cover of episode Day 326: Life in the Spirit (2024)

Day 326: Life in the Spirit (2024)

2024/11/21
logo of podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Key Insights

Why did Ananias and Sapphira face severe consequences for their actions?

They made a pretense of giving everything while secretly keeping back part of the proceeds, which was hypocritical and dishonored the Holy Spirit.

How did the apostles respond to being imprisoned and beaten?

They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus and continued teaching and preaching Jesus daily.

What does Paul mean by 'the flesh' in Romans 8?

Paul refers to 'the flesh' as the fallen human nature, not the physical body, emphasizing the need to live according to the Spirit rather than succumbing to sinful desires.

How does baptism relate to becoming a child of God?

Baptism, through the power of the Holy Spirit, makes us sons and daughters of God, enabling us to call God 'Abba' or 'Father' in a true and personal way.

What does Paul assert about the relationship between suffering and future glory?

Paul believes that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us, suggesting that earthly struggles are temporary and pale in comparison to eternal joy.

What external forces can separate us from God's love according to Paul?

Paul asserts that no external force, including death, life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, powers, height, depth, or any other creature, can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus.

What internal force can separate us from God's love?

Sin is the only internal force that can separate us from God's love, as it is our personal choice to rebel against God and walk away from His grace.

Chapters

Fr. Mike discusses the concept of living according to the spirit versus living according to the flesh, emphasizing the freedom and life that comes from aligning with the spirit.
  • Living according to the flesh leads to death, while living according to the spirit leads to life and peace.
  • The spirit of God dwells in those who have been baptized, giving them the ability to live according to the spirit.
  • Paul clarifies that 'flesh' refers to fallen human nature, not the physical body.

Shownotes Transcript

Hey, everyone, before we get started today, I want to let you know the violin here has brought the word of god to so many people. As you know, you're part of this community changing lives and in so many incredible ways. We are humbled to play this role in god's plan and considered our ongoing mission to keep bringing the word of god to as many people as possible.

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The bible in a year podcast is rought you by a sion using the great adventure bible. Time eland will read all the way from genesis to revelation, discovering how the story of salvation on falls and how we IT into that story. today.

IT is day three hundred and twenty six, wording the xi possible. Chapter five, romance, a simple letters to the romans, chapter eight, as well as proper chapter twenty seven versus seven to nine. As always, the bible translation that i'm reading from is the revised standard version second catholic dian.

I'm using the great adventure bible from if you want to download your own bible in the year reading plan, you can visit a sense press stock comms slash bible in the year. You can also subscribe to this podcast like on the trap and receiving daily episodes and daily epa tes as I noted um today's day three hundred and twenty six, I think I said that we're only reading two chapters. One is x chapter five, and the other is romans chapter eight.

Pretty phenomenal chapters, really big deal chapters. When he comes to romans wall, of course, all of the bibles inspired, but romans chapter ate is very significant. So again, actually, postle chapter five, else letter to the romans chapter eight, as well as probable chap twenty seven verses seven, three, nine, the acts of the apostles les chapter five, ananias and safra.

But a man named ananias with his wife saira sold the piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds and brought only a part, and later at the apostles feet. But Peter said, ananias, why has statement filled your heart to lie to the holy spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land while IT remained unsold, did IT not remain your own? And ever IT was sold, was IT not at your disposal.

How is IT that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to god. When aneas heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came up on all who heard of IT. The Young man rose and wrapped him up and Carried him out and buried him after an inner val.

About three hours, his wife came in not knowing what had happened, and Peter said to her, tell me whether you sold the land for so much and he said, yes for so much. But Peter said to her, how is IT that you have agreed together to tempt the spirit of the lord? Listen, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and they will Carry you out immediately.

He fell down at his feet and died when the Young man came in. They found her dead, and they Carried out and married her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church.

And upon all who heard of these things, the apotheoses heal. many. Now, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles les, and they were altogether in solem's protocol. None of the rest they're join them. But the people held them in high honor.

And more than ever, beliefs were added to the lord multitudes, both of men and women, so that they even Carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and pellets that his Peter came by. At least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around ju salem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits.

And they were all healed. The postles are imprisoned and wrap before the council, but the high priest rose up, and all who were with him, that is the party of the sagesse. And filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison.

But at night, an Angel of the lord open the prison doors and brought them out and said, go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught. Now the hybrids came in, those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of israel and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported. We found the prison security locked in the centuries, standing at the doors. But when we opened IT, we found no one inside.

