8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of 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 to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just 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 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
I sign many of my letters and notes “In Christ.” I probably borrowed that from the Apostle Paul, and passages like chapter 8 in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. I celebrate thar there is no condemnation for all of us who are In Christ. And as Christ dwells within me, I have a life In Christ, which fills me with the Spirit of life.
As one In Christ, I am also invited to continually set my mind on the Spirit. That takes a little effort. In our society, we can be bombarded with images, messages, material that are, as Paul put it, things of the flesh. And when we set our mind of these corrupted things, we inch toward the death of our souls. On the contrary, those In Christ who set their minds on things of the Spirit discover life and peace.
I think that Paul would invite and then applaud the children of God who try to live In Christ.
Prayer
Wonderful God, thank you for inviting me to live In Christ. As Your Spirit fills my mind and heart, let me experience the peace, joy, and life that you offer so freely to Your children. In Christ’s precious name I pray. Amen.