June 16th, 2025
by Pastor Luke
by Pastor Luke
The New Way of the Spirit: Abiding in Christ's Presence
In our spiritual journey, we often find ourselves at a crossroads between living under the law and embracing the new way of the Spirit. This transition is not always easy, but it's essential for our growth and relationship with God. Let's explore what it means to move from the old covenant to the new, and how we can truly abide in Christ's presence.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, uses a powerful analogy of marriage to illustrate our relationship with the law and with Christ. Just as a woman is bound to her husband while he lives but is free to remarry after his death, we too must experience a death to the law to be united with Christ. This death to the law isn't about abandoning morality, but rather about recognizing that our attempts to earn salvation through rule-following are futile.
Consider this: we belong to whom we give access. In our modern world of smartphones and constant connectivity, we often give unbridled access to our hearts and minds to various influences - social media, news outlets, and so-called "influencers." But have we given Jesus the same level of access? It's a sobering thought that in just a 30-minute conversation, one can discern whether someone has been discipled more by the word of the world than the Word of God.
The transition from the old way to the new way of the Spirit is beautifully captured in John 15:5, where Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." This verse encapsulates the essence of the new covenant - our dependency on Christ and the fruit that naturally flows from that relationship.
But what does it mean to abide in Christ? The Greek word used here, "meno," carries connotations of remaining, staying, dwelling, and even lodging. It's an invitation to make our home in Christ's presence, to sit at His feet in prayer, allowing our hearts to burn with the same passions that ignite His heart. It's in this place of abiding that we find true transformation and bear fruit effortlessly.
Many of us have been taught to hustle and strive in our Christian walk, focusing on producing the fruits of the Spirit through our own efforts. But this misses the point entirely. The fruits of the Spirit are not a checklist for us to work through, but rather the natural outgrowth of a life surrendered to and abiding in God's presence. It's like aspiring to be a gardener but never seeking the wisdom of the master gardener. If we seek the fruit before the gardener, we'll find neither. But if we seek the gardener before the fruit, we'll find both.
The new way of the Spirit is marked by grace, not by law. It's a shift from trying to earn God's love to accepting that He loves us in our mess. Romans 5 reminds us that Christ died for us "at just the right time" - when we were at our worst, convicted of guilt and sentenced to death because of sin. This is the radical love that we're invited into, a love that transforms us from the inside out.
However, living in this new way doesn't mean we won't struggle. Paul candidly shares his own battle in Romans 7, describing the internal conflict between wanting to do good and finding himself doing the very things he hates. This tension is part of our earthly existence, the overlap between the old and new covenants. But it's in acknowledging this struggle and continually turning to Christ that we find victory.
So how do we practically live in this new way of the Spirit? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Give Christ full access to your heart and mind. Be intentional about the influences you allow into your life.
2. Practice abiding in God's presence. Set aside time to simply sit in silence before Him, allowing Him to minister to you.
3. Recognize the signs of living under the law: being overly proud of achievements, critical of others, reluctant to admit failures, and prone to circumstantial depression or discouragement.
4. Delight in God's Word. As the church father Tertullian said, "The soul is naturally Christian, and God's words are nourishment to it." Let Scripture be implanted in your heart.
5. Remember that your power is formed and flourishes in the abiding nature of Christ. It's not about growing in numbers, but growing in spiritual power through intimacy with God.
In conclusion, the message of Romans 7 can be distilled to this: God uses a holy thing (the law) to reveal an evil thing (sin), so that a necessary thing (death to the law) might result in the most important thing (life in the Spirit). It's an invitation to turn our understanding upside down - to stop trying to prove our worth to God and instead accept His unconditional love and let it transform us from the inside out.
As we go about our days, may we continually seek to abide in Christ, to lodge in His presence. May we fan the flame of desire for His company, surrendering ourselves fully to Him. In doing so, we'll find ourselves naturally bearing the fruit of the Spirit, living in the freedom and power of the new covenant. Let's pursue His presence above all else, for in His presence, we find everything we need.
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, uses a powerful analogy of marriage to illustrate our relationship with the law and with Christ. Just as a woman is bound to her husband while he lives but is free to remarry after his death, we too must experience a death to the law to be united with Christ. This death to the law isn't about abandoning morality, but rather about recognizing that our attempts to earn salvation through rule-following are futile.
Consider this: we belong to whom we give access. In our modern world of smartphones and constant connectivity, we often give unbridled access to our hearts and minds to various influences - social media, news outlets, and so-called "influencers." But have we given Jesus the same level of access? It's a sobering thought that in just a 30-minute conversation, one can discern whether someone has been discipled more by the word of the world than the Word of God.
The transition from the old way to the new way of the Spirit is beautifully captured in John 15:5, where Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." This verse encapsulates the essence of the new covenant - our dependency on Christ and the fruit that naturally flows from that relationship.
But what does it mean to abide in Christ? The Greek word used here, "meno," carries connotations of remaining, staying, dwelling, and even lodging. It's an invitation to make our home in Christ's presence, to sit at His feet in prayer, allowing our hearts to burn with the same passions that ignite His heart. It's in this place of abiding that we find true transformation and bear fruit effortlessly.
Many of us have been taught to hustle and strive in our Christian walk, focusing on producing the fruits of the Spirit through our own efforts. But this misses the point entirely. The fruits of the Spirit are not a checklist for us to work through, but rather the natural outgrowth of a life surrendered to and abiding in God's presence. It's like aspiring to be a gardener but never seeking the wisdom of the master gardener. If we seek the fruit before the gardener, we'll find neither. But if we seek the gardener before the fruit, we'll find both.
The new way of the Spirit is marked by grace, not by law. It's a shift from trying to earn God's love to accepting that He loves us in our mess. Romans 5 reminds us that Christ died for us "at just the right time" - when we were at our worst, convicted of guilt and sentenced to death because of sin. This is the radical love that we're invited into, a love that transforms us from the inside out.
However, living in this new way doesn't mean we won't struggle. Paul candidly shares his own battle in Romans 7, describing the internal conflict between wanting to do good and finding himself doing the very things he hates. This tension is part of our earthly existence, the overlap between the old and new covenants. But it's in acknowledging this struggle and continually turning to Christ that we find victory.
So how do we practically live in this new way of the Spirit? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Give Christ full access to your heart and mind. Be intentional about the influences you allow into your life.
2. Practice abiding in God's presence. Set aside time to simply sit in silence before Him, allowing Him to minister to you.
3. Recognize the signs of living under the law: being overly proud of achievements, critical of others, reluctant to admit failures, and prone to circumstantial depression or discouragement.
4. Delight in God's Word. As the church father Tertullian said, "The soul is naturally Christian, and God's words are nourishment to it." Let Scripture be implanted in your heart.
5. Remember that your power is formed and flourishes in the abiding nature of Christ. It's not about growing in numbers, but growing in spiritual power through intimacy with God.
In conclusion, the message of Romans 7 can be distilled to this: God uses a holy thing (the law) to reveal an evil thing (sin), so that a necessary thing (death to the law) might result in the most important thing (life in the Spirit). It's an invitation to turn our understanding upside down - to stop trying to prove our worth to God and instead accept His unconditional love and let it transform us from the inside out.
As we go about our days, may we continually seek to abide in Christ, to lodge in His presence. May we fan the flame of desire for His company, surrendering ourselves fully to Him. In doing so, we'll find ourselves naturally bearing the fruit of the Spirit, living in the freedom and power of the new covenant. Let's pursue His presence above all else, for in His presence, we find everything we need.
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
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