But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery... For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
(For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Are you a son of God?
Are you free?
Do you serve through love?
Do you walk by the Spirit?
Have you crucified the flesh?
I have been convicted over the last weeks as I've been meditating on Scripture in Galatians. If I belong to Christ, then I have certain responsibilities. I am not obligated to keep the law, but I can't just live a haphazard life as if unaware of who I now am. I've been adopted. I have been set free. I don't have an obligation to this blasted flesh. When I live trying to do it myself, trying to measure up by way of the law, I am trying to make myself a slave again... falling away from grace. "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
The offense of the cross is, that we have nothing to add. We can't add do what Christ did. He did it all. He has set us free. We are free to walk by the Spirit. I belong to Christ and I have crucified that pesky flesh. I just need reminders sometimes. :) "So if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk with the Spirit."
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God,
who loved me,
and gave himself up for me."
So when you are tempted by or are struggling with immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, envy, or drunkeness... Ask yourself... Is that one of those things I've crucified? And remind yourself... it was for those things that Christ died. Christ who LOVED me, and gave himself up for me.
YAY! God YOU are Awesome!!
I am so thankful for the freedom I have in Christ.
Jesus, I am so thankful that You loved me and gave Yourself for me!
I have been provided with yet a third opportunity to comment. My first two attempts were duds. Perhaps I am supposed to dig a little deeper into the recesses of my mind to come up with something profound ... uh ... nope, nothing profound up there in those crevices.
Part of my journey of late, has been the whole "controlling the tongue" issue. "No man can tame it"!! So that's one part of my flesh I need to have crucified.
Another new habit I am working on is trying to "Trust in the Lord with ALL my heart, lean not to my own understanding; and in ALL my ways acknowledge HIM ... "
Excellent, excellent, excellent. This is the stuff of Phil. 4:8; the things we should be thinking on. All. The. Time. Amen and amen.
You are such an encouragement to me! I appreciate posts like these, and the Truth-filled comments you leave on my blog. I thank God for you!
