 268). The spirit also drives us toward God thereby effecting both our resurrection of our dead souls and the resurrection of our dead bodies-Christians must therefore give to the sanctifying life-giving authority of the spirit so as to achieve the assurance of resurrection according to apostle Paul writings (Bock, 2007, 354-372).
Assurance of resurrection is one of the benefits that the Lord promises Christians, but for this to be fulfilled-they must live a Christian life whereby they accept the Holy Spirit to guide them.
Empowered by the Spirit
According to Paul writing, the Spirit helps Christians in times of distress. Christians are not left alone in times of misery, but they are under accompanying of a helper-the Holy Spirit. This reason keeps the Christians moving in upright path since they are confident enough that they are not alone (Elmer L, 2008, 266).
Christian Obedience
Faithful Christian allegiance comes from the inner heart of thankfulness for the unmerited favor we have received from God. In Rom 12:1 "and so, i plead with my sisters and brothers to give their bodies to the Lord since he has done a lot for us. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him .We should therefore strive to live a Christian life knowing that God rewards obedience. Living a Christian life pays and pays a lot, therefore I am encouraging my fellow Christians not to give up and continue spreading the good news (Bock, 2007, 354-372).
Sanctifications
Romans 6:22 says, ''But now being holy from indulgence, and become servants to the Lord, Ye have your fruit unto sanctity-sanctification (hagiasmos), and the end everlasting life. When we have truly broken free from the influence of wrongdoing controlling over our lives and have captured upon ourselves the deeds of a servant of the Lord ’’ Paul continues in the Romans 6:19,"for as Ye have capitulated your associates servants to filthiness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now capitulated your associates servants to decency unto sanctity-hagiasmos/sanctification".
Paul is encouraging us to adjust our patterns of behaviors. Prior to when we got saved, we submitted our views to the iniquitous and immoral ways of the world; but now the life of
Jesus lives in us; we must yield our bodies and our feelings as servants of God. (Douglas J, 2000, 268).
Transformation
Rom 12:1, ``but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’’ .Paul meant that Christians are to undergo a complete change under the help of the lord. By accepting transformation, we allow ourselves to becoming like Christ and end up enjoying the mercies of God and the love of Christ. Through being transformed, God gives us a total makeover and all the deformity of sin is removed (Ferguson, 1987, 263).
Shall we go on sinning?
Then Paul says in Romans 6:23 with the profound scripture that the prices of wrongdoing are death, but those who accepts the terms and conditions of the Holy Spirit will receive eternal life through Jesus Christ. We as Christian should therefore focus on the grace of the Lord since it enables us to live an Instead of focusing on sin, we should focus on the grace of God that enables us to life a sacred life in Jesus Christ. A believer should seize from engaging in corrupt activities and opt for an upright life where the spirit of God is in him. A person who is living sinful and consciously knows and enjoys living in such a manner automatically has no access of the Holy spirit-holy spirit cannot live within him/her (Elmer L, 2008, 266). The Holy Spirit is absent in his/her life. Paul suggests that the only way to stop sinning is by doing away with the law. If we continued to sin, then it would push as away from God mercies and prevent us from achieving the remarkable promises that God has kept for us-Living a Christian life have no room for sinners. Paul says “Don’t be letting the humanity press you into its cast!’’ meaning that we should not allow the world to mold our mannerisms, speech, styles, expressions and habits of this world (Bock, 2007, 354-372).
Romans 6:11, Paul informed the Roman society to let holiness guide them and not sin be the model for their lives: he says “In a similar method, you must view yourselves as being deceased to wrongdoing but alive for the Lord in Jesus Christ. That is the reason why you must not give wrongdoing a chance to rule over your earthly bodies and make you comply with their wishes, or give any parts of your bodies over to wrongdoing to be used as gadgets of wickedness (Barrett, 1989 100,208).
We are not under law.
We are not under the law is a statement made by Paul which says, “For sin shall not master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace ’’ (6:14). He goes further in expounding this truth to make it clear to Christians that they are no longer under the law. They are freed from the law by death since the law only applies to people only when they are alive. Dead people are leased from the law. Paul illustrates this concept clearly whereby he gives an example of a woman who cannot leave his husband and get married to another person. This action will make her an adulterous, but if the husband dies, the law will be nullified, and she is freed from the law to marry another man and bear offspring to him (Douglas J 2000, 268).
This clearly illustrates that the law has the authority to those who are alive and set aside by death since death frees one from the law and its bondage. Paul used the above marriage illustration to relate to the death of the Christian in Christ to the law and the liberty which this brings (Ferguson, 1987, 263).
The Law poses a problem for the Christian and does not solve the problem of sin. Thus, the Christian must die to the Law; to be freed from the bondage to sin it facilitates. The real problem is indicated in verse 5, having been hinted at previously (see for example, “body of sin” in Romans 6:6). It is the problem of the flesh (Bock, 2007, 354-372).
