Life by the spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17

In discussions with several brothers recently, I heard the painful results of failure to heed Paul’s advice for us to live by the spirit. These men related stories of hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions, all “acts of the sinful nature” enumerated in Galatians 5:20. And yes, these would be bad enough in the workplace, these were in their churches.

I think that sometimes, we who call ourselves by the name of Christ, try to pretend that we are above the fray of secular life and live in bubble of love and extraordinary compassion which protect us from being human. My experience tells me that it is just the opposite. It seems to me that the evil one frolics among and vacations with the godless, but does his most serious work among those who are trying to live his message. His brilliant two pronged strategy is to weaken and divide those who worship him along religious, legalistic lines and then use those divisions to reinforce the view of Christians as bigoted hypocrites who have more questions than solutions.

I don’t think we need to be theologians or biblical scholars to understand that what is needed in our hearts and in our congregations is for us to simply reject this sinful nature and accept Paul’s charge to Timothy to live by the spirit; But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6

Bless you brothers, live this day in peace, in His Word.