Sometimes people get the wrong idea about the life of the Spirit. They think it is a frowny-faced

life, no fun, where everything we “enjoy” becomes forbidden. Or maybe we are so bad, so sinful, that

God will reject us. Or because God forgives us of our sinful ways, we can intentionally continue our

badness, making God’s grace meaningless.

Christ’s Apostle Paul (nee Saul) thought and wrote a lot about this, particularly to the growing

church in Rome. Warning: if you read his letter, you may find it tough going (Peter did too: he said,

“sometimes our brother Paul says things which are hard to understand!”). But try just three chapters;

chapters six, seven and eight.

Paul discusses why we have laws at all; laws exist because sometimes we’ve become so numb

and idiotic that we can’t even see how hurtful our actions, words, or consuming lifestyles have become.

He knew about this; he was a champion Jesus-persecutor who experienced a virtual lightning bolt. Paul

wrote, “Christ died for us all, even while we were yet sinners,” describing the gracious love Jesus

demonstrates towards everyone. If we could ever be Perfect Enough by our own efforts, we wouldn’t

ever need Jesus, right?

On the other hand, “shall we persist in sin, so that there may be all the more grace?” Nope,

nada, nix. We aren’t supposed to put our minds, hearts, and bodies at sin’s disposal, as enslavement

tools. That would hurt others of course, but hurt us even more by transgressing the greatest

commandments: to love one another as Christ loved us, and our neighbors as ourselves.

Rather than live on a purely human level, Paul asks that we live on a spiritual level, where the

Holy Spirit lives within us (the Secret of the Universe). Don’t look for perfection though, only God is

perfect; look for an awareness of the higher way, cooperating with the Spirit to make the best life for

yourself and those around you. All are welcome at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: Sunday service at 10 a.m.

and coffee hour afterwards.