Living By The Spirit

Chuckle: Ben watched his dad build a pine bookshelf. "What are the holes for?" asked Ben. "They're knot holes," said his dad. Ben asked, "What are they then if they're not holes?"

Quote: "He that once sins, like him that slides on ice, Goes swiftly down the slippery way of vice: Though conscience checks him, yet those rubs gone o'er, He slides on smoothly and looks back no more." --John Dryden

LIVING BY THE SPIRITS POWER

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature" (Galatians 5:16-17 NIV).

Sometimes, godly parents have their hearts broken by wayward children who rebel against the spiritual, moral, and ethical standards they experienced and were taught in the home. When they left home for college, or to pursue a career, and were away from parental guidance, they fell under the influence of worldly company. They began to gratify the desires of their sinful nature which were contrary to what they had been taught.

Similarly, If we remain under the influence of our "Spiritual Parent" -- the Holy Spirit, our lives will reflect the standards God sets for our lives. Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26 NIV). But if we allow ourselves to move away from our Lord, we become indifferent to things of God. We then rebel against the Holy Spirit's influence and open the door for Satan to lure us into gratifying our fleshly desires. We can easily fall into sin and out of fellowship with our Lord.

Our passage tells us that two major forces are at work in our lives: the cravings of our old sinful nature (evil inclinations and desires stemming from our bodies), and the power of the Holy Spirit within us. When you stop praying regularly, meditating on God's word, faithfully participating in worship services, and ministering to the needs of others, beware: Satan's enticement to satisfy the desires of your sinful nature has already taken root in your heart. However, if you do not yield to temptation and consistently follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, He will empower you to resist the cravings of your sinful nature and help you live by the Spirit's power.

Jesus said, "Those who remain in me, and I (my Spirit) in them, will produce much fruit" (John 15:5 NLT). Paul writes, "When the Holy spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (vs. 22-23 NLT). Are these characteristics evident in your life? If so, you are controlled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is by far the strongest of the two forces vying for control of our lives, but the choices we make determine which force will have control in this never-ending conflict within us.

Love, Jerry & Dotse