The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 326: Life in the Spirit (2023)

Episode Date: November 22, 2023

Fr. Mike discusses the ministry of the apostles and encourages us to allow God to work in our lives in the same way. He also reminds us that through Baptism, we are set free from our fallen human nature and given the freedom to live according to the spirit. Today’s readings are from Acts 5, Romans 8, and Proverbs 27:7-9. If you have found this podcast to be helpful in your faith life and would like to help us continue bringing this Catholic media to as many people as possible, please consider making an ongoing financial gift at ascensionpress.com/support. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Before we get started, I just wanted to offer a quick thank you to all those who have supported the Catechism in a Year or the Bible in a Year podcast. We hear stories every day about how those shows have transformed people's lives, and because of your prayers and financial gifts, you are a significant part of that. You might ask a question, though. The question is, what does Ascension do with these financial gifts? Great question. The answer is, we make authentically Catholic podcasts and videos and other digital content

to help people know the Catholic faith and grow closer to God. And we do it all for free. If you found this podcast to be helpful in your life and would like to help us continue making free Catholic content we can post online, please consider making a financial contribution, an ongoing financial contribution by going to ascensionpress.com support. That's ascensionpress.com support. That's ascensionpress.com support. Thank you and God bless. Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 326. We're reading the Acts of

the Apostles, chapter 5, and Romans, St. Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 8, as well as Proverbs, chapter 27, verses 7 through 9. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on Subscribe and receiving daily episodes and daily updates.

As I noted, today's day 326. I think I said that. We're only reading two chapters. One is Acts chapter five and the other is Romans chapter eight. Pretty phenomenal chapters, really big deal chapters when it comes to Romans. Well, of course, 5 and the other is Romans chapter 8. Pretty phenomenal chapters, really big deal chapters when it comes to Romans. Well, of course, all of the Bible is inspired, but Romans chapter 8 is very significant. So again, Acts of the Apostles chapter 5,

St. Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 8, as well as Proverbs chapter 27, verses 7 through 9. The Acts of the Apostles chapter 5, Ananias and Sapphira. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it

remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. But Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Listen, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out. Immediately, she fell down at his feet and died.

When the young man came in, they found her dead and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. The apostles heal many. Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles, and they were all together in Solomon's portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. The apostles are imprisoned and brought before the council. But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, Go, and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught.

Now the high priest came and those who were with him, and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported, We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it, we found no one inside. Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were very much perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest questioned

them saying, we strictly charge you not to teach in this name. Yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teachings, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things. And so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those

who obey him. When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while. And he said to them, Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men. For before these days Theodos arose, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. But he was slain, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you,

keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail. But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God. So they took his advice. And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

And every day in the temple and at home, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8. Life in the Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh,

in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh. You are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not

belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his spirit who dwells in you. So then, 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 all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit

of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, Abba, Father, it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. The Glory to be Revealed I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning with labor pains together until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,

groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now, hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men

knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. And those he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. God's love in Christ Jesus. What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all,

will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, who is to condemn. It is Christ Jesus who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Book of Proverbs, chapter chapter 27 verses 7 through 9. He who is sated loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you so much. Thank you for giving us your word today. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, to dwell in

us, to guide us, to put to death the works of the flesh and to give us life in the spirit, to set us free from slavery and to give us the true freedom as sons and daughters of you, your own sons and daughters who can call you father in the midst of this world. Father in heaven, we thank you. We praise you. Dad, we praise you and we love you. In Jesus' name, amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Okay, gosh, you guys, did I not say, did I not say that Acts of the Apostles chapter five and chapter eight of St. Paul's letter to the Romans was going to be bonkers, completely bonkers today. Oh my gosh, I can't even begin. Where do you even start? Okay, so here's the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Right before this, I don't know if you remember this, but in chapter four, we had a guy named

