Romans 8:13, ‘13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live’
Let us not waste time on things which are not profitable. We wish we would have enough time, when we are overloaded with work and we dare not waste our time. When we do get time, we tend to become lazy and do much less, wasting our time. Mostly we read news, browse our phones and we slowly get into this habit of getting some relief. This is a struggle we generally have, as youngsters. May not be same with everyone. Slowly we get addicted to this habit of seeking relief from anything we think of as, ‘stress’. It slowly grows into a kind of seeking pleasure.
Galatians 5:16,17, ‘16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please’.
Flesh, is together – the body and soul. We see the deeds of flesh here,
V19-23, ‘9Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God’.
Fruit of Spirit, we see, ‘22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law’.
Hebrews 4:12, ‘12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart’.
We see here that, it is the ‘Word of God’ that pierces, as far as the division of soul and spirit. It is the ‘Word of God’, revealing to us what are the deeds of flesh and let us become aware of the true intentions of our heart and get cleansed through the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit shows us how serious it is! We become a carnal person slowly, if we do not heed to the Word of God.
Galatians 5:5, ‘For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.’
God had cleansed us and made us righteous and we having been cleansed and through the Holy Spirit, we will do the works of righteousness. We cannot do the works of the righteousness, as long as we are in the flesh. Romans 8:13, ‘for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live’
Genesis 3:4-6, ‘The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate’.
Eve saw that the fruit was a delight to the eye and the tree was desirable, in the same way, we are drawn to the worldly things, which appear good to the eye. Only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can be reminded of the fruit of the flesh and therefore we realize the deception of Satan and stay away from them.
Galatians 5:13, ‘For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another’.
Let us walk by the Spirit and stop entertaining and nurturing these desires of the flesh. We will not carry out the desires of the flesh, when we walk by the Spirit.
We see the mystery of resurrection in,
‘1 Corinthians 15:53, ‘53For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord’.
Let us sow in the Spirit as long as we are in this world, and reap in the Spirit as well. Whatever time and effort we spend in feeding the flesh, it will all be a waste, when we die, we will only bear corruption and will all be burnt up. Whatever is sown in the Spirit, will only last.
Galatians 5:24,25, ‘Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit’.
Let us crucify our flesh with its desires and passions and let us live by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and grow in bearing the good fruit. As we are led by the Holy Spirit, He will help us to bear fruit.
Romans 8:14, ‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God’.
We need to grow into maturity to become sons and daughters of God, until we are able to bear the fruit with all the characteristics (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
May God bless us. Praise God.
