THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Epistle of Paul to Romans
Message Four—Living in the Mingled Spirit
Scripture Reading: Rom. 1:9; 7:6; 8:4-6, 14, 16; 12:4-5; 16:16b
I. The book of Romans reveals the eight stages of the Christian life: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
A. We were born sinful and under the righteous judgment of God—1:18—3:20. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
B. We have been justified through the redemption of Christ and regenerated by the Spirit—3:24; cf. 5:16. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
C. We realize that we were born in Adam and thus inherited sin and death— vv. 12-21. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
D. We have been baptized into Christ and are now in Christ—6:3. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
E. In Romans 7 we see a person striving and struggling in himself to do good, to keep the law of God, and to please God—vv. 18-19, 21-22. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
F. In Romans 8:1-17 we see one who walks according to the Spirit in the regenerated human spirit. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
G. The Lord arranges all things to work together for our conformation—vv. 28-30. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
H. According to the picture in Romans 12, the believers are living in the Body of Christ and are practicing the Body life. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
II. In Romans we can see that God became man so that, in God’s complete salvation, sinners may be redeemed, regenerated, sanctified, renewed, transformed, conformed, and glorified to become the sons of God, who are the same as God in life and nature, to be the members of the organic Body of Christ—8:3; 1:3-4; 3:24; 5:10; 8:14, 29-30; 12:4-5. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
III. The will of God is to obtain a Body for Christ to be His fullness, His expression—Rev. 4:11; Eph. 1:5, 9, 22-23; 5:17: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
A. According to Romans 12, the will of God is for us mutually to be members one of another, coordinating to be the Body of Christ and living the Body life—vv. 2, 4-5. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
B. We coordinate and serve together in the Body of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ in order to accomplish God’s New Testament economy—vv. 6-11; Eph. 4:16; 1:10; 3:9; 1 Tim. 1:4. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
IV. The focal point of the book of Romans is the Body of Christ—12:4-5: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
A. The Body is the channel on earth through which Christ continues His ministry from the heavens—Eph. 1:22-23. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
B. If we neglect the Body of Christ, we do not have the focus of the Christian life, and we do not have the proper goal, aim, and direction in our Christian life. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
C. Consecration is for the Body of Christ; the purpose of consecration is for us to realize the Body of Christ and to live the Body life—Rom. 12:1-2. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
V. The mingled spirit is the unique organ for God to bring forth and build up the Body of Christ—1:9; 7:6; 8:4, 14, 16; 12:4-5, 11: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
A. We must serve God in the regenerated spirit by the life-giving Spirit, not in the soul by the power and ability of the soul—1:9. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
B. In order to reign in life for the Body life, we must be in the mingled spirit— 5:17, 21. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
C. The mingled spirit is a source of newness in our service to God—7:6. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
D. The secret of God’s organic salvation is the Spirit with our spirit—5:10; 8:16. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
E. The Body of Christ is an organism composed of a group of people who live, walk, and have their being according to the mingled spirit—vv. 4-6. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
F. The mingled spirit is the spirit of sonship; if we are led by the Spirit in our spirit, we are sons of God in reality—vv. 14-15. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
G. We need to pray in the mingled spirit—vv. 26-27. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
H. In the mingled spirit we live a life of the highest virtues for the Body of Christ— 12:9-21. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
I. In the mingled spirit we live to the Lord and not to ourselves—14:7-9. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
J. In the mingled spirit we live the kingdom life with righteousness, peace, and joy—v. 17. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
K. When we live in the mingled spirit, we can be of the same mind, and with one accord and one mouth we can glorify God—15:5-6. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
VI. Because Romans 12 is concerned with the function of the Body of Christ, it speaks of the Body from the angle of the organic union—vv. 4-5: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
A. As we remain in the organic union, abiding in Christ as branches in the vine, we are actually living in the Body of Christ—John 15:1, 4-5. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
B. The living of the Body life in the organic union with Christ involves our entire tripartite being—Rom. 12:1-2: (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
1. We need to present our body a living sacrifice to God—v. 1. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
2. We have to be renewed in the mind for the transformation of our soul—vv. 2-3. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)
3. We need to be burning in spirit with God as the fire—v. 11; Heb. 12:29. (2006 TGC, msg. 2)