THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS
"I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. And by common confession (beyond all question, NIV; without controversy, KJV) GREAT IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was  Vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations,  Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory" (1 Timothy 3:15-16)

Devotion 8 of 13

MORTIFYING THE DEEDS OF THE BODY
     Those in the Son are led by the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the body. As it is written, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom 8:13-14). Believers have lusts that war against their souls (1 Pet 2:11). These lusts, however, are not the product of their renewed minds or regenerated wills. They are the expression of the unregenerate part of them--the "old man" (Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9). The Holy Spirit shows us how to effectively crucify the "old man," putting him "off," or not allowing him to corrupt our lives. In a telling confirmation of this fact, the Spirit witnesses, "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and  desires" (Gal 5:24). Such have been "justified in the Spirit."  Wherever this  evidence is absent, there is no support for the claim of being "saved," or  translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son.

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
     The Kingdom of God is not made known by strict adherence to codified law. Abstaining from things that supposedly defile may be good, but it is not proof of divine life. Again, the Spirit speaks to our hearts. "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17, NASB). "Food and drink" refer to religious disciplines. Those who embrace such a view perceive dietary practices as an end of themselves-- things that qualify people for the blessing of the Lord. The Spirit expressly stated that a time would come when men would enforce such disciplines upon men, supposedly  making men holy. "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,  by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a  branding iron,  men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth" (1 Tim 4:1-3, NASB). Notice that this particular way of thought was perpetuated by demons. Those who heralded the doctrine, however innocent they may have appeared, had a conscience void of spiritual sensitivity. They supposed the Kingdom of God consisted of meat and drink! It emphatically does not!

     The real evidence of the Kingdom is the possession of spiritual qualities; i.e.,
"Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."  These are manifestations of  the work of the Spirit of God. Their presence vindicates the claim of identity with the Lord! Righteousness is the condition of uprightness, realized by the remission of sin and participation in the Divine nature. Peace is the stability of the soul that enables the believer to stand in the midst of turmoil, distraction, and malicious attack. Joy is insightful happiness that comes from knowing the One in Whom we have believed. Those who possess these qualities are "justified in the Spirit." Their presence evidence the commendation of the Almighty.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Your Son, I ask for grace to participate in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit to the fullest extent of which I am capable--and when my capacity is reached, enlarge my heart, O God!

-- TOMORROW: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT --