Flesh Or Spirit, Self Or...

Scripture:
Galations 5:14-18 (NIV)

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

Devotional:

“Treat others as you would want to be treated” is a saying I grew up hearing.  My mom use to tell us that all the time when we were having problems with one another, or friends.  This one statement basically sums up Matthew 22:39-40 (NIV), “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  How much better would it be if you treated your enemies the way you would want them to treat you?  What would happen if everyone would treat their neighbor in this manner?  If everyone treated everyone else with kindness, respect, and love there would not be any theft, muggings, murders, or any other crime.  

If we all lived in the spirit, according to the two greatest commands that Jesus gave us, there would be no room in us to live by the flesh, of this world.  Unfortunately too many people simply choose to live by the flesh, selfish and self seeking.  It is all about them and what they can get or how they can benefit, no matter the cost.  This breeds sinful activities such as sexual immorality, impurity, drunkenness, hatred, jealousy, among others.   Living in the spirit gives forth love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control, among other things.  In living by the spirit we are no longer self seeking, it isn’t all about me.  What becomes important is the other person, no matter who they are.  In this way the fruits of the Spirit are brought forth. 

 

Think if it in this way.  If you have a glass of muddy water you cannot fill it with clean water.  It isn’t until you empty the glass that you can fill it with the clean water.  The glass will only hold one or the other, but not both.  If you have a glass of clean water and start pouring in dirty water eventually all the clean water is spilled out of the glass.  This leave is full of the dirty water.  In the same way if you take the glass of dirty water and start pouring in the clean water eventually you will over flow the glass removing the dirty water.  The water will become clean, clear water once again.  Have you ever taken a glass of soapy water and poured water into it?  Once the glass fills up it will overflow.  Eventually all the soap flows out over the top leaving the water clear.  Our hearts are the same way.  Whatever we fill it with is how we will be.  If we fill it with desires of the flesh, there is no room for the Spirit.  If we fill it with the Spirit, there is no room for the flesh.  If we are walking in the spirit we will keep the first two commandments.  From there all others are naturally going to be kept…