Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
That does sound logical eh Friends? But ‘The party’s over my friends, it’s time to call it a day.’ Yes, Thanksgiving Day is over now people. And it sure was a beautiful day; filled with fun and frolic, where we indulged in more than our fair share of fleshly lusts. (smile) But we need to get serious again, and concentrate on walking in the Spirit. For as Bruh Paul rightly says, if we live by the sinful nature of the flesh, we’ll do the sinful things that that nature desires and encourages. But if we live in accordance with the nature of the Spirit, we’ll have our minds set on things the spirit desires and encourages. Jesus made that very clear when He said you had to be born again to enter heaven, and Nicodemus naively asked if a man could enter his mother’s womb again. ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) There it is Friends; in black and white, and a nutshell! So when we decide to follow Jesus, we’ve got to be born again of water and the Spirit; baptized, then live by the Spirit; by Jesus’ rules, yield ourselves and our lives to His control. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:6) We can’t afford to live our lives dominated by our sinful nature, all the things the enemy aggressively advertises and supports. ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like.’ (Gal.5:19-21) Wow! It sure is a long list, and it’s obvious Friends, that if we let those things guide our lives, we’ll come to certain death and destruction and end up with the enemy, suffering eternal damnation in Hades. But if we live a life based on the Spirit of Jesus, we’ll share a triumphant and everlasting life of glory with Him in Heaven. And how do we go about living this life of the Spirit? Bruh Paul spells that out too: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.’ (Gal.5:22-23) Yes people, that’s the fruit of the Spirit! That’s what it takes to live by the Spirit! They are all beautiful attributes in theory, but oftimes very difficult to put into practice, especially when you’re surrounded by iniquity workers, intent on making you succumb to the sinful nature of the flesh. Note, Bruh Paul points out that there’s no law against the fruit of the Spirit, insinuating, as we well know, the numerous laws, both moral and legal against many of the fleshly lusts we so zealously hunger for and pant after. But once we’ve decided to follow Christ, we’ve got to put away, refrain from those sinful appetites. I repeat: It’s not always easy, but we’ve got to do it. Bruh Paul puts it thus: ‘And they that are Christ’s, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.’ (Gal.5:24) Yes Friends, we have to kill those fleshly passions, ‘that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.’ (Rom.6:6) We were born sinners, and will always sin, but the important thing is we don’t serve it, we’re not slaves to sin, it doesn’t control our lives; Jesus does. ‘So, ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:25-26) That’s how Jesus wants us to live, Friends. So let’s do it nuh! Much LOVE!…walking like Jesus isn’t easy…but I’m sure gonna try…
That does sound logical eh Friends? But ‘The party’s over my friends, it’s time to call it a day.’ Yes, Thanksgiving Day is over now people. And it sure was a beautiful day; filled with fun and frolic, where we indulged in more than our fair share of fleshly lusts. (smile) But we need to get serious again, and concentrate on walking in the Spirit. For as Bruh Paul rightly says, if we live by the sinful nature of the flesh, we’ll do the sinful things that that nature desires and encourages. But if we live in accordance with the nature of the Spirit, we’ll have our minds set on things the spirit desires and encourages. Jesus made that very clear when He said you had to be born again to enter heaven, and Nicodemus naively asked if a man could enter his mother’s womb again. ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) There it is Friends; in black and white, and a nutshell! So when we decide to follow Jesus, we’ve got to be born again of water and the Spirit; baptized, then live by the Spirit; by Jesus’ rules, yield ourselves and our lives to His control. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:6) We can’t afford to live our lives dominated by our sinful nature, all the things the enemy aggressively advertises and supports. ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like.’ (Gal.5:19-21) Wow! It sure is a long list, and it’s obvious Friends, that if we let those things guide our lives, we’ll come to certain death and destruction and end up with the enemy, suffering eternal damnation in Hades. But if we live a life based on the Spirit of Jesus, we’ll share a triumphant and everlasting life of glory with Him in Heaven. And how do we go about living this life of the Spirit? Bruh Paul spells that out too: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.’ (Gal.5:22-23) Yes people, that’s the fruit of the Spirit! That’s what it takes to live by the Spirit! They are all beautiful attributes in theory, but oftimes very difficult to put into practice, especially when you’re surrounded by iniquity workers, intent on making you succumb to the sinful nature of the flesh. Note, Bruh Paul points out that there’s no law against the fruit of the Spirit, insinuating, as we well know, the numerous laws, both moral and legal against many of the fleshly lusts we so zealously hunger for and pant after. But once we’ve decided to follow Christ, we’ve got to put away, refrain from those sinful appetites. I repeat: It’s not always easy, but we’ve got to do it. Bruh Paul puts it thus: ‘And they that are Christ’s, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.’ (Gal.5:24) Yes Friends, we have to kill those fleshly passions, ‘that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.’ (Rom.6:6) We were born sinners, and will always sin, but the important thing is we don’t serve it, we’re not slaves to sin, it doesn’t control our lives; Jesus does. ‘So, ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:25-26) That’s how Jesus wants us to live, Friends. So let’s do it nuh! Much LOVE!…walking like Jesus isn’t easy…but I’m sure gonna try…
SCRIP-BITS 