Spirit or Flesh?
Romans 8:1 says "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." NKJV
This verse happens to be a very popular one in Christian circles so I have known it for quite sometime now. However, it was only about a month or so ago that I finally got to grasp its full meaning. A common mistake in the church is to focus on the promises in the Bible and ignore or give much less emphasis to the clauses/conditions attached to those promises. This mistake is very much the case with respect to the verse above.
The promise of "no condemnation" is clearly only applicable to those who "do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit". So obviously after reading this, the question I should ask myself is; Do I walk by the flesh or by the Spirit? I identify as a Christian and I go to church, the answer should be obvious right? Unfortunately not. The mistake we often make is to assume that we certainly fall under the category of those who walk according to the Spirit just because we say we believe in Jesus and go to church regularly. I made that mistake for a long time until I came to the bitter realization that a lot of the time the promise in this verse did not apply to me. The flesh was mostly in control, not the Spirit. In those times I definitely felt condemnation, my conscience did not let me rest sought forgiveness in sincere repentance.
If this calls you to self-examination I am sure you are already giving yourself some sort of examination. Who is in control? I came to that this could not be analysed based on deliberate conscious actions on my part. Evidence of who is in control is seen in those natural instinctive responses to life, people and situations. The flesh is definitely in control when these responses are selfish, proud, malicious and impure. With the flesh in control, I just cannot help but act this way. By the time I realize it, its too late and I am left with the guilt of sin and the need for repentance. However, when the Spirit is in control, responding in love, patience, peace and humility would come naturally even in the most difficult of circumstances.
So if these actions are not deliberate and of our own strength, but a result of an effortless natural disposition, what can one do to make sure its the Spirit and not the flesh running things?
By feeding the Spirit and not the flesh.
When something is starved it is bound to die, and when something is well nourished it is bound to flourish. How do I starve the flesh and feed the Spirit? Now that is the million dollar question. Figuring out the answer to this question and taking action is the key to making sure the Spirit stays in control. Personally, I finally understood that two things determine who I am starving/feeding:
1. What I spend my time doing (prayer, Bible study, serving in the church/community OR gossiping, watching TV, browsing social media etc)
2. What I feed my mind with (movies watched, books read, conversations involved in etc)
Think about it and I am sure you will agree with me. Living a righteous life does not just happen. We have to make choices that favor the holiness we are pursuing. I encourage you to examine your life in this respect. In our fast paced, technology driven and morally decadent world, it is very easy to find oneself feeding the flesh and starving the Spirit. May this not be our portion in Jesus name. May we instead strive to exercise wisdom, discipline and self-control in order to feed the Holy Spirit in us and subdue our carnality. I also urge you to think more deeply about your favorite Bible verses. It will be tragic to miss out on promises we are aware of due to misinterpretation, disinterest, laziness or just plain carelessness. God help us all.
2015 was blessed. 2016 will be even more blessed, in Jesus name.
Happy New Year!
Romans 8:1 says "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." NKJV
This verse happens to be a very popular one in Christian circles so I have known it for quite sometime now. However, it was only about a month or so ago that I finally got to grasp its full meaning. A common mistake in the church is to focus on the promises in the Bible and ignore or give much less emphasis to the clauses/conditions attached to those promises. This mistake is very much the case with respect to the verse above.
The promise of "no condemnation" is clearly only applicable to those who "do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit". So obviously after reading this, the question I should ask myself is; Do I walk by the flesh or by the Spirit? I identify as a Christian and I go to church, the answer should be obvious right? Unfortunately not. The mistake we often make is to assume that we certainly fall under the category of those who walk according to the Spirit just because we say we believe in Jesus and go to church regularly. I made that mistake for a long time until I came to the bitter realization that a lot of the time the promise in this verse did not apply to me. The flesh was mostly in control, not the Spirit. In those times I definitely felt condemnation, my conscience did not let me rest sought forgiveness in sincere repentance.
If this calls you to self-examination I am sure you are already giving yourself some sort of examination. Who is in control? I came to that this could not be analysed based on deliberate conscious actions on my part. Evidence of who is in control is seen in those natural instinctive responses to life, people and situations. The flesh is definitely in control when these responses are selfish, proud, malicious and impure. With the flesh in control, I just cannot help but act this way. By the time I realize it, its too late and I am left with the guilt of sin and the need for repentance. However, when the Spirit is in control, responding in love, patience, peace and humility would come naturally even in the most difficult of circumstances.
So if these actions are not deliberate and of our own strength, but a result of an effortless natural disposition, what can one do to make sure its the Spirit and not the flesh running things?
By feeding the Spirit and not the flesh.
When something is starved it is bound to die, and when something is well nourished it is bound to flourish. How do I starve the flesh and feed the Spirit? Now that is the million dollar question. Figuring out the answer to this question and taking action is the key to making sure the Spirit stays in control. Personally, I finally understood that two things determine who I am starving/feeding:
1. What I spend my time doing (prayer, Bible study, serving in the church/community OR gossiping, watching TV, browsing social media etc)
2. What I feed my mind with (movies watched, books read, conversations involved in etc)
Think about it and I am sure you will agree with me. Living a righteous life does not just happen. We have to make choices that favor the holiness we are pursuing. I encourage you to examine your life in this respect. In our fast paced, technology driven and morally decadent world, it is very easy to find oneself feeding the flesh and starving the Spirit. May this not be our portion in Jesus name. May we instead strive to exercise wisdom, discipline and self-control in order to feed the Holy Spirit in us and subdue our carnality. I also urge you to think more deeply about your favorite Bible verses. It will be tragic to miss out on promises we are aware of due to misinterpretation, disinterest, laziness or just plain carelessness. God help us all.
2015 was blessed. 2016 will be even more blessed, in Jesus name.
Happy New Year!