The flesh vs spirit battle
The reality of how dependent I really am on God has been magnified the last couple of weeks. The longer I continue to choose to carry out the lusts of my flesh, the more the loving correction from God increases and intensifies, the less power I have and the more I see how much I can do without the help of God....which is absolutely nothing. I am and can do nothing without Him. I have no power if I'm not walking by the spirit and I reap rotten fruit. The loss of power and purity is an awful feeling to have.
I don't know why I act the way I do or do the stuff I do. That's not for me to analyze and try to figure out. All I know is that I'm a broken, messed up person without God. I must give my problems over to God and ask Him to help me change my ways and to help me have the desires He has towards my sin. The only hope of ever overcoming this battle...the driving, compelling, compulsions of the lust of the flesh...is to simply walk in the Spirit. You cannot offer a human solution to a spiritual problem. I must walk by the Spirit in an attitude of submission, daily, step by step walk, yielding to the Spirit. The power of the flesh is great, but the power of the Spirit is greater.
The corruption I'm reaping by giving into the works of the flesh is effecting me physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. The more correction I receive from God, the more I see how serious God is about me sinning against Him and the more reverent fear and awe I have of Him. I'm in a very dangerous place and He is not going to put up with it. Through this experience I see how much He truly loves me though. He is not going to give up on me and I have the scars to prove it. It amazing me to see how He works, even in the midst of my correction and punishment. He is a good God and I'm thankful that He loves and cares for me to correct me and I'm thankful for the grace and compassion He has given me to come back to Him.
"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." Galatians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Psalm 51 - (NIV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
I don't know why I act the way I do or do the stuff I do. That's not for me to analyze and try to figure out. All I know is that I'm a broken, messed up person without God. I must give my problems over to God and ask Him to help me change my ways and to help me have the desires He has towards my sin. The only hope of ever overcoming this battle...the driving, compelling, compulsions of the lust of the flesh...is to simply walk in the Spirit. You cannot offer a human solution to a spiritual problem. I must walk by the Spirit in an attitude of submission, daily, step by step walk, yielding to the Spirit. The power of the flesh is great, but the power of the Spirit is greater.
The corruption I'm reaping by giving into the works of the flesh is effecting me physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. The more correction I receive from God, the more I see how serious God is about me sinning against Him and the more reverent fear and awe I have of Him. I'm in a very dangerous place and He is not going to put up with it. Through this experience I see how much He truly loves me though. He is not going to give up on me and I have the scars to prove it. It amazing me to see how He works, even in the midst of my correction and punishment. He is a good God and I'm thankful that He loves and cares for me to correct me and I'm thankful for the grace and compassion He has given me to come back to Him.
"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." Galatians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Psalm 51 - (NIV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
posted by ENS at 10:15 PM
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