Mar 23, 2007 - Walking in Love

Mar 23, 2007

As we looked at yesterday, sometimes trying to look at the problem can be difficult. We want to look at people being the problem. I reality, it is we who are the problem according to God's Word. We need to learn to walk in love.

Gal 5:14-25 CEV
(14) All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.

It is real simple. It is covered in the law in the book of Leviticus. (Lev. 19:18) We are to love others as much as we do ourselves. Paul reiterates it to the Galatians. It is probably the simplest law in concept. It is also the hardest one to do. Why if it is so simple to love others, do we tend not?

(15) But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.

It is clear that if we do not know how to react in love to others what will happen to us. We will be totally destroyed. We might as well go in the woods and get mauled by a bear.

(16) If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.

So, if I let myself be guided by the spirit I will not be animalistic in nature. I will not tear apart myself or others around me. How can that be?

(17) The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.

The Spirit, and what my body wants are two different things. Remember that like God, man is three parts. We are a spirit, that has a soul, and lives in a body. The body wants what the body wants. It wants its needs met. While some of these needs are necessary, not all of them are good and even some of the good ones can be made bad. While it is not bad for me to want to fulfill, the desire to eat, left uncontrolled I can become a glutton, and tear my body apart from inside. The Spirit knows better what is necessary to put the body under control. It will, if we listen to it, helps us control our desires so that there is no damage. Is it hard to do? You bet. The body is letting you know that your needs are there and not being met. It will gnaw at you and your desire will be to give in. When you do, you start the process of tearing yourself apart.

(18) But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.
(19) People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds.
(20) They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are
(21) envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

And here is the things that the body will lead you to doing, and also they payoff. If you do them, while you will satisfaction for the short term, you will not have the Kingdom of God in your grasp. Why? Because if you give in to the body all the time, you can not have the love of God in your life. Am I saying you will loose your salvation. I can not say that. Only God know that. Anyone who tells you that he knows one way or the other does not really know. I do know that if this is what you practice on a regular basis, and you enjoy it, you will really hate living in heaven.

(22) God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful,
(23) gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.
(24) And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.
(25) God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit.

The reward is clear. If we want the things that will be good for us, we need to take time to listen to the Spirit and let it help us lead our lives. That is for all areas. Do not do something expecting a reward from others, it defeats what you are doing because the flesh is getting in the way. Take the flesh out of the way and let love flow through you.

Go, walk in the spirit.

Scriptures marked as "(CEV)" are taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.