I say then; Walk in the SPIRIT, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts (or wars ) against the SPIRIT and the SPIRIT against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the SPIRIT, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication(sexual immorality), uncleanness, licentiousness(unbridled lust or a mentality that you have a license to sin), idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice(habitually) such things will not inherit the kingdom of GOD.
But the "fruit of the SPIRIT" is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness(gentleness), self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are CHRIST's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the SPIRIT, let us also walk in the SPIRIT. Let us not become vain(conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.
A life that walks "fruitfully" vs. a life that walks "fleshly"; which life are you walking ? Come on now, this is not rocket science ! If you are Truly a Child of the KING, one who is labeled a Christian, look in your spiritual mirror and tell yourself what you see. 2nd.Cor.13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that JESUS CHRIST is in you ?--unless indeed you are disqualified.
What do your days consist of ? Are they filled with taking care of your husband, your children, possibly working outside the home ? Do you do these things in a joyful SPIRIT filled way, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in your heart ? Ephesians 5:18 thru 20 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation(excess) but be filled with the SPIRIT, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to GOD the FATHER in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Christian, I know that it is easy to get in a "frustrated funk" about life, especially if you see and hear all the wicked and immoral things that seem to permeate every orifice of life, these days. But really our days are no more evil than those in Noah's day; it just seems so because we have such and access to it through social media outlets. Look at it this way, when our soldiers came home from WWI and WWII they were looked at as hero's, and they were fighting for liberties, ours and Europe's. But then TV happened and we were in Vietnam and the war was in our living rooms and we treated our Vietnam Vets as if they had leprosy; called them baby killers (ironic since Vietnam, the US has killed nearly 70,000,000 babies through abortion, but I digress) and all kinds of horrible names because the wars before had been far away and we could only guess, for the most part, about what our soldiers had to face and do to survive. So the evil of today is no better or worse than it was in Noah's day, except that it is in our faces 24/7, unless you do not have an I-phone, or I-pad, or computer or TV or any way to view what is happening in the world.
The "fruit of the SPIRIT" should be the guiding SPIRIT in our lives, not a once-in-awhile spurt of conscience. If you see more " works of the flesh " in your day to day walk then you do "fruit of the SPIRIT, then if I were you I would take stock as to whether you are truly in the faith, as I said and Paul said, Examine yourselves !!! The "works of the flesh" are pretty self explanatory and none of them are worth your eternity, nor do any of them have good long term consequences !!!
GOD the FATHER wants a "relationship" with you and me, so HE sent HIS only begotten SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to earth at a specific time to be crucified on a Roman cross, for your sins and mine. And if you are not sure as to what a sin is, the "works of the flesh" list above covers 99% of them. HE knew we would need to have a payment for our sin, just as we pay for things here when we break mans laws, HE made a way to have our sins forgiven, in the death, burial and resurrection of HIS SON the LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are born sinners and JESUS came as our payment for sin. Simply bow your head, admit to JESUS that you know you are a sinner and that you have no way to clean yourself up and ask HIM to save you, come into your heart and life, HE will. GOD is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Don't put it off, for today is still the day of grace and the day of Salvation for all who come to the LORD by faith. Don't wait !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
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