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| Walk in the Spirit |
When someone says it so much better than you can then it is
time to repeat what they have said and become silent yourself on the subject.
This is what I have chosen to do by repeating what David C. Needham has
written.
For the non-Christian the combined will to live - - to discover
meaning finds expression in what Paul calls “the deeds of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21The acts of the flesh are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft;
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God
The first three “deeds” immorality, impurity, and
sensuality, obviously relate to man’s attempts to get meaning through his body,
his glands and senses, his fantasies.
Idolatry is very broad. An idolater is one who has made up
his mind on where and how he will find life. And whatever it is, he will work
feverishly to get it, guard it, sacrifice to it and worship it. To lose it is
to lose life
Sorcery focuses on the search for meaning in the occult.
Enmities, strife, jealousy, and outbursts of anger reflect
the standard reactions of one who is frustrated with a given set of
circumstances. Either some supposed meaning in life has been taken from him, or
threatened, or kept just beyond his reach.
Disputes, dissensions, and factions point to conflicting
ideologies as to where life really is.
Where the values are.
Envying - is clear enough. Someone else has made it and I
want it.
The final two deeds drunkenness and carousing evidence the
fact I have given up. I have no will to seek meaning anymore. I have tried to
make some sense out of life but now I’m through trying. I want out.
The
deeds of the flesh are symptoms of being “Caught in a trap and can’t walk
out”. We find this conundrum expressed
in
Romans 7 So
I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with
me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work
in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the
law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from
this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who
delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Still struggling with the “Flesh Malady? Its time to stop
struggling and accept your deliverance in Christ.
Thank you Robert for sharing your inspiring post with us here at Tell me a Story.
ReplyDeleteappreciate this
ReplyDeleteVery truthful! Worldwide much of the idols are expanded and used significantly. I'm a heart-breaker...and a daily, momentary worshiper of and for our Lord. Thank you.
ReplyDelete