Embrace Life Changes
Biblical Writings – 3
Life by the Spirit
Galatians 5:13-26
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Revelation
You are a free being to give as you choose. But let your freedom be used lovingly to be a blessing to others and not in destructive ways that evidently characterizes your lives, and flows from the false teaching, as Paul writes. You are commanded to ‘walk in the Spirit’. Only in so doing can you conquer the lust of the flesh, because it is the Spirit, given through faith’s response to God’s promise, who gives liberty. Such a Spirit-led life cannot be achieved by seeking salvation by submitting to the flesh. The evil of the works of the flesh are contrasted in detail with the goodness of the fruit of the Spirit borne by those who, turning from sin, trust Christ. There is no law against the fruit of the Spirit. Surprisingly those who have freedom in the Spirit are those who count themselves as crucified with Christ and follow Him. This alone deals with conceit, strife, and envy.
Show love and call upon the Lord to get past the selfish acts of the flesh to find peace, joy and contentment. These are the avenues to a better you for a better marriage.
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Next…Self Evaluation
