Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts 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. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 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 such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
As we embark on this eve of the New Year, I would like to suggest to you that we need to make some resolutions. We need to resolve to become the creatures that God wants us to become.....as scarey as that may be! It’s hard to leave your comfort zone, even if it’s not really comfortable there anymore.
Sometimes we are just so used to doing things in a certain way, or being the way "we’ve always been" that we don’t want to change. Once a pattern of living has been established, it is hard to change. Once we get into a certain way of doing things, it is nearly impossible for us to even fathom the idea that something could be better for us, or at least we think the way we are accustomed to acting, doing or believing is best for us.
Think for a moment how you would handle someone coming up to you right now and state that you have to leave your home, job and associates immediately and you’re not given any time to say goodbye. Would you be eager to leave? Would you embrace the overture with enthusiasm and not think about what you’re being asked to do? Probably not. Even though you may not be completely happy with your circumstances, you are probably content with the familiarity of them.....you’re comfortable with it!
Look at 2 COR 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Some of us aren’t "comfortable" being a "new creation".....we kinda like our "old creation".....well, some parts of it, anyway! You ever heard someone that always complains about their job? Been there 6 yrs, complained all the time! Hey, get a new job! It won’t change until you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
How about husbands/wives that are always griping about each other and to each other? Some couples have been together for a very long time, complaining the entire marriage! And they really don’t think it’s that bad or elase they would DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
How about your location.....where you live. Texans are pretty bad to complain about the weather, aren’t we? We even get to complaining about our town, our county....sometimes even the great State of Texas (blasphemy!) Where you live is not going to change unless you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Maybe there is some habit you have that you don’t like. You may say "boy, I sure wish I could quit doing that" but it will not change until you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! And then there are those that just LIKE to complain, but they really don’t want any changes in their lives.
They would never think of leaving their job, cause when it comes down to it, they really like it. They wouldn’t leave their spouse because, after all, they really do love them! And move away from Texas???? I think not!!! The point is that we often "wish things could be better", but we are not really willing to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
The challenge for each of us here this day is be reminded that when we discover that something is not in our best interest, we must move forward in our lives and follow God’s plan to get us in the right place. God continues to show us that change is a natural part of human existence. It is only when we embrace the opportunities for change that are presented to us on a daily basis that we can find true happiness and peace. Our yesterdays are gone. Our present moments are being defined as we make decisions that will determine what our futures will become. In other words, we must DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
We don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming for us, but we can all agree that He IS coming......soon. It is past time for us to let Him do the transforming that He desires in our lives. Look at our text Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts 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.
Look at ROM 7:21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (NIV)
Your old nature does NOT want to change into the NEW creature that God wants you to be! 2 COR 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! But in vs 25 it tells us that we CAN be transformed. We CAN set aside our old nature! PHIL 3:12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Look, if Paul knew that he wasn’t yet perfect, surely WE can realize that too! He said that he wants to "take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me".......and that IS the growing and transforming of your old nature, or old man, to the NEW creature that Jesus Christ has made a way for you to become!
A new year always holds a couple of things.....some relief that the old year is over, some realization that you are ANOTHER year older than you were. But also, hope. The blessed hope, of course, that this is THE year in which Christ will rapture us up to be with Him, but also the hope that this year will be different. That THIS is the year we will finally surrender our all to Chrst. What ever you have done in the past........it doesn’t matter!
I resolve to be like Paul....Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. I may stumble, I may even fall down sometimes....but it certainly won’t be because I haven’t commited myself totally to run this race. It will be worth it all......to see Jesus!
If you’re tired of the same old nature controlling your life, resolve yourself to be like Jesus.....He has already took hold for you; it’s time we take hold OF Him!