Offer your body as a living sacrifice
In Romans 12:1, Paul inform believers that presenting your body as an offering to God is not something that unsaved people are told to do, but it is something that saved people must do. Paul urges believers to remember the mercies of the lord and offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Elmer L, 2008, 266). Christian should do this totally dedicated and acceptable to God. Paul says that this is the kind of worship that should be adopted by sensible people-believer. Paul also warns Christians to be very observance and careful since they are exposed to the risk of molding their deeds as a result of influence on what is happening on the modern world, but they should let the renewing of their wits transform them. From this reading, Christians are able to make their decisions solely-decides to live the will of the lord whereby they can tell what is good, acceptable and mature (Barrett, 1989 100,208).
“Present yourselves unto God as those alive from the dead”. This is the factual consign of sanctification. For believers to 'consecrate themselves unto God' ere they have learnt their union with Christ in death and resurrection (identification) is only to offer to God the members of the natural man [the old, Cross-condemned Adamic life], which He cannot accept (Horsley, 2008). Only those living from the lifeless that are, having appropriated fully their likeness with Him in death -- are bidden to offer their members as instruments unto God (Barrett, 1989 100,208).
Instead, offer yourselves to God, as citizens made a live as we were deceased, and give every part of your bodies to God to be gadgets of decency"
The Christian Life taught by Apostle Paul can be lived under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
According to the above teaching by Apostle Paul, it is clearly explained that if Christian are to follow the guidance of the holy spirit-then they would live a positive life that is desirable to all communities of the world.
The Holy Spirit provides guidance to all its followers and it plays a significant role in shaping the behaviors’ of it followers. In spite of the inner controversies in this life, if the Spirit lives in us now, we still have confident hope of eternal life. I f we are willing to live a Christian life, it is our obligation to respect our neighbors and provide the Holy Spirit to take control in our lives (Elmer L, 2008, 266). The Holy Spirit is the intermediary that will link Christians to their Father-God. It is therefore obligatory to all Christians to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit by first accepting the Holy Spirit in their heart so as to receive benefits that the lord promises. The Holy Spirit prevents Christians from engaging in wrongdoing and expects all Christians to follow an upright path that will lead to resurrection. Apostle Paul teaches of how law makes people to continue doing wrong and the only way that Christians can adopt so as to be transformed from these wrong deeds is by accepting the Holy Spirit-the Holy Spirit will guide Christians to live a Christian life. The Holy Spirit must live in Christians so as to experience the fullness of God. The
Christian Life taught by Apostle Paul can be lived under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes to Christians that they should be led by the holy spirit of the Lord. He also goes ahead and warns Christians that if they don’t allow the holy spirit of the Lord to dwell in the lives of Christians, then we do not belong to the Lord. From this reading, it is quite clear that if you want to live a Christian life according to Apostle Paul, you must allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in you (Douglas J 2000, 268).
Without a doubt, the Spirit does dwell in public today. In fact, the Spirit dwells in all right offspring of the lord, and He starts to reside in us at the minute we become Lord’s offspring.
The Spirit does reside in authentic Christians. But the Father and Son also reside in us, and we reside in them. And Christians are still in one another. This clearly shows that Christians have adopted the teaching of Apostle Paul since they recognize the only route to a Christian life is through accepting the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.
If we can accept as true that the Father and Son reside in us without turning out to be all puzzled, why are we so puzzled by the truth the Holy Spirit resides in us? If we can comprehend how the Father and Son reside in us and we in them, then we can comprehend how the Spirit resides in us (Douglas J 2000, 268).
The indwelling of the Spirit is not almost so hard or strange as many natives make it out to be. However, it is a huge blessing, and you should be certain you have that companionship with the Lord by getting clemency and developing the temperament that His word can create in
you. It is now certain that the Christian life can be lived under the leadership of the Holy Spirit as taught by Apostle Paul (Barrett, 1989 100,208).
Reference
Barrett, C. K., The New Testament Background, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1989, 29, 100,
208
Bock, Darrell L., Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 2007, 354-372
Book of Romans, From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 2002
Ferguson, Everett, Background of Early Christianity, 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI. 1987,613
Harry J. Leon, the Jews of Ancient Rome: Updated Edition, 46
Helyer, Larry R. Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period, 218-224, 240,242, 262-263,
Moo, Douglas J., Romans, The NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan.com/, 2000, 251, 268
The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, Edited by Burge, Gary M. and Hill, Andrew E., 2012,124
Gooch John O. Christian History; Persecution in the Early Church. Electronic ed. Carol Stream;201
Christianity Today, 1990 Towns, Elmer L. Theology for Today, Cengage LEARNING, Mason, Ohio,2008, 266,287,305
