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Teaching Text: Roman 8: 9-14
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodiesbecause of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Themes
Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT | Meditations on the Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Advocate | Intecessor
Formation
Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:
How do you observe shame being used or leveraged in our culture?
Specifically, do you see shame playing a role in relationships you have?
Is Christianity a set of thoughts about God in our head that we have organized in the right or satisfactory way or is it something more?
Certainly, there are essential beliefs, but what is the experience?
And since the experience can be so subjective, can we really say anything definitive about what must be true of it?
Is it dangerous to have a set expectation about what the experience of being a Christian should be like to be real and true or enough?
We certainly have testimony from the ages, from the saints of the past that the same Christian life might have rapturous joy in God's presence; a full emotional fire at God's nearness and also seasons of dryness, distance, and even dark nights of the soul.
Jesus said “it is good that I go away, because My Father will send you The Spirit” - THE PARAKLETOS
The Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor. This word is so rich and holds for us some pointers to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus prophetically tells them about the sending of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's ministry.
And then they wait and pray and wait and pray, and at Pentecost—50 days after the Passover—Christ died as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
WE HAVE THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Spirit is poured out, and the church is born.
And the community they form by the Spirit is an heart-stirring and beautiful
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
– Acts 2 v 42-47
They see Jesus’ promise prove true.
They experience the Holy Spirit as Parakletos. Helper. Comforter. Advocate. Intercessor.
SO: Yes, Christianity is something you believe
But it is also something you experience
And it becomes something that you live.
And if you have only had the belief, the thoughts about God organized a certain way, and never the experience, never the fullness of life, I want to tell you THERE IS MORE
More of Jesus. Poured out in our hearts and minds and bodies by the Holy Spirit.
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
– Romans 8 v 9-14
The Spirit of God makes us alive in Christ. In the Gospel.
The realm of the flesh is about living the human story by human resources
The realm of the flesh is all your natural resources for living that don’t include awareness of, surrender to, or love for God.
The realm of the spirit is living with a dependence and trust on the loving kindness that is God.
Two ways the Spirit ministers the life of God in us
The Spirit lifts our shame
The Spirit helps us pray
The Spirit lifts our Shame | Advocate
Applies what is true of Jesus to us
Forgivness for all sin
Power to break free from any pattern or thought
Uncontrollable anxiety
Lust and pornography
Destructive patterns with alcohol
Anger and a vision of masculinity rooted in aggression rather than sacrificial love
Love of comfort
Measuring success in materialism
Really defensive when criticized
The Holy Spirit is my advocate
THE SPIRIT HELPS US PRAY | Intercessor
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
– Romans 8 v 26-28
When you pray you aren’t praying alone.
When you are out of words, you can still pray
No matter where we start we can come to alignment with God’s will through prayer
What place of your life does shame reside?
How is the Spirit trying to address that place and apply what is true of Jesus to that part of your life?
