But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.
Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God.
God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.
So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want.
If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.
(Romans 8:9-13 ERV)
We can believe something with our mind or heart. When belief is anchored in our heart, it impacts our thinking and choices. Belief in the mind doesn't always transfer to the heart and will of a person.
Belief in God needs to go beyond conceptual understanding and become relational trust. Then it becomes genuine faith. True faith is not a matter of correct doctrine or theological beliefs, it's based on a personal relationship with God.
Unless our faith is grounded in relationship, our belief will lack power to bring transformation. Spiritual transformation, real life change, must take place internally and spiritually, not just mentally.
This will only take place when we have a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Then we will have God's Spirit—the Holy Spirit—and God's power living in us, in our heart, our inner being.
Transformation doesn't come through correct beliefs and will power, but through the work of God's Spirit within us. The indwelling presence and power of God's Spirit in us shows we truly belong to Christ. ©Word-Strong_2016