It’s not my intention to only post to my blog once a week, but it’s indicative of how things are going in my world right now. We have a limited time frame to complete an extensive remodel for our church’s new campus (Life Church Bayside), so that’s making things even crazier than normal. We’re hoping to have our first Sunday in the new location on January 15, so at least the end is in sight. In last week’s post (December 12) I shared the first step in leading a self-controlled life: MAKING A DECISION TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I started on this theme with a post on Black Friday (November 25), if you want to trace back and read the previous entries.
Today’s I’d like to delve into the second step we need to take to live a self-controlled life: LIVING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. This is a long section of scripture, but see what the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-25 (New Living Translation):
16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. 18 But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
As people were coming in to church one Sunday morning, the pastor asked one of the men about his week: “Pastor, it’s been a fight. It’s like there are two dogs living inside me and they’re fighting all the time.” The pastor responded: “Which one is winning, bro?” He answered: “The one I feed, man. The one I feed.” Look again at what Paul writes in V17: “…the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.” In experiencing this constant fight between the Spirit and your flesh, some of you have concluded you must not be a very strong Christ follower because the fight within you is so strong. The enemy of your soul has lied to you and said, “If you loved God more and were a better Christian, you wouldn’t struggle with wrong desires the way you do.” Remember, this is a lie! If listened to this lie too much, pay close attention to the truth Paul communicates: “Your choices are never free from this conflict.” You’re not engaged in this conflict because you’re a bad person, you’re in this fight because you want to please the Spirit and do the right things in your life. If you didn’t care about how you’re living your life, or about pleasing God, there would be no fight. You’d just follow your desires and be involved in the activities mentioned in VS19-22.
So, let me ask you a question: Which one is winning? Flesh or Spirit? When the Spirit is winning it produces “fruit” in our lives and Paul list nine different ones (VS22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. It’s important to make the point that it’s the Spirit which produces this “fruit” and not us acting loving, or acting joyful, or acting peaceful, you get the idea. When the Holy Spirit is in control, there will be fruit produced in our life, beginning with love. When these nine fruits are not being produced it’s evidence that the bad dog is winning the fight and it’s time to “feed” the other dog. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can win the fight today!
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