Now, when the captain of the temple and the chief praises hurt these words, they they were very much perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, the men whom you put in prison or standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being strowed by the people.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest question them, saying, we strictly charge you not to teach in this name yet. Here you have filled jerusalem, your teachings, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. The Peter and the apostles answered, we must obey god rather than men, the god of our father's raised jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exhaust him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things. And so is the holy spirit who god is given to those who will obey him.

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a heracles in the council named gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while. And he said to them, men of his, well, take care what you do with these men.

For before these days, they are us, arose claiming to be somebody. And a number of men, about four hundred, joined him, but he was slain, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing after him. Judas, the galilean rose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him.

He also parishes, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this undertaking is of men, IT will fail.

But if IT is of god, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing god. So they took his advice.

And when they are called in the apostles, they beat them and charge them not to speak in the name of jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer this honor for the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching jesus as at the Christ. Same polls letter to the romans chapter eight life in the spirit there is therefore now no condemnation for those, or in Christ jesus for the law of the spirit of life.

In Christ jesus has set me free from the law of sin, and death for god has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, sending his own sun in the lightness ss of sinfu flesh and forcing, he condemned the scene in the flesh in order 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 the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to god.

He does not submit to god's law, indeed cannot. And those who are in the flesh cannot please god. But you are not in the flesh. You are in the spirit. If the spirit of got really dwells in you, anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of richest sly, if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his spare to dwells in on. So then, brethren, we are deters not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die.

But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live for all who are LED by the spirit of god are sons of god, for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of when we cry abba father IT is the spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of god. And if children then airs airs of god and fellow airs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him, the glory to be revealed. I considered that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us for the creation weight, with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of god.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not if its will, but by the will of him who subjected IT in hope, because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtained the glorious liberty of the children of god. We know that the whole creation has been growing with labor pains together until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves.

We have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait for adoption, as the redemption of our bodies, for in this hope, we were saved. Now, hope that is seen, is not hope for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for IT with patients.

S likewise, the spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought. But the spirit himself intercedes for us with size too deep for words, and he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the sense, according to the will of god. We know that in everything, god works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he never knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the first born among many brethren. And those he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified god's love in Christ jesus. What then shall we say to this, if god is for us who is against us, he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him who shall bring a charge against god's elect?

IT is god who justifies? Who is to condemn? IT is Chris jesus who died? Yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of god, who indeed into seeds for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shell tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or perl, or sod as IT is written for your sake, we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things, we are more than conquers through him who loves us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of god in Christ jesus, our lord.

The book of drivers chapter to twenty seven versus seven through nine he who is stated, load this honey. But to one who is hungry, everything bitter is sweet like a bird that straight from its nest is a man whose strays from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble.

Father and having a giving place. We thank you so much. Thank you for giving us your word today. Thank you for consenting your holy spirit in the name your son jesus Christ IT to dwelling us, to guide us, to put to death the works of the flash, and to give us life in the spirit to to set us free from slavery and to give us the true freedom.

As sons and daughters of you here are own sons and daughters who can call you father in the midst of this world, father in heaven, we thank you. We praise you. Dad, we praise you, and we love you in jesus name, amen.

The name the father of the sun of the holy spirit. Men, okay, guys, you guys did not say, did I not say that actually posted chapter five and chapter eight of sample 的? That is the romance was going to be bonkers, completely bonkers today.

Oh my gosh. H, I can't even begin where to even start. okay. So here's a story of analysis and safia. Um right before this, I don't have you remember this, but in chapter four we had guiding Joseph, who's also named barnabas, meaning some of encouragement who had told the field which belonged to him he brought the money later at the apostles feet.

Here's ana nice and safia and their kinds sort of doing the same thing, but they're not actually doing the same thing. They're working under the pretense of honesty, under the presence of generosity. And that's the problem here. And one of the things that happens, obviously, is for us as well.

I mean, even Peter says that he says why you owned the piece of property, wasn't that yours to do whatever you wanted to do with that? Even after you sold that you could do whatever you wanted to do with the money. But the problem is you made a pretence.

You make a show saying that you are giving everything when you aren't t giving everything. That's the issue. The issue is not that all you only gave x amount of money. It's that's not the issue.

