The passage I read
was Galatians 5:16-26
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
As I reflect:
Today’s passage starts out telling us to walk by the Spirit
as to not gratify the flesh. There are
many struggles with sin that I have had and even today constantly must battle
against. There are temptation on every
side of me just as all of us are tempted greatly to sin daily against our
God. This is one of the reasons we pray
the he lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. However, it would not be the characteristic
of God to simply remove all temptation and by doing so remove all free will to
chose who we follow and what we do. God
allows us this freedom otherwise our service to Him would bring no glory. Paul
talks briefly about this constant battle that is waging in all of our
lives. It’s not that one day we came to
jesus and no we no longer struggle to overcome evil. Rather the opposite. Before we came unto a saving knowledge of
Christ, we battled no sin. No we are
engaged in a great war and upon receiving this revelation we must daily chose
to take up our cross and do battle against the enemy. Paul put’s it this way, “For the flesh
desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
flesh. They are in conflict with each
other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” There is a Christian performer who puts it in
more eloquent terms with music.
Watch
his video here and follow along with the lyrics if you’d like:
Paul then continues in verse 18 saying, “But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
There are many a Jew that would disregard this verse and in fact much of
the new testament simply on the premise of believing this to empower one to sin
all they want and claim it as freedom from the law. That is not what is meant here though. Boice said it well as, “Life by the Spirit is neither legalism nor
license - nor a middle way between them. It is a life of faith and
love that is above all of these false ways.” And Paul reiterated in more detail in Romans
8:1-4 saying, “ 1 Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free
from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was
powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And
so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
In these passages and quotes we can clearly see that freedom
in the Spirit is not mean to be interpreted as a license to sin. It is instead an antidote for those who are
attempting to live by the law and finding themselves in constant failure
because the flesh is in fact so weak.
Can’t stop living in sin? Start
living by the Spirit and watch as change takes place. Stuck in a mire of self satisfaction? Replace the outer influence of the law with
the infer influence of the Holy Spirit.
Continuing on Paul gives some examples of acts of the flesh
(also known as the works of the flesh). It
is not an all inclusive list, so if you don’t see you sin on there, it doesn’t
mean it’s not a sin. But he hits some
big ones that most are familiar with and then says that those who “live like
this” won’t inherit the kingdom of God (that is Heaven and eternity with our
Savior). What it does not say is that
if you stumble and fall into the temptation of sin, that you are suddenly and irrevocably
condemned to Hell. Here Paul is speaking
not of “a” sin, but of a lifestyle of continuing in sin by choice. We as Christians do make mistakes and we
stumble and we sin. It’s just a fact of
living in the flesh. But, we sin far
less when we live by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. WE sin less when we listen to that still
small voice and resist the flesh’s desires.
We sin less when we fellowship with other Holy Spirit filled believers
whom the Spirit also uses to influence and support us. We do not become sinless perfect beings who
never make a mistake, for we are after all still living in a body of flesh this
side of eternity.
Paul’s final paragraph for today’s reflection time starts
with, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love”, and it could end right there and
no further words would be needed because love encompasses all that follows in
the paragraph. Go ahead, read it. Love encompasses it all. All the acts of the flesh in the previous
paragraph cannot be done in this love because all of them contort are go
directly against what love it. The exhortation
to believers from this passage (at least one of the many that could be taken
from it and applied) is that we walk in the Spirit and live in a way that God’s
love is evident in us and being shared through us. With this focal point in our lives we will
have far greater victory over the enemy as he daily attempts to lead us into
temptation and evil. Let there be
evidence of the Holy Spirit living in you as you display the fruit of that relationship.
My response:
Lord, I asked long ago that your Holy Spirit would come into
my heart; my life and change me from within.
Open my eyes, ears, and heart to continue not only receiving your word
in this manner, but also that I would apply every word. I don’t ask to be filled with fruit for my
sake alone but to further your kingdom and to do your will. I ask every morning to be guided by your
Spirit that I not fall into those temptations that are laid as traps before me. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” “lead me not into temptation but deliver me
from evil”. These are the things that I
pray. I know that I cannot do it alone,
nor do I intend to, but rather I fall at your feet and pray that every step be
Holy Spirit filled; every word like a fiery sword slaying my enemies and
reaching into the hearts of men with love to cause change. My Father I pray not only for your Spirit to
save me from my own flesh, but that you would use me to draw others to you so
that they too may be saved from their flesh.
In the name of Jesus I pray.
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