The Lust of The Flesh

 Gal 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

As a student of the word, I endeavor to find the meaning and application of scripture. Much has been written about the life of a Christian and what that looks like in this present world. We live in a different time and culture when we compare our present world to the days of the early church, but humanity has not changed. The lust of the flesh (to satisfy our human desires) is still present in each one of us. The fulfillment of this lust may manifest itself differently in each person. Self and gratifying its wants is at the core of fulfilling the lust of the flesh. The question boils down to this entity called “self”. As long as we live, we will never escape the humanity of our fallen nature. But we have been given the means to take ourselves off the throne of our hearts and put the Holy Spirit in its place. The work of entire sanctification, where our hearts are made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit, not our humanity, but our heart.  He provides the power in which we can allow the Holy Spirit to live and leads us into a walk that fulfills God’s plan for our life. The fulfillment of God’s plan is to love as Christ loved. This is made possible when we allow and choose the Holy Spirit to take control of daily actions and reactions. I believe it is possible to live a sinless life where the lust of the flesh is not fulfilled. As long as we walk in the Spirit, scripture says selfish lust will NOT be fulfilled. We still live in a vessel of clay, subject to shortcomings and imperfection. Mistakes will happen, and we still face temptations, but if we choose to let God have His way in our lives each day, His Spirit will give us the power to be what He desires us to be.

Walk Not in Darkness

 1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

From the fall of Adam and Eve, man is born with the sin nature. The Adamic nature is passed on to every person born into this world. We can deny this truth, but it does not change the reality that we are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Some teach that man is hereditary good. We must cultivate this goodness in us and overcome the evil that we face each day. Don’t believe this lie, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  John writes to set the foundation for why man needs a Savior.  As sinners, we confess our sins, and Jesus, who shed His blood for the remission of sin, cleanses our heart from sin. We no longer walk in darkness, we walk in the light, we walk with God without sin. As long as we continue to walk with God, the blood of Jesus will continue to cover us from all sin. A Christian no longer lives in sin because he is walking in God’s light, and the path that God provides is without sin. No darkness at all. We still live in a fallen world, and Satan works, tempting us to fulfill the desire of the flesh. We still have human desires, and God has a plan for those desires to be fulfilled. As we walk in the light, His will is accomplished in our lives. The promise of God is that He will not leave us or forsake us. If we fall into the temptation of Satan, His word says to confess our sin, and He is faithful to restore us to the light. It is not God’s desire that we walk in darkness, we can live each day in the light of God. We don’t have to sin and walk in darkness. God does not have fellowship with darkness. That is why John says, “My little children… sin not.” Eternal security is provided to all believers as long as they remain in the light. Keep walking in the light.

No to Satan, and Yes to God

 Mat 5:37 (AMP)
But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

“Don’t you understand the word “No! When I say “No”, I mean “No.” These are words often spoken to someone, often a child, who persists in asking for something they want. There is no budging or compromise. Our minds have been made up. Our statement is final, we have decided what is right and will stick with it. Satan will tempt us to take another course that God has already set before us. “This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6). There are countless stories of those we know that started out to run the race, but failed to say “No” to the devil, and “Yes” to God. Satan tempted Eve in the garden, “Has God said.” God already told Adam and Eve they were not to eat from the tree with the forbidden fruit. Instead of telling Satan “No”, Eve started to listen to Satan, and was deceived by his words. Saying “Yes” to God and “No” to the devil requires help from a higher source of power. The Holy Spirit is able to give us the grace and strength to overcome the temptations of the devil. The chorus we sing, “I'll say, yes Lord yes to Your will and to Your way. I'll say, yes Lord yes, I will trust You and obey. When the Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart, I'll agree, and my answer will be, yes Lord yes”. It should be the cry and desire of our heart.  Let us say “No” to Satan, and “Yes” to God! 

