Anyone with debt of any size knows the strangulating feeling of being financially obligated to other people or institutions who essentially own part of you. Paul uses the language of debt in Romans 8:12 to illustrate the spiritual reality of debt to the flesh and argues that this is a bondage that sons and daughters of God no longer need to endure.

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”

Prior to being justified by faith in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit all people are in debt to the flesh. In our pre-justified state we are under the dominion and obligation of sin which holds the ‘note’ on our lives, and every breath and every action is an act of servitude to the demands and desires of our sinful flesh. Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, cancels the debt and, in atoning blood, writes on the note “paid in full.”

But interestingly, Jesus doesn’t uproot us instantly from the sinful neighborhood in which we live here on earth. No, I’m not talking about the rowdy neighbors who live next door or who occupy the office or the locker next to yours. I’m talking about a neighbor much closer to us than these–our own flesh! That’s right; in case you haven’t noticed, as a Christian, even though you have a new heart and are counted as righteous in God’s sight, you still live in a body of flesh complete with plenty of remaining sinful desires. Our neighbor, the flesh, often comes calling, asking us for things. The flesh is like that neighbor who always craves more junk than he needs, but is terrible with money, and has no credit. When he asks you to co-sign a loan, you know perfectly well you’re going to be on the hook, but yet it’s so  tempting to be ‘neighborly’ and help out.

Solomon offers these words in Proverbs 6:1-5:

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

Just as we should gladly help our neighbors (even irresponsible ones) when we see them hurting or in need, we should not withhold from our flesh what it needs to survive: food, water, shelter, medical care, etc. But offering to help our neighbor the flesh fulfill its sinful wants and cravings is spiritually perilous! The choice is ours, but the consequence is severe. As Paul says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die.” We are under no obligation to the flesh!

As Christians we all fall prey to the pleadings of our flesh for selfish things–we all become debtors to the flesh on occasion. But God has given us the super-natural assistance of the Holy Spirit to free ourselves from the flesh’s debt-trap. As Paul says: “but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

To hear more about the benefits of the Spirit of Adoption click the image above to listen to Sunday’s message from Romans 8:12-17.