Good-morning!
For today's Daily Bread, I thought we'd do a quick wrap-up of the past ten days' messages.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-25)
Today, what I would like to point out is that there is but one way to experience these fruits, and that is God Alone. As we see here, our sinful nature desires that which is in conflict to the Spirit; sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, etc. We cannot escape the pitfalls of our sinful nature, no matter how hard we try - it is only when we cry out to Jesus that the shackles of our old nature can be broken, freeing us from ourselves and allowing us to serve Him with our entire lives.
When we cry out to God with humble hearts and broken spirits, He provides His Spirit to dwell within us which allows us to live this way, with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is so vitally important that we cry out to Him constantly, seeking for Him to cultivate these fruits within our souls. It is only through Him that we can remain patient with one another; it is only through Him that we can be kind to all those around us; it is only through Him that we can exhibit self-control in temptation; and it is only through Him that we can truly love those we hold dear - and even those we don't (Matthew 5:43-44).
We are simply incapable of these things apart from God, and I for one am so thankful that through the great and awesome sacrifice of Jesus, He has enabled us to put our sinful natures to death and has allowed us to live by His Spirit!
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 ESV)
Blessings,
Andrew
