Bible League: Living His Word So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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.There is a war going on and the battlefield is every person on the face of the earth. On one side there is the flesh and on the other side there is the Spirit. The flesh is the Apostle Paul's metaphor for the sinful spiritual state of individual human beings. The Spirit, of course, is the Holy Spirit. They are in conflict with one another over each person. Those who do not belong to Jesus Christ are still living in the power of their flesh. The flesh, one might say, represents their true spiritual state and the Spirit is an alien factor to them. Those who do belong to Jesus, on the other hand, have been "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20) and have "crucified the flesh" (Galatians 5:24). They have been "baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5) and their flesh is now the alien factor. This does not mean that the flesh is no longer operative in their lives, because Paul still finds it necessary to say that we shouldn't "gratify the desires of the flesh," but it does mean that it no longer represents our true spiritual state. Paul's recommendation for avoiding the gratification of the flesh is to "walk by the Spirit." When those who belong to Christ walk by the Spirit they are following the lead of the Spirit by the power of the Spirit. When you walk by the Spirit you will not do "whatever you want," as the flesh would do, but what the Spirit wants; you will be open to the leading of the Spirit. You can tell if you've been successfully walking in the Spirit if your life reflects the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Today, since we live by and in the power of the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingLeviticus 1, 2, 3 Leviticus 1 -- Burnt Offerings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 2 -- Grain Offerings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 3 -- Peace Offerings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 24:23-51 Matthew 24 -- Christ Foretells the Destruction of the Temple and His Glorious Return NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But the LORD is in his holy Temple;the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. Insight When the foundations are shaking and you wish you could hide, remember that God is still in control. His power is not diminished by any turn of events. Nothing happens without his knowledge and permission. Challenge When you feel like running away—run to God. He will restore justice and goodness on the earth in his good time. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Micah 2:10 Arise, and depart.The hour is approaching when the message will come to us, as it comes to all--"Arise, and go forth from the home in which thou hast dwelt, from the city in which thou hast done thy business, from thy family, from thy friends. Arise, and take thy last journey." And what know we of the journey? And what know we of the country to which we are bound? A little we have read thereof, and somewhat has been revealed to us by the Spirit; but how little do we know of the realms of the future! We know that there is a black and stormy river called "Death." God bids us cross it, promising to be with us. And, after death, what cometh? What wonder-world will open upon our astonished sight? What scene of glory will be unfolded to our view? No traveller has ever returned to tell. But we know enough of the heavenly land to make us welcome our summons thither with joy and gladness. The journey of death may be dark, but we may go forth on it fearlessly, knowing that God is with us as we walk through the gloomy valley, and therefore we need fear no evil. We shall be departing from all we have known and loved here, but we shall be going to our Father's house--to our Father's home, where Jesus is--to that royal "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." This shall be our last removal, to dwell forever with him we love, in the midst of his people, in the presence of God. Christian, meditate much on heaven, it will help thee to press on, and to forget the toil of the way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country: this world of woe is but the stepping-stone to a world of bliss. "Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine, For thy bright courts on high; Then bid our spirits rise, and join The chorus of the sky." Daily Light on the Daily Path Deuteronomy 8:10 "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.Deuteronomy 8:11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; Luke 17:15-18 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, • and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. • Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-- where are they? • "Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" 1 Timothy 4:4,5 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; • for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. Proverbs 10:22 It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. Psalm 103:1-4 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. • Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; • Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; • Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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