Joseph, who's also named Barnabas, meaning some of the encouragement who had sold the field, which belonged to him. He brought the money, laid it at the apostle's feet. Here's Ananias and Sapphira, and they're kind of sort of doing the same thing, but they're not actually doing the same thing. They're working under the pretense of honesty or under the pretense of generosity. And that's the problem here. And one of the things that happens, obviously, is for us as well. I mean, even Peter says this. He says, while you owned the piece of property, wasn't it yours to do whatever you wanted to do with it? Even after you sold it, you could do whatever you wanted to do with the money. But the problem is you made a pretense. You made a show of

saying that you were giving everything when you weren't giving everything. That's the issue. The issue is not that, oh, you only gave X amount of money. That's not the issue. The issue is you made a pretense. The issue is, remember, how many times did Jesus condemn those who are hypocrites? Again, being a hypocrite, the term hypocrite in Greek is the term for actor, right? I'm pretending to be someone that I'm not actually willing to be. Someone who wants to be seen as someone who they're not actually willing to be. They want to be seen as having a virtue that they're not willing to choose, if that makes any sense. And so here's Ananias and Sapphira. They have this pretense. They're hypocrites. And because of that, it costs them their life. At the same time,

starting in verse 12, the apostles are healing people like crazy. And that's such a remarkable thing. They even say that they laid people out so that Peter's shadow would pass over them. Because remember what Jeff had pointed out how many days ago, he said that Peter is kind of re-embodying what Jesus had done. And later on, Paul's going to be re-embodying what Jesus had done. And what's that a sign of? Not only of the fact that God used these super apostles, right? And what's that a sign of?

Not only of the fact that God used these super apostles, right? These two apostles in remarkable ways, but also that we're called to allow the Lord to work in our way, our lives in a similar way. Now, I love this next story about how the apostles are imprisoned and brought before the council. Now, I read this story and maybe we might've mentioned this in that conversation with Jeff again. This would be my last reference to that conversation. But one of the things that strikes me always is when I read this story, I am reading it and you and I are

reading it from the perspective of it's already been done. It's already been lived. The story's already been written. And yet those apostles that were brought before the Sadducees, that were brought before the council, the story hadn't been written. They were filled, I imagine, with a high degree of uncertainty, having no idea how is this gonna play out, how is this gonna hash out. And yet, even in the midst of that uncertainty, they were filled with boldness. Remember that prayer from yesterday,

that prayer for boldness, for courage, for the willingness to stand up and say, I'm actually not going to go along with whatever you're asking me to go along with. We ordered you, did we not, to cease speaking that name, that you filled the whole city with that name. And that's incredible, right? So often we're told as Christians to stop speaking, stop living in the name of Jesus

Christ. And here are Peter and the other apostles saying, we cannot but speak in the name of Jesus. And he says in verse 29, we must obey God rather than men. That is so, so crucial for every single one of us. And you know what happened? They heard it and they were super happy. They're like, you know what? We're inspired by you. That's incredible. We want to be Christians too. No, verse 33 says, when they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. Peter gives witness. The apostles give witness to this. Say, no, we saw Jesus raised from the dead. We're going to bear witness to

these things. You can tell us not to speak in his name, but we must obey God rather than men. The result, we want to kill them. Gamaliel, of course, stands up and points out that there's other people who had followers, other people who died. And then what happened to those followers? They fell away. Those followers became followers. Oh man, I just made up a term. Oh, you got to write that down because it's going to come up again. Followers became followers. You guys, boom, mind blown.

Gamaliel says, if this is of God, you can't fight it. If it's of men, they're going to become followers. Okay, that's the last time I say that. But if this is of man, it's going to be over with in a day. If it's of God, you will find yourselves battling the Lord himself. And you do not want to be battling the Lord himself. The last thing about Acts chapter 5 is, so they took his advice. And when they had called them the apostles, they beat them

and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So yeah, they didn't kill them. They only scourged them essentially. They only beat them. What was the apostle's response? It wasn't indignation. I got to tell you, if I came before the government and because of my faith in Jesus, I was arrested for a couple of days or whatever it was, you know, if at some point they tortured me and then let me go, I would be indignant, right? I would be relatively put out. I'll say it like that. What's the apostle's response? The apostle's response is, then they left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. That's incredible. Rejoicing that they may counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

And remember what Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount, in the Sermon on the Plain. He said, blessed are you when they hate you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice in that day for your reward will be great in heaven. Here are the apostles doing literally exactly what Jesus told them to do. When you're found rejected, when you're found abandoned, when you're found abused for the name of Jesus because of your faith in Christ, rejoice on that day. And every day, and at home and in the temple, they did not cease teaching and preaching

in the name of Jesus Christ. That's incredible. Incredible as well, Acts, sorry, Acts of the Apostles. Nope, letters of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter eight, life in the spirit. Oh my gosh. You guys, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because you have the law and you have the law of the spirit. We have to put to death the things of the flesh. I mentioned this yesterday, that St. Paul, when he's referring to the flesh,

he's not referring to our bodies. He's not rejecting the body. We are our bodies. What human beings are is body and soul duality, right? We're a body and soul composite. We're embodied soul or we're in soul bodies. Either way, we are our bodies, right? So, and we are our souls. So he's not criticizing the fact that we have flesh. When he says flesh, he's referring to the fallen human nature that we are. And basically saying you can live according to that. You can live according to your fallen nature and say, well, because I feel this, because I'm attracted this way, that's how I act. And a lot of people do that. They say, well, well, this feels right. Therefore, that's how I'm going to live. Or this is what I'm attracted to. Therefore, that's what I'm going to choose. And yet St. Paul is saying, you're set free from this.

