It can be yours
November 2, 2009 (Monday)
Galatians 5:16-26 offers a remarkable lesson. It speaks of walking “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit.” The NIV translates “flesh” as “the sinful nature.” That’s what it is.
It’s easy to walk in the flesh. We don’t have to be taught to sin; we do it naturally. That’s because of our sinful nature.
If we allow “the flesh” to dominate our thinking and decision-making, we choose to travel a dark road. It leads to bad behavior, and Paul gives us a list: immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are given a new nature, but the old nature is still with us. We are urged by these Scriptures to crucify the old nature. The Holy Spirit lives within us and is at war with the old sinful nature within us.
The Holy Spirit will fill us and crowd out the “deeds of the flesh” if we empty ourselves of sin by confessing it and forsaking it. This is a never-ending process. We ought to be “Spirit-filled” Christians, controlled by God in Christ through his Holy Spirit within us, so that the fruit produced in us is beautiful: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The song teaches us to pray, “Holy Spirit, breathe on me until my heart is clean…” We truly have access to a completely new life in Christ.
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Galatians 5:16-26 NIV
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
See also The Message version of Galatians 5:16-23. Click here.