BEING HOME

 10-26-12

     Stand fast therefore in the liberty (freedom) by which Christ has made us free, do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

Gal. 5:1 

       We read on in Galatians to find 2 lists. One list giving us a clear picture of what not to do. A list of the FLESH. The next list would be want we should do a list of the fruit of the SPIRIT. In my natural tendency I would think, "sweet I will do the Spirit and not the flesh." The problem with that thinking is that it is a formula. The problem with formulas is they are an insult to our Lord. The thinking behind a formula is: If i do AB&C i will get a specific out come. If God allowed that to work we would never glorify Him and He is totally worth glorifying. 

Formula = trying to control God. 

     If Galatians 5 is not giving us a check off list for behavior what in the world is the purpose of the 2 lists?

Being Home. 

     Stick with me.

If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Gal. 5:25

     If walking in the Spirit (a life with, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control all over it!) was automatic then God would not have had Paul tell us to do it. 

• If you live in the Spirit....If you have been saved by God's grace
• Then walk in the Spirit....freedom from the hold of your fleshly desires and passions and live with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control all over your life! 

Ok that sounds great but how!!! 

Are we going to unpack or not?

     Its like moving. God moves you from one house to the another (salvation) but if you never unpack, your new house will be amazing but never feel like home. There is nothing more wonderful than feeling at home in your relationship with God! The move is living in the Spirit the unpacking is walking in the Spirit. 

      I have moved many times as a child and as a married woman! IT IS WORK! Unpacking in your new spiritual home is work as well. But maybe not the work we think. Is it taking the 2 lists in Galatians 5 and doing one and not the other? NO! You will burn out. A state of being spiritually that I have experienced much! The work is SURRENDER! Yep! 

     The lists are simply there to compare your heart to. Notice I said heart not behavior. We can do one thing and be thinking another for a limited time so we want to check our hearts (thinking)  up against the lists of the flesh and Spirit. We can then evaluate our living. Are we living for  Christ surrendered in a specific area or living for ourselves (flesh) in that area. 

     The list are not for behavior modification but surrender modification. This is an issue of relationship. Relationship with Jesus Himself require way more vulnerability than relationship with a list of do's and don'ts. 

     Surrender will produce the fruit of the Spirit with surprising ease. Relationship with the lists will leave you exhausted and thinking you are better than everyone else. I know from experience. Surrender is so much more fun!

      

List of the Flesh: 

•  adultery
• fornication
• uncleanness 
• lewdness
• idolatry
• sorcery
• hatred
• contentions
• jealousies
• outbursts of wrath
• selfish ambitions
• dissensions
• heresies
• envy
• murders
• drunkenness
• revelries
• and the like. 

 Ps. Remember Jesus said if you lust after another, you have committed adultery....so the thought makes you guilty of the act.

List of the Spirit:

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control 

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