Don’t Just Call Yourself Saved. Walk Like You Are.

There is a clear and eternal divide between living according to the flesh and living according to the Spirit of God. To live by the flesh is to be governed by our natural, sinful impulses, driven by selfish ambition, pride, lust, greed, and every craving that elevates self over God's will. It is a life that centers on temporary satisfaction, yet it leads inevitably to destruction. The apostle Paul makes it plain in Romans that this way of life is subject to the law of sin and death, a principle that states plainly that sin always results in separation from God and ultimately, spiritual death.

In contrast, those who belong to Christ are no longer bound to the flesh. We have been made alive by the Spirit, and now we are called to live by the Spirit. This is not merely a change in lifestyle. It is a total transformation of identity. Paul is not just speaking about doing different things but about becoming a different kind of person altogether. When the Spirit of God dwells in us, He reshapes our desires, renews our thinking, and redirects our focus.

One of the most evident distinctions between these two ways of living lies in where we set our minds. Those who live according to the flesh fix their thoughts and affections on what gratifies the flesh, earthly pleasures, personal gain, human pride. But those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on spiritual realities: truth, holiness, love, obedience, and the eternal purposes of God. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile toward God, unable to submit to Him or even to please Him. It walks in rebellion, whether knowingly or unknowingly. But the mind governed by the Spirit is in harmony with God. It brings life. It brings peace.

This is the beautiful contrast: while the flesh breeds chaos, restlessness, guilt, and decay, the Spirit produces clarity, contentment, confidence in Christ, and eternal life. Romans 8:2 declares that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. That means we're not only forgiven. We are liberated. We’ve been taken off the path that was leading us to ruin, and we've been placed on the path that leads to life.

But freedom in Christ is not the end. It is the beginning of a new journey. Salvation is not a static moment; it is the start of a walk. When God saves us, He doesn't simply transfer our name from one list to another. He turns us around and sets us walking a different direction entirely. The Christian life is marked by movement, an active, Spirit-led progression toward God and away from sin.

So we fix our minds on the things of the Spirit not because it’s a religious checklist, but because that’s who we are now. We are children of God, born again into a new nature. We no longer belong to the old path. We’ve abandoned it. Our eyes are on Christ. Our hearts are in step with the Spirit. And every day, we walk this road of righteousness, not by our strength, but by the power of the Spirit who lives in us.

This is the life of a believer, not a return to the old ways, not a compromise with the flesh, but a continual pursuit of the things of God. We don’t merely visit the path of life. We abide on it. The world behind us, the cross before us. This is the call. This is the difference. And this is the only way to truly live.

The Prayer of Salvation

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from them. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that He died on the cross for my sins. I believe that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. I invite You to come into my heart and take control of my life. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen