Flesh as discussed in Romans, is something we die to as we are transformed through the renewing of our mind. As we are Justified by Grace, or saved through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. When we are saved or rescued from our present state of death by sin, we become a new creature. Our outside stays the same, but our mind, our heart, our soul go through a complete transformation that brings into unity with God. We will still fight the flesh, because it will do what we don’t want to do, and it won’t do what we want it to do. As a Christian, this is our fight, or our cross to carry.
Galatians carries a similar line of thought as it talks about being torn between living by the “law” and living through “faith” in Jesus Christ. Paul deals harshly with the Galatians as he explains to them that the Law cannot save them. He explains that a man will only die by the Law, but he can live through Faith in Jesus Christ by His grace. The extent of the issues with the flesh has deep roots, and causes many people to stumble. Since we are made of flesh, and we are made with a soul, it is almost a necessity that they learn to work together for the good of the Kingdom. But the flesh is of sin, and our souls are redeemed through Gods Grace, thus pitting flesh and the soul against one another.
The consequences of such a battle are deadly. Our flesh will die and return to the earth from whence it came. However, the issue lies with what will happen to our soul. We live not for today, which is what the flesh lives for, but as redeemed and justified beings in the grace of Jesus Christ, we live for our future in eternity with Him, which is what our soul is made for. The consequences of not fighting the good fight and making sure our soul, our heart, our inmost being is made right with Christ, is eternal separation from Him in Hell.
Our nature is sinful, thus creating an instant battleground for the flesh and soul to engage a fight. Once justified through Christ, we are at battle. Our flesh will be tempted to do things we ought not to do. So it was with the Galatians; they struggled with the issues of trying to live by the law, through their own measure, they tried to gain God’s favor. Too quickly they forgot their instruction and training. They allowed the flesh to guide them instead of what they first believed to be true. Several times in Paul’s letters, you can read the word “believe”. That simple word is a key to what Paul is trying to tell the church of Galatia. They had turned from what they first believed and were allowing people e to sway them from the truth.
Ministers today, still have the same issues with those they instruct. We live in a world where everything is right and everything is good, so they say. May people today don’t want to hear that they are sinful or doomed to eternity in hell, separated from God. They believe that if they are good and kind to others, it is enough. People today are no different than those at Galatia. They thought that through the Law, they could obtain the grace and goodness of God, but it simply isn’t true. Faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he died on the cross and rose again to sit at the place of authority in Heaven, is what it takes. Nothing has changed really, different people, different worlds, but the same issues. Today’s ministers need to have a rod of steel place up their spine, and they need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as though it mattered, because it does. How nice it would be if gone were the days of pandering to people to make them feel better about themselves, and ministers and preachers would tell people the truth. That they are in danger of spending eternity separated from the creator and sustainer of all creation and life, the one true God.
No comments:
Post a Comment