A Vital Truth

 

After years of reading through the Bible and the past two years of reading Stephen Charnock’s incredible book on the attributes of God, I’m noticing one spiritual truth that seldom is preached or taught. I’m also noticing that out of that omission comes many misguided notions about God and about ourselves and our responses (or not) to His Word.

What seems to be absent is clarity on the meaning and application of this passage:

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:13–26, italics mine)

This is not a new teaching. The prophets spoke to God’s OT saints about their inability to please God because they were not filled with the Spirit, and were instead walking in the flesh.

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)
For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” (Jeremiah 11:7–8)
But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive. (Jeremiah 13:17)

This distinction is connected to the “rules” in the NT that are intended to show the difference made when walking in the Spirit or not. One application concerns prayer:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:3–4)

God also told His people that they were set free from bondage in Egypt, but He had to give them “rules” because they were not living like they should. Isaiah defines sin as simply doing our own thing rather than obeying God. 

The NT picks up on that. We are set free from sin when we are born-again, then told to be Spirit-filled so we can obey Him. However, far too many do not realize how that works, or that  fleshy activity is really doing our own thing. It is only when selfish living deepens into grossly  immoral or illegal action that we call it sin, but seldom is “I will do it myself” called sin like it was called in the OT. For that reason, the NT is also filled with “rules” about how to live as a person set free from sin… we should know what it means to walk in the Spirit or at least know when we are not and confess it (see 1 John 1:9).

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The biblical truth that I should do all things for God and His glory. This includes giving thanks rooted in the excellency of the Giver rather than merely for His good gifts. If gratitude is more about answered prayer and personal comforts and desires, it is likely disguised idolatry. This is one example only. If the fruit of the Spirit is absent, something needs to be confessed.

PRAY: God grant me a heart to delight in You for who You are — so all my gratitude for Your gifts, all my decisions, words, actions and motivations are for Your glory — and I will not twist any of it to make myself the focus and dismiss or forget Your excellence. Amen.  

Being a surprise . . .

Judges 8; Jeremiah 21; Mark 7; Acts 12

The human heart tends toward extremes. Gideon exemplifies this. He wins the lop-sided battle with Israel’s enemy. His kinsmen are upset that he didn’t ask their help even though they had not been willing to fight before God sent Gideon into battle. He could have reminded them of their weakness but was diplomatic and calmed them with praise. So far so good. But then he threatens the next groups that refuse to feed his army and later comes back to carry out his threats. Not so good.

His actions as he deals with enemy kings seem to be with mixed motives. While God instructs destruction, Gideon is filled with vengeance because his brothers had been killed in the battle. Yet on the other hand when the people ask him to rule over them, he says: “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23)

Then in the very next verse, Gideon asks for their gold jewelry and makes an elaborate outer vestment that soon becomes an idolatrous object of worship, not just for the nation but even for Gideon’s family. Then this man takes many wives, also forbidden, and has seventy sons, one becoming a cruel and power-hungry butcher as the nation returns to unrestrained paganism that includes ugly ingratitude toward Gideon’s family.

I cannot help but think that humanity has not changed much. Leaders may start out well and gain the praise of the people but soon they make sinful choices and their popularity drops. Voters quickly forget the good done and want them thrown out of office. Perfection is desired yet no one can claim it.

As Gideon suggested, human rulers will not satisfy the demands of people who refuse to let God rule over them. If Almighty God who is righteous and holy and good is not good enough, then how can a mere man be a leader that satisfies their hearts?

I have a thick set of cards held together by rings. Each card has a focus. Today’s card says to concentrate on my own sinfulness and keep short accounts with God. It’s too easy to look at others and moan. Reviewing the story above, I think how easily I can expect others to meet my needs or do what makes me feel content. My old fleshy nature is quick to resent not being asked or wants to retaliate when others refuse to do what I want them to do. I can be preachy and tell people to obey the Lord, but not do it myself. I can get wrapped up in the works of my own hands without crediting Jesus for His goodness and provision.

Gideon typifies what James later calls double mindedness. Flippy flop. Paul calls it the battle between flesh and spirit. Jesus lives in my heart; I’m to let Him rule my life. I’m to think this way:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

. . . Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law . . . . those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit . . . . (Galatians 5:16-25)

More passages describe how salvation is God giving me new life and that the old life in the flesh is “dead” or separated from God and useless. I’m not to bounce between the two as Gideon seemed to do. Even though he did not have the benefit of Christ living in him, he is still an example of what not to be. My fight (and his) is against an enemy who wants to destroy God’s people. He uses lies that are contrary to what God says about my old life, like “I have rights” and “Take care of #one” and “Don’t bother God with that little problem.”

Jesus hits at the root of the problem with sin. I know He is warning me too:

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23)

APPLY: My granddaughter says, “It is best to not expect people to be selfless, then you will not be disappointed all the time. And now and then, they just might surprise you.” Lord, I want to “consider myself dead to sin” and more often be a surprise. Fill me with Your Spirit for I cannot do it without You.