you're set free from this. You actually have the ability, not only the ability, you have this freedom to be able to live according to the law of the Spirit. And if the Spirit of God really dwells in you, you are no longer in the flesh, you're in the Spirit. He goes on to say, and this is verse 9, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirit's alive because of righteousness. And not only that, you know, I mentioned in the prayer today, and maybe I mentioned this before, that Jesus has revealed that God is our dad. And we sometimes use the term father, right? We often use the term father, but he gave us the term Abba, which ultimately, if you're going to boil it down, ultimately is that closeness of the word father, which would

be papa or would be dad. And so I apologize again for anyone who is bothered by that. And yet we need to have that healed in us. We need to have that healed in us because yes, we have bad histories. Many of us have bad histories with our fathers, or you have great history with your father, but it's a weird thing. And yet, St. Paul says, you did not, in verse 15, you did not receive the spirit of slavery

to fall back into fear. You have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry Abba, or dad, father, it is the spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Oh my gosh, you guys, someday in the next couple of days, I will make this big point. And this big point is, I'll say it right now, and then we'll back it up later on. The big point is that every human being is not necessarily automatically a child of

God. Every human being is a beloved creature of God. Absolutely. That God himself gave his only begotten son so everyone would have life. Every human being on this planet, every human being who's ever lived is a beloved creature of God. But we become God's sons and daughters through adoption. We become God's sons and daughters through baptism. We become God's sons and daughters

when we're given the Holy Spirit. And so that's what St. Paul is saying. When we receive the Spirit, then we get to actually say, Abba, Father. But before we're given the Holy Spirit, we're not. Before we're baptized, we're not able to say, Abba, Father, because it is baptism that makes us sons and daughters of God. Now, in a certain way, you know, God the Creator is kind of like, kind of sort of like a father

to all the creatures he makes, of course. But we're truly made sons and daughters of God in the power of the Holy Spirit when we are baptized. And that's a big thing. Maybe it'll come back up because the letters of the New Testament make that point abundantly clear. Last thing. Oh my gosh, you guys, how incredible is verse 18 and following? I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. I wonder if that's true in my life. Do I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to

be revealed in us? I think it was St. Teresa of Avila who said that at the end of our lives in heaven, she said, even the worst life will seem like a night spent in a bad motel compared to the glory and the joy and the love of heaven. That even the worst life on earth will seem like a night spent in a bad motel, which we trust in. We believe that God loves us that deeply. Here's the last line, last word. Verses 31 to the end of chapter 8. If God is for us, who's against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all,

will he not also give us all things with him? And he goes on to say, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or the sword? No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I'm convinced, I'm sure, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. What St. Paul is making, this is the last point here, I apologize. What St. Paul, the point he's making is that there is no force on earth.

There is no amount of evil on this earth that can take you out of God's hands. It's interesting and worth praying about that St. Paul doesn't mention the one force that can take us out of God's hand, that can take us out of relationship with God, and that is sin. All these other forces are external forces. No one, no matter how much they hurt you, no matter how much they abuse you or use you, no one can take you out of the Father's hand. The only one who can is ourselves through sin. And so we have to say, okay, God, I know that there's no external force. There's no power,

not even a demon or an angel who can take me out of your hand. So since I'm the only one who can walk away, I'm the only one who can separate myself from you and your love. Help me to never, never separate myself from you and your love through sinning, through rebelling against you, through saying, I want to do what I want to do. I'll leave you. Help me never, Lord. Help me never to wander away. That's a tall order. And if I do wander, Lord, bring me back.

This is a gift. What an incredible gift today. I'm sorry this is so long, but it's just only two chapters, but so much to say. So much gift today. And so last thing is I'm praying for you please pray for me my name is Father Mike

I cannot wait to see you tomorrow God bless