To see Jesus, which is our sermon series this month, we can take steps to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus—to experience Jesus—we welcome, receive, and live into the Holy Spirit which we celebrated among us this last Sunday, Pentecost Sunday.
Living into the Holy Spirit brings about a polarity in us—the heavenly side of life which is our connection to Christ, whereas the earthly side of life which is our connection to shortsightedness and sin. Paul helps us understand what our sinful nature urges us to do when in John 8:13-14 he says, “If you live by sin’s dictates—and oh, does sin dictate—you will die. However, if you live by and through the power of the Holy Spirit, you put to death your sinful nature and live by the Spirit as children of God.”
To see Jesus each day as we move to this final Sunday in this series, let’s be intentional about putting to death our sinful natures. We all want to see Jesus. Of course, we do.
This doesn’t have to be some pipe dream or unattainable goal. We simply have to let the thoughts and actions that keep us from Jesus away from us.
Blaise Pascal once said, “Not only do we not know God except through Jesus Christ; we do not even know ourselves except through Jesus Christ.’
Know Jesus. See Jesus in and through yourself with no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
Our lectionary text for Sunday, May 26th is Romans 8:12-17. Here it is in the New Living Translation.
2 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,[a] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[b] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[c] of God.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[d] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[e] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.