Fleshly Living

Good Monday! I hope this post finds you having a good day and coming off of a nice weekend. I did a weekend jaunt up to Estes Park to visit some friends, and as usual, it was wonderful.

Romans 8:13  (NASB)

¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

 The Sunday School class I assist in will be teaching from Romans this fall, and I am so exited! As difficult as this book in the Bible is to digest, it is also a favorite. I fail daily at living by Romans. I fail pretty much at everything, if I was judging myself by God’s standards. I fail because I have sin in my life, as we all do.

John 8:7  (NASB)

⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

We all have sin in our lives. If you claim you do not, perhaps you should take a closer look. I know my weaknesses.. my thought life. My thought life bleeds over into my actions and words. It is not a good place to be. Thankfully I have a Savior who intercedes on my behalf.

If we were to “kill” the sin in our lives, what we our lives then look like?

Galatians 5:24  (NASB)

²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we belong to Christ, we will have “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  That’s not hard, right? Yeah.. more like impossible. Or so it seems. Living life with crucified flesh may not be as difficult as we think. It takes prayer and practice, but it is possible.  A few years ago I was having a problem getting a particular guy out of my mind (thought life issues) and finally, after being beaten down emotionally once again, I prayed that God would take him out of my mind, especially if he were not the one I was to marry. Guess what? He did! God does answer prayers. I believe that those things that are most harmful to us are the ones He especially likes to answer. My thought life has the capability to destroy me, so I have to be cautious as to what I do and who I involve myself with – even friends. Though they may be well meaning, they can still derail progress.