message
08/09/05 03:18 PM
You have heard the gospel and for that I am thankful. Now I pray that none will be eaten by the desires of their flesh, but will turn to the spirit. As it says in Galatians - the spirit and the flesh are opposed to each other, so that we may not do as we please. But if we are under the rule of the Spirit we will be free from the law, and anyone in the spirit still abides by the rules of God. The life that is characterized by not getting your own way, a dialect of thanksgiving, all adultery and lust by the wayside, waiting for God's timing. The way of the flesh is idolatry - even human idolatry, lust, acting on lust, selfish desire, impurity, debauchery, sensuality, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, greed, ill will, disobeying of authority, disrespect, filthy or dirty talk, silly talk. The way of the spirit is characterized by getting along with EVERYBODY, love, peace, patience, respect, kindness, goodness, self-control, joy, compassion, direction. The life I want, and want for everybody. The life we were meant to live. Imagine if I/we all stopped my/our dirty and silly mouths, and turned our language to the "dialect of thanksgiving" that would be a different kind of Christian. That is something to pray for. It is time to turn away from proclaiming an empty freedom from the law, all the while claiming rule of the way of the spirit - which should produce similar results as obeying the law, however more genuine - the only way to be free from the law is to be in the spirit, and if you are correctly in the spirit you will bear fruits. The difference is a change of heart, not the actions the law or spirit produce, then you will have freedom to do what is right. Freedom was never the ability to do wrong. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Lets distill the water out of modern Christianity, this is the time for living right. How can I put this another way: if we believe that God exists and what he tells us is true, than there is nothing more important on the earth than following him, wherever it leads. IT IS all of our business what each other do with our lives. IT IS the the body's responsibility to keep us in the light.