Romans 8
The world, the flesh, and the devil.
Your old nature wants you to do the comfortable and convenient thing, not the right thing.
"I can't figure myself out."
"What does God want for me?"
"The Spirit of the living God within us is the antidote to every one of those weapons."
1. Shame.
God doesn't want you to walk around with regrets.
2. Uncontrolled thoughts.
3. Compulsions.
4. Fear.
5. Hopelessness.
When we feel hopeless, we get discouraged and want to give up.
6. Bitterness.
Bitterness is a cancer that will eat you alive.
7. Insecurity.
The only people impressed by fakes are other fakes.
"Who will free me from this life dominated by sin?"
1. I must remind myself daily of what Jesus did for me.
Romans 8:1 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ."
“ For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.”
Holy Spirit power!
"But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours and God destroyed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins."
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you better thoughts.
But if I set my mind on asking God what He thinks, I will have God thoughts.
"The mind of sinful man is death. But the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."
You ask the Holy Spirit to give you better thoughts to replace the negative ones in your mind.
It's called inspiration.
3. I have a new ability to say “no.”
Galatians 5:16 “Let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the old human nature.”
“Does God have all of you?”
God has set you free from that old nature.
4. I need to turn my thoughts to God whenever I’m afraid.
Abba means God's Spirit joins Himself in our spirit to declare that we are God's children!
God is good at taking broken people and mending them into wholeness.
2 Timothy 1:7 "God has not given us a spirit of fear. But a Spirit of power and love and self-control."
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
5. Focus on the long term, not the short term.
We're thinking about all of eternity and living our lives forever and ever in the presence of Almighty God.
6. We remind ourselves that God is good and in control.
That creates pain, self-destruction, and bitterness.
"The Holy Spirit is praying for us."
God is using everything for our good.
God wants me to succeed.
God will give me what I need.
Trust that God will never stop loving you.
"I'm convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't.
You will never get away from God's love.