Walk in the Spirit

 Gal 5:24,25
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts…If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

It is the lust of the flesh, the carnal sinful nature of man that wars against us walking in the Spirit. Having accepted the gift of God, salvation through Christ, our lives have been transformed. Our sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus. Those things that we have done in the past have all been put to death. We no longer live to gratify the lust of sinful flesh. The experience of holiness, or sanctification provides us with the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we walk in the light of God, we come to a place in our lives that we have not only put to death the lust of our flesh, but we surrender the totality of our being. Everything we have, everything we are given to God. We learn to live and walk in the Spirit, giving us the power to triumph over sin and the temptations that Satan brings before us. What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Walking in the Spirit is to yield ourselves to what God wants and desires of us, to live blameless and without filling the lust of the flesh. If we fail to walk in the Spirit, He is faithful to call us back to Him. Paul was clear that if we continue to live a life fulfilling the lust of the flesh, that we cannot inherit the kingdom (heaven). Living, and walking in the Spirit will keep us faithful to the way God wants us to live.

Walk in Light & Darkness

 1 John 1:6,7
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not tell the truth: But if we walk in the light…
Do born again believers still sin? This is one of the divides between Calvinist and Wesleyan teachings. Books have been written for centuries on this topic. Greater minds than myself on both sides of this topic have exhausted its depth. The scripture given to us in this passage does appear that it is possible for a Christian to sin. The real question is, are Christians able to live a life without sinning? Calvintist will say that because we are born with the nature of sin, we will always sin in thought, word, or deed because we are human and not perfect. Wesleyan teaches that the work of entire sanctification, will change the natural bent to sin to a bent to live holy. That as long as we walk in the light, keep our eyes on Jesus, that we can avoid walking in darkness. The secret is to stay in the light. When we allow the temptations of the devil to deviate us from walking in the light, we find ourselves walking in darkness. It is not God’s will that we walk in darkness. It is possible to stray from the truth, but God does not give up on us. He said if we acknowledge that we have sinned, and strayed from the light, He is faithful, He is merciful, He is a God that forgives when we come to Him in broken and contrite spirit. If we willfully remain to walk in darkness, and continue in our sin, we have broken fellowship with the Father, and we are living a lie. Making mistakes due to our humanity is not sin. We still need to ask God for grace and even forgiveness when such actions are brought to our attention by the Holy Spirit. That is walking in the light.

The Children of Light

 1 Thess. 5:5,6
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
We are either children of light or darkness. Being a child of darkness implies that we have yet to walk in the light. It is not God’s will that we live in darkness. He desires that all obtain salvation through Christ, who is the light. Those who live in darkness cannot see the thief that comes in the night. Like the drunk who drinks at night, their minds are lucid and cannot think straight. The children of light are sober, watchful, and mindful of the deceptions of Satan. Stay in the light, live in the day so you may be able to detect the enemy of your soul. Put on the armor and pick up the sword of the word to stand against the evil works of today. He has promised that if we stay in the light we will live with Him forever who died for us. Don’t give in to the devil! Jesus is able to keep us until the day of His return if we remain children of light. 

Our Vocation

 Eph. 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Not everyone that is a believer is called into full time ministry. Someone needs to pay the bills and support the work of the kingdom. As part of the body of Christ, we all have a part and function within the body.  Beyond the work that God has called us to in the church, He also has given us a vocation, work that will not only support the livelihood of one’s family, but support the church and other ministries around the world that are spreading the Gospel. God has given each of us a talent, an ability to learn and acquire specific skills to work. All work is honorable if the work is honest and does not violate the scripture. We are to always give 100% of our efforts to the job that is given to us. Whether it is rolling out pizza dough, or doing heart surgery, we glorify God in what we do. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” words given to us by Solomon. We are ambassadors for Christ, let our vocation and work ethic reflect the life of Christ.

Live in the Spirit

 Gal 5:24-25

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If Christ owns our life, then our sinful affections and desires have been nailed to the cross of Christ. We now live in the Spirit and the fruits (attitude, actions, affections) of our lives now reflect the life of Christ. We no longer live and follow the ways of the flesh if we continue to walk according to the fruits of the Spirit.

