What is death and what is life? Death is when life ceases. When we put
our mind on the things of the flesh, life in the Spirit ceases. What is the difference between working with a mind on the things of the flesh and working with a mind on the thing of the Spirit? Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men”
We do things for Jesus. And I like the word heartily. It is having an attitude of pleasing God in all you do. Doing your work with all your heart, with your whole being, with all your soul, doing it willingly and enthusiastically.
What happens when we have life? What happens when we have death?
Galatians 5:18-21 Practicing the things of the flesh will not allow us to live in the inheritance God has for us. We will not be able to live in God's kingdom. When we are born again, we can see into the kingdom of God. John 3:3 Why is seeing so important? You can't go somewhere if you can't see. When we have God's Spirit we gain hope as we read the Bible and hear from God. This hope is seeing the answer coming to pass. When we turn from a mindset of setting our mind on the things of the Spirit to the flesh we cease to be able to see the hope that has been given to us. We lose heart and start to worry. When we turn again to the Lord and put our mind on the things of the Spirit we renew our hope and can see God's promise to us.
If we are back and forth, back and forth between worry and hope, faith does not have an opportunity to grow and therefore, hope grows dim. Passages I use to fight off worry, doubt and fear are: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Philippians 4:6-9; Psalm 36 and 91
Life comes from the word of God. John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” When we accept God's word as true we enter into life. When we take God's word as an idea but don't realize it is for us, sluggishness happens. Hebrews 6:12 “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Death vs life and peace. The flesh brings death. Then why do people say that to live a Christian life is boring and death? It is because they only know of Christ as religion and not the newness of the Spirit. When we hear God there is life. When we don't hear God, then there is death as we follow the rules of others. Rules are not bad in themselves, if they are in context of a vibrant Christian life. Vibrancy comes from hearing God. Often, the ideas that one generation had, is lost by the next. Ideas are conveyed better when there are testimonies that go with what we learn. People have a better grasp of what we teach if they can see that we are doing what we teach. People are told to imitate those who were successful. We can only imitate when we have examples to follow.
Then why bring death to the flesh so that life my come? Setting our mind on the flesh and the spirit at the same time, is not possible. One has to die that the other may live. If our spirit is to live our flesh must die. This is not referring to our body but our mindset. Where we will set our mind on?
Walking in the Spirit is not obeying the Bible. John 5:39-40
Walking in the Spirit is living for Christ as the Bible teaches.
Watching TV and eating popcorn is neither of the flesh or of the Spirit. Where your mind is while you eat and watch TV will determine whether you are in the flesh or the Spirit.
Romans 8:5-8
" For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Having our mind set on the Spirit sometimes is difficult. We may not know the answer to the issue we are facing. At these times I pray in the Spirit of God, which also includes tongues, for understanding and guidance for God's light. Jude 1:20; 1 Corinthians 14:14
It says in Psalm 112:4 that light will arise in darkness for the upright. We can speak light and life into a situation. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 A mind set on the flesh will reject Scripture while a mind on the Spirit will accept Scripture and confess it in their life. A mind set on the flesh will confess doubt and fear. While a mind set on the Spirit will confess the Word.
Minds set on the flesh will have pride, because they are self focused. Minds set on the Spirit will be humble as they look to Jesus. And with this humbleness will come boldness because again they see Jesus and what He has promised.
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