Growing or Dying
In circumstances of nature, the only static things are not alive. Rocks, sand, water. Water seems to be non-static because it changes states from solid to liquid to gas, but each of those changes is still in the loop. It doesn’t grow. Rocks that are affected by water flowing over them get smooth, but they are still static, and not alive.
Everything that is alive in the natural world is in the process of growing or dying. When you were born of Yahweh – your second birth – your spirit was replaced with a spirit that has the nature of Yahweh. Your spirit is in your flesh, which is subject to the natural world. Your flesh is either growing or dying.
Your soul (your emotions, will, desire and your mind) is growing into the likeness of Jesus. You are being transformed by the renewing of your mind. That process does not plateau. Your soul is either growing or dying. A mind that dwells on things that are valuable to flesh is death. A mind that dwells on things that are valuable to spirit is life and peace.
As your life progresses, stop to rest frequently. Don’t stop to count your treasure or your accomplishments too frequently. Never stop growing on purpose.
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.
So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
(Romans 8:1-17 HCSB ©®)