The issue is you made to pretend the issue is, remember how many times did jesus condemn those were hypocrite again, being hydrate the turn, hyper quit in greek is the term for actor right? I'm pretending to be someone that i'm not actually willing to be someone whose who wants to be seen as someone who they're not actually willing to be. They want to be seen as having a virtue that they're not willing to choose, if that makes any sense.

And so here's an a nicest of hira. They have this pretense, their hydrate. And because of that, IT costs them their life.

At the same time, starting in verse twelve, the apostles are healing people like crazy. And that's such a remarkable thing. They even say that the blow people out so that Peter shadow would pass over them. Because remember what jeff had pointed out, how many days ago he said that Peter is kind of responding what jesus had done, and later on, paul's gonna reinbold what jesus had done.

And what's that a sign of? Not only of the fact that god used these super postles, these two apostles, in remarkable ways, but also that we're called to allow the lord to work in our way, our lives in a similar way. Now, I love this next story about how the apostles les are prison to brought before the council.

Now I read this story, and maybe I, we might have mention this in that conversation with jeff. Again, this will be my last reference to that conversation. But one of the things that strikes me always is when I read the story, I am reading IT in you and I am reading IT from the perspective of its already been done, it's already been lived, the stories already been written.

And yet there was a puzzles that were Bobby for the saggy es, that that were Bobby for the council. The story hadn't been written. They were filled, I imagined, with a high degree of uncertainty, having no idea, how is this going to play out? How is gona hash out? And yet, even in the mix of that uncertainty, they were filled with boldness.

Remember that poor from yesterday, the prayer for boldness, for courage, for the willingness to stand up and say, i'm actually not going to go along with whatever you are asking me to go along with the order. Do did we not to see speaking that name that you fill the whole city with that name? That's incredible, right? So often we are told these Christians to stop speaking, stop living in the name of jesus Christ.

And here are Peter and the other puzzles saying, we cannot but speak in the naming of cheeses. And he says in verse twenty nine, we must obey god rather than men. That is so, so crucial for every single one of us.

And you know what happened? They heard IT and they were super happy. They're like, you know what? We're inspired by you.

That's incredible. We want to be Christians too. No over thirty three says when they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

Peter gives witness the apostle's give witness to this, say, no, we saw jesus raised from the dead. We are going to bear witness to these things. You can tell us not to speak in his name, but we must obey god rather than men.

The result we want to kill them. Galal course stands up and points out that there's other people who had followers are other people who died and then wiped to the followers. They fell away. Followers became followers. Oh, man, I just made up a term.

Oh, you got to write that down because it's going to come up again followers became followers you guys boom, mind blown allia says if this is of god, you can't fight IT if it's of men, they're onna become followers here that's last family that but if this is a man it's going to be over with in a day if it's of god you will find yourselves battling the lord himself and you do not want to be battling the lord himself the last thing about x chapter five is so they take his advice and when they are called in the apostles, they beat them and charge them not to speak in the name jesus and let them go. So yeah, they didn't kill them. They only search them.

Essentially, they only beat them. What was the possible response? IT wasn't indignation.

I've got to tell you, if I can can be for the government, and because of my faith in jesus, I was arrested for a couple days or whatever was, you know, if at some point they tortured me and then let me go, I would be indignant, right? I would be relatively put out, say like that, what's the apostles response? The positive response is then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer this honor for the name.

That's incredible, rejoicing that they accounted worthy to suffer this honor for the sake of the name. And remember what jesus had said in the sermon, the mount in the server on the plane, he said, blast, are you when they hate you and persecute you, another, every kind of evil against you, falsely because of me, rejoice in that day for your reward to be great in heaven. Here, the apostles are doing literally exactly what jesus told them to do when you're found rejected, when you're found abandon, when you're found abused for the name of jesus, because of the fate of faith in Christ.

Rejoice on that day and every day and at home and in the table, they did not cease teaching, preaching in the name of jesus. That's incredible. Incredible as well.

Sorry, actually the puzzles. No, never the little thing about the romans. Chapter eight, life in the spirit. Oh my gosh, you guys.

Therefore, there is now no condemn for those worrying Christies, because you have the law and you have the law of the spirit. We have to put the death of things to the flash. I mention this yesterday.

That sample, when he's referred to the flesh, he's not referred to our bodies. He's not rejecting the body. We are our bodies.

What human beings are is body and soul duality, right? We're a body and soul composite. We're embodied solar or we're in sold bodies either way, we are our bodies, right? So and we are souls. So he's not criticizing the fact that we have flesh.