Follow The Lord

Deut. 13:4

 You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him

This scripture is full of things to do: follow, fear, keep, listen, serve and cling to the Lord. Many follow the world and its progressive thinking, many fear the Covid virus and fear for their life. People will keep and commit to causes to save the earth, but neglect to keep God’s word to save their soul. Voices come from all directions, and many are led astray by people who give out a voice that appears to be good, but it leads to destruction. There are those serving the world and the pleasure of sin, and they cling to the sin that they love, and refuse to let go. Living for God is a full abandonment to be all that God wants us to be. It requires all of our energy and surrender to Him and His will. Serving God is not a “go to church once a week thing”. It is a day by day walk that requires us to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit. The commandment given in the OT is also given in the NT. Be filled with the Spirit, draw close to God, and walk in His word.

Keeping His Way

 Psalm 18:21
 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Keeping true to what you know is right. What is right? The way of the Lord is given to us in His word. Keeping the commandments of Jesus, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. This is the way of the Lord, on it, hangs the entire law of God. To wickedly depart from his way, is to totally disregard His will and depart from what you know to be the way of the Lord. God’s word is made clear to us through the Holy Spirit. His words speak to our heart and reveal truth to us. Not the interpretation of man that leads to man-made rules, but truth that is written in our heart. Walk in the way of the Lord, Walk in the light, live in the light, be faithful to the light, and depart not from it.

Walk in High Places

 Habakkuk 3: 18.19
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation...The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places.
Things happen in life that are not always pleasant. Conflict, disagreements, unexpected hardships that cause grief and worry. We deal with inner conflicts that trouble our hearts and minds day in and day out. Where can we find refuge from it all? How do we find peace in the storms of life? How do we overcome difficult times? Paul was persuaded that there was nothing in this world that could keep Him from God’s love. Habakkuk, and God’s people faced hard times, but yet they rejoiced in the Lord. They put their trust in God to give them strength to hold on, and the ability to climb out of any situation that would cause them to fall. The ability to climb out of the valley and walk in high places.

Godly Counsel

 Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…

The wisdom of a person that is not grounded in the word of God can lead to disaster. This is not to say that a person has to be a Christian to give good advice, but if such advice is not based on Biblical principles, then one needs to discard it. All advice should be grounded in prayer and seeking the will of God. His will is revealed in His word. It may not always seem logical, but it is the right thing to do. We are all faced with decisions each day, some of them are small, and others are big that are difficult to retrace. The decisions we make may not always turn out the way we thought they should have, but knowing we made them with pure motives and a right spirit can give us peace in the aftermath of events. May we always seek God’s wisdom found in His word, seek godly counsel from those that know God, and let the Holy Spirit direct our path.

What is Sin?

 2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?

Sin, a total discard to yield to the commandments of the Lord. When did David’s action become sin? At what point did David disobey the commandment of the Lord? Some would say it was when King David stayed home from the battle, or when he went to his roof top and his eyes were fixed on Bathsheba. It might have been when he took that second glance. Jesus said, whosever looks on a women to lust after her has committed adultery in his heart. David’s action did not become sin until his desire overcame his knowledge to do what was right. We face decisions everyday to do what is right. Some of those decisions are clear cut because God has already revealed in His word what is right and what is wrong. There are other choices that we make that are neither right or wrong, but are made with good intentions and current knowledge. We might find out later, that it was not the right choice, it was a mistake, but this is not sin. To him who knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin. Let us always walk in the light, be led the the Spirit, that we may always do what is right in the sight of God.

Walk By Faith

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2 Corinth 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Faith is to see the kingdom of God, a kingdom not of this world, but the world that cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. It is seeing life through the eyes of God and knowing that this earth is not our home. This body of clay will dissolve and return to dust, but the persona of self, the soul will live on. Walking by faith is to believe that He is in control of all things, and He is a rewarder of them that will diligently seek Him. Walking by faith to trust Him even when all your senses are screaming and telling you it is not so. Walking by faith believes with a purpose, and ultimately God is glorified. It is not possible to walk in faith in the flesh. Our desire and determination play a part as we walk by faith, but living by faith requires the earnestness of the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith is hindered by the flesh. Let us put aside these earthly eyes and start to see life through the eyes of God.

