Inclining Your Heart to the Spirit

Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11

In Psalm 119 the psalmist talks about following God’s word like a lamp to his feet. He swears to observe righteous ordinances and to not forget God’s law. God’s decrees are considered his heritage and joy of his heart. He inclines his heart to perform God’s statues forever. The word incline means leaning and having a tendency toward a specific thought or action. The psalmist action here is to live up to God’s law.

Romans, however, tells how difficult it was to live by the law since it is weakened by the flesh. Paul says God dealt with this problem by sending Jesus, God’s only son to die for our sinful natures. In this way the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us if we walk according to the Spirit, therefore setting their minds not on the sinful flesh but on the things of the Spirit.

When we belong to God we have the Spirit which is life because of righteousness. Having the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead live in you, God will give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit. Now we have the Spirit which sanctifies us releasing us from the burden of following the law due to the power of grace which has been given us in the Holy Spirit.

We can then truly follow God’s word to light our lives versus setting our minds to the flesh. We have been freed from the law of sin and death. Now we have the power to incline our hearts to the Spirit within us – power over our sinful natures.

As Paul put it, “To set the mind on the flesh is death but those who set/incline their hearts to the Spirit is life and peace.” Amen.

 

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