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Power to Overcome

now the body is not for sexual immorality rather the Lord's  and the Lord's the body that now God also raising the Lord also raises us up through his power (1 Corinthians 6:13-14)

Yes, there will be a resurrection of the body, we "who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). Thus as Hebrews 9:28 says we are awaiting our salvation and Romans 8:18-19 says the suffering of this world is light compared to the weight of glory being revealed in us, the revelation as sons of God. The Spirit is a great testimony that testifies we are his children, a Spirit of Adoption, given to those that are chosen, who are predestined for adoption (Romans 8:16; Ephesians 1:4-7). And those he adopted he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, and these he justified, and glorifies. The Spirit is interceding for us, helping us in our weakness, to bring about the purpose of God, our glorification (Romans 8:23-29). So those whom God has chosen, he has adopted through the Spirit. Though it will not be brought to fullness until we receive salvation and redemption of our bodies, the Spirit is raising us up, through the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

now, if the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one raising Christ from the dead also makes alive that your mortal bodies through his Spirit, the one living in you (Romans 8:11).

In Ephesians 2:1-8, Paul writes we were dead in our trespasses and sin and Christ made us alive and he raised us up and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. How can we now, be raised up and seated with him in the heavenlies? If we are spiritual and the Spirit of Christ dwells in us we can. It is amazing we became a new creation, born not of flesh but of the Spirit as Jesus said we must be to enter the kingdom of God. This understanding of our identity in Christ, in which we already sit with him in the heavenlies is powerful. The Spirit gives us power in our inner being, though we exist in this body of death, in which the Spirit groans for our liberty as sons of God, this body in which sin dwells and evil is near, governed by the law of sin and death now freed by the Spirit of life. Paul prays that we have such an experience of this which gives us a firm foundation, the power of the Spirit dwelling in us, Christ dwelling in hearts through faith, being rooted and founded in love. We see that being raised is both a future event and a present one, the Spirit raising Christ from the dead is raising us up, we are being revealed as sons of God. 

Beloved, at the present time existing God's children, and not yet revealed what existing, we know because when he is revealed we will be like him, because seeing him just as he is (1 John 3:2).

We do not know exactly what we will be like, but when we see him face to face we know we will be like him. But it is not that glory is not being revealed to us at the present, as children we see dimly but when we grow up we put away childish things, we see more clearly, we know as we are known, who we are in Christ, and we know that one day we will fully know and be known by him and be like him. "And everyone that has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). Which brings us back to the purpose of predestination, being chosen, that we would exist holy, blameless in his presence in love (Ephesians 1:4-5). God's Spirit lives in us and leads us into purity, sanctification, the putting off of the body of sin, putting it to death.

And some of you existed these but you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Is God grace and election inclusive of all people? Paul says so, some of you were these; sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers... Any of these, the unrighteous, can be washed and sanctified and justified. But can any of these be washed and sanctified and justified continue to live against the Spirit within them? There is the wretched state of a believer who has not found the ability to overcome, though he delights in the laws of God inwardly, because he is a new creation, he keeps dong the things he hates. There are children and their are sons of God, and "all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14, ESV). They have grown up into maturity. And maturity states this, "God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Having a firm foundation reveals sons from children, what Paul prays God would grant us; experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit raising us up, being established and built up in him in faith, rooted and founded in love. This firm foundation has the seal of being led by the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the body, to turn from iniquity. 

Now God also raising the Lord also will raise us through his power. Do you not know? because your body exists a member of Christ? Therefore do I take a member of Christ and make it a member of a prostitute? (1 Corinthians 12-20)

The church is expressed as the body of Christ and we are members. Paul here also uses the analogy that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is in me, though I am still in a body in which sin dwells and no good thing exists, that is in my flesh. If I join in body, with a prostitute, I become one in body but at the same time I am joined in Spirit with the Lord, thus the temple in which the Spirit resides, that my body, is defiled through sexual immorality. I am to glorify God in my body. Therefore there is no other sacrifice acceptable to God, no other reasonable service (Romans 12:1). You can't substitute serving and giving nor any other sacrifices in its place. 

"Now God also raising the Lord also will raise us through his power." 

This is the good news in regards to overcoming, this implies God will supply the power to overcome the desires of the flesh. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV). He chose you for this purpose and he doesn't change in regards to his purpose, thus he is working out all good things to those loved of Him, predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. He is working in us to will and to work according to his good pleasure. 

"... that you may be filled to the fullness of God. Now, the one powerful to do far beyond all which we ask or imagine according to the power, the one working within us, to him be glory in the Church..." (Ephesians 3:19-21). 

Overcoming might seem impossible, but our God can do far more than we could ever imagine, you were called to overcome, God will make it happen through the power working within you, renewing you day by day, deeply rooting and founding in love and rooting and building up in him and establishing in faith. To him be the glory, for all time. 

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