Two weeks ago I directed your attention to verses 12 and 13 and I do so again.

I had four questions that I thought needed to be answered and we answered three more to take up this morning or perhaps two and a half.

Verse 12. So then, brethren, stop, stop right there.

The so then at the front of that verse, directs your attention to verse 11, which talks about

being raised from the dead someday by the work of the Holy Spirit. So we owe the Holy Spirit our future resurrection of these mortal bodies.

The Spirit who dwells in you will give life someday to your mortal bodies just like he raised Jesus from the dead.

So then, brethren, we are not debtors, we're not under obligation to the flesh.

It's never done anything for us.

This old rebellious self of ours.

You don't owe the flesh anything but war, enmity, killing.

Verse 13, for if you are living according to the flesh you must die.

But if by the spirit, this is whom you owe everything.

If by the spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body you will live.

So you don't owe the flesh anything.

Rather you owe the spirit everything.

Verse 11 you owe him your future resurrection.

Verse 13, you owe him every ounce of energy that goes into persevering unto that resurrection. If you make it to that resurrection, that it to the spirit, not the flesh. We are not debtors to the flesh. Don't pay for your own destruction.

Don't switch sides and go over to the flesh and kill yourself in doing it. You owe him nothing but war. And you owe the spirit

everything. He's the one who enables you to make war on the flesh and kill the deeds of the body.

And he's the one who will one day bring it all to consummation by raising us from the dead into everlasting joy and life.

If you try this morning or any time to survive as a Christian any other way than by the spirit, as

verse 13 says, by the spirit spirit if you try to survive as a Christian any other way

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