Fellowship in Christ

Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Never go on a hike alone, never go swimming alone. Such advise is often given to those who seek out adventure or extracurricular activities. It is smart and safer to have someone else with you. Not good if you go alone and you fall on a hike trail, and are not able to get up and walk. Such is the advise given to us in this passage. Traveling this journey of life was not meant to be a solo walk. There are times that we might have to stand alone as David did in the face of the Giant, but it is God’s intention that we walk together as one. fellowshipping together as believers. Jesus, said that where 2 or 3 are gathered together…He will be there with us. In the beginning God said, it is not good for man to be alone. Such is God’s plan to fellowship one with another, encourage each other in the most holy faith. If a brother falls, to reach out in love and lift them up. 

Walk in the Spirit

Gal. 5:16,25 “This I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

To walk in the Spirit is to live in the Vine. We fight temptation to gratify the flesh. The fleshly desires always puts self first. It looks, reaches, and takes to please the carnal self. As Christians, God forgives the sins of the flesh, but desires that we no longer live in our sins. He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a life that will surrender self to God. Walking in the Spirit is to surrender our will to the will of the Father. He enables us to say “Not my will be done, but thy will be done” As long as we stay surrendered to God, He gives us the grace to resist the lust of the flesh. As we walk (obey) in the Spirit, we consecrate all that we our to Him. Holiness does not free us from being tempted to lust after the flesh, it empowers us to make the choices that keep us from falling. We can live a life free from the lust of the flesh as long as we walk in the Spirit and stay connected to the Vine.

Work in Progress

Eph. 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforehand ordained, that we should walk in them.-

We are a work in progress. He is the Potter we are the clay. The work continues daily and each day we become more like Jesus. We must be willing to submit our lives into the hand of God. He is the master of taking something that is worthless and making it valuable. Sin in our lives marred His work. He desires that we live spotless from the world and walk in good works. The works of Satan hinders the development of His workmanship. There are things in our lives that He wants to remove and change. He will show us the way to go and the way to walk. As a new creation in Christ, He changes our lives to reflect His image. It will change the way we think. Our lips will speak only what pleases Him, we abstain from that which is evil and unholy, we walk in holiness and our fruit of our lives is seen in the way we treat others. This is a work in progress, He is still working on me.

God Leads

Ex 13:18 “But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea;...”

God leads His children along. The path that He takes us is not always easy. Life’s road for most people is filled with difficult terrain. Mountains to climb and desserts to walk through is not exclusive to Christians. The difference for a Christian is the path that we walked is for a purpose that works together for good to them that love Him. Those that are called and answer the call to walk the way of the cross. We walk knowing that God is in control and problems we face along the way will draw us closer to Him and will make us stronger in our faith. Trusting God as we walk in paths of difficult circumstances is His way of leading us to the promise land. It is not ours to question God’s leadership, but we must believe that He will be with us each step of the way and His Spirit will lead us unerring through the valley of difficult times. 

Walking Before God

Gen 17:1,2 ““I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”-

Walking before God. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the talk. Live what you preach and walk in His way. To walk is to be always moving forward. It implies that we are on a spiritual journey. To walk before God is to walk in the light of His presence. To walk in His footsteps. Because He is the Almighty God, He rules and reigns and is able to help us walk (live) a life that is “perfect”. As humans, we are filled with many imperfections. We see things through a dark glass and our minds are clouded with our own prejudices. We act and react based on our limited information and sometimes are led to judging or acting incorrectly. But, God is not desiring that we live a life that is void of mistakes or human error. He desires a heart that is perfect toward Him. One that will walk in perfect obedience to His will. Doing the will of God is a matter of choice, and we can choose always to follow His way. He has promised that if we will, He will do things in our lives that exceed our own human expectations. 

High Places

Habakkuk 3:19 “The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places”-

Higher places and higher ground. God desires us to live in a place where we can rejoice and be glad. A place where we can see the beauty of what God is doing in our lives. In the high places we are drawn close to God, He reveals to us the path we will need to walk. In times when the unexpected happens or the prospect of  calamity is seen on the horizon, we can trust Him to be our strength, He will give us help to climb above our troubles and hard places. In the valley, it is hard to see what God is doing, but He wants to take us to higher ground that we may enjoy the nearness of being close to God.