Comments on: In the spirit NOT in the flesh. http://firejournal.net/Article19/in-the-spirit-not-in-the-flesh/ Christian Blog Mon, 21 May 2012 09:12:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Laura http://firejournal.net/Article19/in-the-spirit-not-in-the-flesh/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Laura Tue, 18 Apr 2006 16:12:37 +0000 http://firejournal.net/?p=19#comment-4 Sowing in the flesh often seems like the most logical, straightforward, and successful way of advancing God's kingdom. It gets so frustrating when you realise the fleshly effort was meaningless, like running the wrong way on an escalator. Chances are the escalator is winning, and you can't sit down to rest when you are tired. I'm reminded of Solomon's book of Ecclesiastes. He was devasted because, after living life for wisdom, pleasure, and works, he concluded that everything is utterly meaningless. In his concluding thoughts he wrote, "...Studying opinions forever can become very exhausting! ...Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Ecc. 12:12-14) Judged for good things. Hmmm. Yes, judged for secret motivations to perform a "righteous" act. We all do that at times. I am willing to give the pope the benefit of the doubt, assuming he wants desperately to please God. He needs the spirit. He needs to be born again. May the Lord grant us the grace and humility to live by the spirit and not by the flesh, according to Galations 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Sowing in the flesh often seems like the most logical, straightforward, and successful way of advancing God’s kingdom. It gets so frustrating when you realise the fleshly effort was meaningless, like running the wrong way on an escalator. Chances are the escalator is winning, and you can’t sit down to rest when you are tired.

I’m reminded of Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes. He was devasted because, after living life for wisdom, pleasure, and works, he concluded that everything is utterly meaningless. In his concluding thoughts he wrote, “…Studying opinions forever can become very exhausting! …Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecc. 12:12-14)

Judged for good things. Hmmm. Yes, judged for secret motivations to perform a “righteous” act. We all do that at times. I am willing to give the pope the benefit of the doubt, assuming he wants desperately to please God. He needs the spirit. He needs to be born again.

May the Lord grant us the grace and humility to live by the spirit and not by the flesh, according to Galations 2:20.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

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