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Deut:30v19-20 I call heaven and
earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and
death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest
live, thou and thy seed;
20 to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto
him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in
the land which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, to give them.
God love us inso much that He advise us to
choose life!
Rom 7v15
Those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6)
The crucial choice that believers in Christ face day by day
is between living by the flesh or living by the Spirit. The
difference concerns facing life by our resources and perspectives or by God's.
"Those who live according
to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."
When a Christian deals with life by his flesh, he typically thinks about
"what I want out of my life" or "what I can
accomplish with my life." Conversely, when a Christian deals with life by
the Spirit, he typically thinks about "what God wants for my
life" or "what God can accomplish through my life."
The consequences related to this choice are monumental.
"For to be carnally minded
is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
When a believer allows his mind to be set in a carnal direction, he will be
thinking about worldly self-indulgence ("what I can get out
of this") or religious self-accomplishment ("what I can do
for God"). The result of either carnal perspective is "death" (spiritual deadness).
On the other hand, when a follower of Jesus sets his mind on heavenly matters,
he will be considering issues of humility ("how much I need the Lord")
or faith ("how great the Lord is"). The results of such
spiritual thoughts are "life and peace" (spiritual
vitality and spiritual tranquility).
Romans: 8v14
Another analysis of these two options can be seen in the contrast
between the "works of the flesh" and the
"fruit of the Spirit." When we
put our hope in our own capabilities, our flesh produces the result we find in (Galatians 5:19-21). "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,
hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,
dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" Contrariwise,
when we place our expectations upon the Lord, His Spirit brings forth through
us fruit like (Galatians 5:22-23). "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control"
Consider this fundamental truth. These "flesh-Spirit"
choices are what all of us will face every day of our lives. The persistency of
these issues is inherent in the fact that God only offers two options for every
issue of life; namely, "live according to the flesh"
or "live according to the
Spirit."
HOW TO OVERCOME
Since God himself cannot force you; you must
be willing to submit to him and be obedient to him always.
1. Self-controlled
This is the ability control your own
behaviour, especially in terms of reactions and impulses.
Do you need to still maintain that
unholy relationship that constantly leads you to sin? Do you still have to keep
going to that area or place where you’re vulnerable to evil? Why not cut of
your legs and plug out that eye that is leading you to sin (that is control
it)?
“The end of all things is near.
Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Peter 4:7).
“Therefore, prepare your minds for
action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you
when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13).
“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and
throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your
whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
(Matthew 5:29-30).
2. ALERT IN THE SPIRIT
You need to be watchful and ready to deal with
whatever happens.
“And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18).
3. BE HEAVEN CONSCIOUS
You need to picture heaven
everyday of your life. It is amazing
that people can go through a whole day without a thought of heaven the final
destination for those who live righteously with God. Or do you think the end will not come one
day? Or are you thinking you’re too young to think about this yet and probably
leave it to ‘them’ or when the time comes? No, you better start experiencing
heaven here and now. This will make you detach from every evil desires of the
flesh and focus on eternity.
“I declare to you, brothers, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable
inherit the imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 15:50).
“What good is it for a man to gain
the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for
his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).
4.
WALKING IN THE
SPIRIT GAL: 5V16
Conclusion
I urge you to continue in the
race. Remain steadfast. The Lord is
there to help you run the race to a successful end. He will guide you and see to it that you do
not fall. It doesn’t matter what is
happening in our present noisy and godless world today, the Lord will come and
he will not delay. All the present
happenings point to this fact. What a
wise decision to follow the Lord in the journey of life!
“Being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).
“For you know very well that the day of the
Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace
and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a
pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness
so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”
(1
Thessalonians 5:2-4).
Prayer
O Sovereign Lord, I bow to Your wisdom
and authority
Lord, I renounce the natural path of my
flesh
I gladly embrace the supernatural path of Your
Spirit,