When he says flesh, he's referred to the fAllen human nature that we are and basically say you can live according to that, you can live according to your fAllen nature and say, well, because I feel this, because i'm attracted this way, that's how I act and a lot of people do that and say, well, well, this feels right. Therefore, that's what how i'm going to live. Or this is what i'm attracted to, therefore, that's what i'm going to choose.

And at same policy you're set free from this, you actually have the ability, not only the ability, you have this, this freedom to be able to live according to the law of the spirit, and that the spirit of god really dwells in you. You are no longer in the flash. You're in the spirit.

Goes on to say, in this diverse nine, anyone who does not have the spirit of crist does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits alive because of righteousness. And and not only that, you know, I mentioned in the paid today, and I we've been mentioned this before, that jesus has revealed the god is our dad, and we sometimes use the term father, right?

We often use the term father, but he gave us the term of a, which ultimately know if you're gonna boil IT down, ultimately, is the closest of the word father, which would be papa or would be dead. And so I apologize again for anyone who is is bothered by that. And yet we need to have that healed in us.

We need to have that healed in us because, yes, we have bad histories, and many of us have bad histories with our fathers, or you have great history, your father, but it's a weird thing. And yet saying, paul says you did not inverse fifteen. You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.

You've received the spirit of Sunny when we cry. Abba or dad, father IT is the spirit himself bring witness with our spirit that we are children of god. H, my gosh, you guys, someday, in the next seven days, I will make this big point.

And this big point is, i'll say right now, and then i'll back you up later on. Big point is that every human being is not necessarily automatically a child of garden. Every human being is a beloved creature of god.

Absolutely, that god himself gave his only begotten sun. So those everyone have life. Every human being on this planet, every we mean who's ever lived, is a believed creature of god.

But we become god's sons and daughters through adoption. We become god's sons and daughters through baptism. We become god's sons and daughters. When we, we were given the holy spirit. And so that's what temple is saying when we receive the spirit then we get to actually say oba father.

But before we're given the holy spirit, we are not we for where baptise we're not able to say aba father because IT is baptism that makes us sons and daughters of god in a certain way. You know, god creator is like kind of sort of like a father to all the creatures he makes, of course. But we're truly made sons and daughters of god in the power of the holy spirit when we are partizan.

And that is that A A big thing? I maybe will it'll come back up because the letters of new testers make that point abundantly clear. Last thing, oh my gosh, you guys, how incredible is verse eighteen and following? I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. I wonder if that's true in my life.

Do I consider that the suffers of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in as something that was same trees of ava, who said that at the end of our our lives in heaven, SHE said, even the worst life will seem like a knight spent in a motel. Compared IT to the glory and the joy and the love of heaven, even the worst life on earth will seem like a night spent in a bad motel, which we trust in. We believe that god loves us that deeply.

Here's the last line, last word versus thirty one to the end of chapter eight. If god is for us, who's against us? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. Will he not also give us all things with him and goes on to say what who sh'll separate us from the love of Christ to relation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nicklas, or peril, or the sod?

No, in all these things we are more than conquer through him who loves us prime convinced, i'm sure that neither death nor life, nor Angels or principalities, nor things present or things to come, their powers, nor height or depth, there are anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of god in Christ. Jesus, our lord, with same pauls. Making this last point here apologize.

What the same point, the point is making is that there is no force on earth. There is no amount evil on this earth that can take you out of god's hands. It's interesting and worth praying about.

The sample doesn't mention the one force that can take us out of god's hand. They can take us out of relationship with god, and that is sin. All these other forces are external forces.

No one, no matter how much they hurt, you know, know how much they abuse you or use you, no one can take you out of the father's hand. The only one who can is ourselves through thin. And so we have to say, okay, god, I know that there's no external force.

There's no power, not even a demand or an Angel who can take me out of your hand. So since i'm the only one who can walk away, i'm the only one who can separate myself from you in your love. Help me to never, never separate myself from you and your love through singing, through rebelling against you.

And I want to do what I want to do. I'll leave you. Help me never, lord, help me never to wander away.

That's a tall order. And if I do wander, lord, to bring me back. This is a gift. What an incredible gift today I started.

This is so long, but it's just only two chapters but so much to say, so much gift today. And so last thing is, i'm brain for you. Please pray for me.

My name is father mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. gas.