The Spirit Trumps Flesh Every Time

Let's be frank about the current condition in the Church: Unless there is a radical change in our perspective we are going to see continued major splits over biblical teaching. Far too many of us are interpreting God's Holy Word according to our flesh. We look at it to justify our established pattern of thinking. We are not coming to it to be changed, to be transformed into the character of Christ. We want to use it to back up our version of love, so the parts that don't agree with us we dismiss.

The Christian life is not about us getting what we want while trying to be good. It is just the opposite to such a self-centered philosophy of life. The Christian life is about dying to our flesh and living in obedience to the Father's will. But people really don't want to hear that. They just want to shout at Yahweh that they are willing to serve him on their terms. In truth, they aren't shouting at Yahweh because they don't know him to shout at him. They know of him through traditions but their acting out they are shouting at the Church : I will serve Jesus as long as I get to do it as I want to do it". Listen to Jesus:

The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Yet some of you don’t believe. (John 6:63-64)

The flesh doesn't help at all. I don't need to list all the issues splintering the Church right now, I think you are well aware of those to list them yourself. But as you list them, mark beside each one whether it is a flesh issue or not. We can all think for ourselves and I pray you are possessed by the Spirit that you are able to think in spiritual terms. You should be able to discern these matters for yourself. Is it a bunch of people who want what their flesh desires and all that Jesus offers, or is it those who have been crucified with Christ and who no longer live according to the desires of their flesh but it is Christ who lives in them?

You see, we live this life in these weak bodies only by faith in the Son of God. We deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. We live here in this place according to the Spirit and truth not according to the desires of our unredeemed and deceptive flesh. We have to live in these bodies by faith in Jesus, what he taught, what he did, how he directs us now, by the power of the Spirit, because if we try to trust our own desires we will be lost again to that from which Jesus set us free. Jesus has given us life by the Spirit which is not life by the flesh.

The real question is, will we believe Jesus over the flesh that gives no life at all? Will we receive the life the Spirit gives.

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity,promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:16-21)

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:5-9)

How Sovereign Is Our Sovereign Lord?

How sovereign is our sovereign Lord? If we could answer this for ourselves we would stop trying to be so independent from him. I know, we think we are dependent on our Father but too often our dependence is reserved for crisis moments. When the "seas" are calm we just go on our merry way "doing whatever we think is best", just like the times of the Judges in Israel when they refused to recognize Yahweh as king. If we would recognize the sovereignty of Yahweh we wouldn't have to always go through the rough patches to learn our lessons. He is over all things and uses all things for our benefit.

So how sovereign is sovereign? Do you realize that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father wills it? Salvation is pretty basic stuff and yet it doesn't happen unless Father decides it's going to happen:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)

It is a good thing that Dad wants everyone to be saved but it is also good to recognize that it is offered according to the Father's timing, We don't understand that timing, why it has to be a certain way but it is best that we trust Father. He is in charge. We don't need to twist arms. We can but we shouldn't. Let me share my testimony with you very briefly as an illustration.

I was raised in a Christian home, attending church and Sunday School, but I never encountered Jesus. At age 18 I walked away from the church, aware that the Lord had given one year to make up my mind. My pastor did not pursue me. He told me later that the Spirit told him to leave me alone. I thank the Lord he was sensitive and obedient to the Spirit. He and the church prayed for me as I quickly got mixed up in all kinds of things that introduced me to the "pleasures" of the world. It was a really strange thing but during this time I was made aware that the Lord had planned for me to be a pastor.

Then a year later, almost to the day, I woke up to the presence of the Lord. I heard him say "enough", and suddenly I was filled with the awareness of my sins. I was overwhelmed with the conviction of the Spirit for what I had done against Jesus. He spoke so many things to me from the lessons I had learned from the Bible in church. He brought it all back to my remembrance. I was aware that I had a choice but I didn't want't a choice. I quickly slipped out of bed and lay prostrate on the floor, wishing I could melt into the ground.

Then the Lord touched me with his love and I realized the sweetness of his forgiveness that was available to me if I wanted it. I wanted it! In an instant I confessed my sins, asked for his forgiveness and pledged my life to him and in that same instance all my guilt and shame was gone. I rose from my face a new creation and I was keenly aware of it.

If my pastor had chased me down it would have ended much differently. I needed to be drawn by the Father. I needed an encounter with Jesus myself. I needed my own faith. I needed to become deeply aware of what Jesus was saving me from. He knew my character, my mind and my heart and he knew how to present me with salvation in a way that I would never doubt him or turn away from him in the future. Every moment of doubt rushes me back to that moment and I am renewed. It was like Israel's Egypt moment.

Sometimes I think we forget that salvation belongs to the Lord and the timing is up to the Father. It's not about us. As long as we are faithful in our witness, in our testimony, in our seeding, then the Spirit will do the convicting according to Father's will. But don't use this fact about sovereignty as an excuse to neglect our role in the mission. He still told us to go throughout the earth as his witnesses, making disciples. But remember, we are only the sowers and not the Lord of the harvest.

The Purpose Of Life

For far too many of us Christians, there isn't much difference between who we were before we met Jesus and who we are since meeting Jesus. There is something wrong with this picture because one of the signs of salvation is a changed life. Sure, we go to church now. We are learning to sing worship songs. We may have even gotten involved with a prayer meeting or a Bible Study but our perspective and attitude are still the same. We just don't see any difference.

What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of following Jesus? What makes the difference?

The difference happens when it is a sincere response to Jesus' great act of love and grace. It is a sincere response to the Father calling us. It is a sincere response to the Holy Spirit's conviction of our sin. It is a heart response because of Jesus. It is also the realization and acceptance in that moment that things have to change, that we have to change, and it is a surrender to the Spirit to allow that change to happen.

What I dislike is when we make it out to be about what we can do. We turn it into a self-help program where we try to change ourselves. The only place that gets us is the disappointment of failed conformity. Jesus does not want us to conform but to allow him to transform us into his character. He does that through conviction, circumstances, people, the Bible, a changed perspective. It doesn't happen all at once but is more a series of practical life lessons that we progress through until we are called home. We never stop needing to grow.

The important thing to realize is what Jesus was talking about in John 6:27 as he explained the purpose of life:

Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal of approval on Him. 

Yes indeed, we have been given a new set of principles and a new perspective. Study to learn the principles of the Kingdom and allow the Spirit to change your perspective. Cooperate, seek it, ask for it, knock and you will see the changes. Don't be content where you are, desire more of the Spirit, but don't try to do it yourself. There is an incredible thing the Spirit is doing in you, a supernatural thing that you need to give him room to do. Your part is to seek it out, to pursue the things of the Kingdom, which are foreign in this world, and then trust. Trust even when it doesn't make sense.

Just don't stay where you are. Don't accept the non-change. Don't be content with the status quo. Jesus saved you for so much more than what we are settling for in this world. Hear his voice as he calls you to deeper things.