Spirit verses the flesh

Posted by writer on October 12th, 2008 at 11:56am

Practicality of Life in the Spirit

To most people living in the Spirit, or living according to the Spirit is merely an ideology or a theory; something rather nebulous, vague and far-fetched.

But is living in the Spirit realistic, and practical as living in the flesh?

 

Living in the Spirit is as realistic and practical as living in the flesh. It is at variance or at odds with the life in the flesh. The are fighting each other, pulling you apart to their opposite direction, leaving you in frustration.5:16-17).

 

The conflict between the life in the flesh [sin—every one doing what is right in his/her own eyes] which leads to death, and the life in the Spirit [righteousness– obedience to God’s laws], which leads to holiness and resulting in everlasting life is so real, and intense, caused the Apostle to lament saying, “I do not understand what I do. I do what I dislike, and fail to do what I want to do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me, that is, in my sinful nature [flesh]. There is the desire to do what is good, but it goes against my natural carnal nature. What I do is not really what I have in my heart to do, but the evil which I was accustomed of doing, this is what I keep on doing. It is sin that dwells in my sinful flesh, that causes me to do the things which I hate, it is no longer my desire to do them. I find this power at work, when I want to do good, evil is right there. In my renewed mind, my delight is to fulfill the law of righteousness, but there is another law at work in my flesh, fighting against the law of my mind, and holding me captive. How despicable!

who is going to pay the ransom and save me from this body of death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:15-25).

 

Life is a choice we all have to make. A choice to either be a slave to righteousness, or a slave to sin [man’s independent human nature, everyone doing what seems right in his/her own eyes] .

We are instructed by the apostle Paul saying; “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom. 6:16).

 

The life in the Spirit is so real and practical, the Apostle Paul had to admonish us by saying; “I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you once yielded your members to impurity, and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield you members to righteousness for sanctification.6:19)

 

Jesus Christ delivered. Having been liberated from the power of sin, we now become subject to obedience unto righteousness.6:18Now since the life in the Spirit is as literal and practical as the life in the flesh, the question is, “How is this life sustained and nourished?”

We know that the life in the flesh is sustained by the breath of air. It is being sustained by water, food, exercise, rest and sleep.

How do we maintain the development and growth of the life in the Spirit?

The life in the Spirit is sustained by:-

 

Believe in Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. If you believe what the scriptures said concerning me, out of your inner being, will flow streams of living water.” By this He meant the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 6:37-39).  Jesus also told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and who ever lives and believes in me will never die. Is this true? (Jn.11:25-26).

The life in the Spirit is nourished by:-

 

(a) Exercising the Word of God.

 

 Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and life.6:63). Man should try and live by every word which comes out from the mouth of God, and not to depend solely on the physical sustenance. 4:4).

It is through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and by imitating him, is the life in the spirit renewed, and grow in stature.3:10).

Consequently, we are to flourish in grace and knowledge of our lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Living by the word of God.

 

(b) By partaking of the living bread from heaven.

 

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life, your father ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which descended from heaven, so that one may eat of it and live forever. I shall give my flesh for the life of the world. This is the living bread which came down from heaven. if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live for ever.6:48-51).

 

How can Christ give us His flesh to eat?

 

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For, truly my flesh is food, and my blood is drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever” (JN. 6:48-58).

 

On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it and said, “Take, eat this is my body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He said, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28).

This is what nourishes the new man, and keeps him free from sin.

It is everyone's prerogative to decide for him/her self how often he/she wants to nourish the new man, and remain holy just as everyone has the prerogative to decide for themselves how often they want to nourish their physical life .

 

 But take heed, everyone shall reap exactly what he/she sows. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

 

Tags: http://luciusministry-luciusblog.blogspot.com

Under General