Life in the Spirit

Scripture - Romans 8:1-11

Sermon by Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

Paul’s letter to the Romans is the first letter in the New Testament, coming just after the 4 Gospels and the Book of Acts. Romans comes first because it is the longest letter, but it is probably the last written of Paul’s surviving letters. Although not a complete systematic theology, Paul covers many important topics to guide the early followers of Jesus. He is eager to encourage the church to be committed to God through Jesus Christ in everything they are and do. We unpacked the roughest piece of the first chapter a couple of weeks ago, learning how to interpret properly what is often used incorrectly as a clobber passage. For three weeks now, we will investigate the 8th chapter, which may be the chapter many of us know best. Paul makes a distinction between flesh and Spirit, but let’s be clear, God declared creation, including human, fleshly existence, good, so we have to understand, flesh is not evil. After all, Jesus came in the flesh. However, our human flesh can be drawn away from what is good. When we are connected to God through the Spirit of Christ, we are drawn into life, into God’s purposes. In Christ, the power of sin over our flesh is broken. Let’s listen to how Paul says it. From the 8th chapter of the letter to the community of Jesus in Rome, listen for the word of God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 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, 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. 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. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 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, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Evil is powerful. Nothing new to that idea. The forces of wickedness are very strong. Who doesn’t know that? Just think about the deadly situation in Northern Ireland, in the last century. People called it “The Troubles” between the late 1960s and 1998, when people were killing each other over political issues, predominantly whether Northern Ireland should remain a part of Great Britain or join the independent Republic of Ireland. An estimated 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, over half of whom were civilians. Although not a religious war, the two sides were composed almost completely of Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other. Even when some people were working for peace, the power of anger over police brutality, revenge killings, and attacks by armed militia kept the Troubles going for 3 decades, between people who were predominantly claiming to be Christian.

But of course, iniquity doesn’t just blossom in national conflicts. We see it in our own individual lives. Some little questionable behavior feels satisfying somehow, and before the person knows it, they’ve taken a little bit bigger step into that questionable behavior, like they suggest lunch to the colleague who is a pleasure to be around, even though they are married; or no one asks about the computer they borrowed from work to finish a project, so maybe they’ll keep it a while longer; or they forget to send their accountant the information about the IRA they switched to a Roth, and when tax season rolls around they neglect to mention it again. What we might call “iniquity” can sneak in little by little, each step getting a bit easier. We know we need to stop and make it right, but somehow it is so easy not to. The forces of evil are stronger than we are.

But God’s Spirit is stronger. People may forget it, but God is more powerful than any other force in the universe, since God is Creator of everything. We might be figuratively arm-wrestling with something we know we can’t beat, but the Spirit is stronger than human flesh alone, so we can win.

Think of someone with an addiction. Alcohol, for instance, is strong enough not only to ruin the person’s life, but the lives of their whole family. If they connect with a program, say A.A., the first thing they are called to do is admit they are not strong enough alone to overcome their addiction. But the second thing they are called to do is believe there is a higher power intent on assisting them. Someone shared in the office the other day they had believed in the power of God to help them get and stay sober for 43 years, one day at a time.

The power of the Holy Spirit is not just eager to assist us in overcoming addictions, but in assisting us in living empowered by God, day after day. After all, the Spirit depends on humans to be filled with power to carry out God’s purposes. Whenever we sense the Spirit’s power at work anywhere in the world, we notice people are involved. The Holy Spirit works in and through people to carry Creation forward toward God’s ultimate goal. Unfortunately some congregations seem to get together on Sunday just to sing “Ring-around-the-Rosy,” hands clasped together, making a circle where no one can leave and no one can join, and they only go round and round. St. Paul would point to them and say, even though they call themselves Christians, it seems like they are living according to the flesh. To live according to the Spirit however, means the diverse gifts within people come from the Spirit, so the people are empowered for the common good of the entire community beyond their congregation. Together people, filled with the Spirit, are able to do much more than they could alone, because God’s Spirit is stronger than the forces opposing God’s will.

Which means we can do amazing ministry in Christ. The church of Jesus Christ can do more than we can even imagine. Paul says when we belong to Christ, we are no longer living in the flesh, no longer focused on just serving our physical interests. We become a new creation.

The United Church of Christ liturgy for joining a congregation explains that members are here for service to Jesus Christ, using the gifts which the Holy Spirit bestows. So, we are not here to serve ourselves – no Ring-around-the-Rosy allowed. We serve Jesus. And how does a congregation do that? We get busy carrying out his ministry. When the Spirit is in us as we are in Christ, what can we do? Anything we sense God is calling us to.

Some congregations have amazing ministry programs. Like Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, the second most dangerous city to live in in California. Racism, unemployment, and poverty plague the city. So for years, Allen Temple has focused on serving Christ throughout their community. The church has “40 active wholistic ministries committed to serving the least, the lost and the left out.” (1) They have a Headstart program, counseling center, food pantry, job information center, athletic teams, AIDS ministry home, free daily Covid tests, piano lessons, homeless ministry, after school tutoring, among other things. In addition, they have a full calendar of one-day events like job fairs, health screenings, IT training, golf tournament, legal assistance, as well as scholarship programs, health education programs, not even mentioning the regular church activities like choirs, Bible studies, street discipling, theological conversations, Sunday school, and worship. A large church can do this, but plenty do not.

So, what can a small church do? Whatever we want to let the Spirit empower us to do next. One small town church needed a new roof, so they put picnic tables out on the lawn and invited food trucks to the parking lot one evening a week. The vendors agreed to give the church 10% of their profits (it was, after all, an extra night of profits for them). Church folk invited neighbors to come. Occasionally they offered entertainment. From the beginning, the place was packed since their town had few restaurants that offered dinner. The Holy Spirit moved among the people as they created relationships, shared hospitality, listened to people’s stories, and collected a little money for the roof. But it soon wasn’t about money. It was about relationships. Through the Spirit, community relationships broke out all over the place. The Holy Spirit is eager to work in any congregation. We can do amazing ministry through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We just need to listen to the Spirit to help decide what to do next.

1) From the Senior Pastor, Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson’s welcome message on the website, Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, California.