Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. (Romans 8:12-14)
I am an intellectually simple person who therefore, by default, keeps the seemingly complicated things simple. And that is how I read the Bible. I read and study the Bible in a simple way to understand what God intended all people – including the simple – to know about Him, His plans, purposes and will. The Bible was meant to be simple to understand. It is when we read it with the wrong mindset of one looking for deep mysteries supposedly reserved for only spiritual giants or the super-intelligent that we miss the simple basics our uncomplicated God wanted to communicate.
Having said that, let me give you my simple paraphrase (which I believe is correct) of our aforementioned passage (Romans 8:12-14):
“Therefore Christians, we should not make a sport of sin. Otherwise, we shall die spiritually and go to hell where the spiritually dead end up. But if by the Spirit who God put within us to cause us to walk in His commandments (Ezekiel 36:27) we refuse to make a sport of sin, we shall remain spiritually alive and eventually live with our Father God forever. For the sons and daughters of God are only those Christians who agree with the Spirit within them (and are therefore enabled) not to make a sport of sin.”
Now, lest you think that my simplified paraphrase is erroneous and heretic, read this scripture that Hillary Turyagyenda brought to my attention:
Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
You have read it for yourself: sons and daughters of God are those who separate themselves from spiritual filthiness. By the Spirit of God within them they mortify the evil works of the flesh (Romans 8:13). And, didn’t Jesus say, “Blessed are the peacemakers (for example), For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9)?
As you can see, Obulokole (salvation) is not “for playing”. We should, by the help of the Spirit of God, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Otherwise, if we make a sport of sin, we shall disqualify ourselves from being sons and daughters of God and thereby end up in hell with another father, the devil. As it written, “Pursue . . . holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14)
Be well.