Christ's Nature within me lives naturally out of me, my flesh hates it!

Today, as I was struggling through my Christ Walk (funny how I can struggle with Christ while walking with and in Him), I stumbled across a verse that is very freeing. As I challenged you in my last blog, I have been taking each few days to study the scriptures in the New Testament that have "IN CHRIST" within them. The study has been rocking my world and I am loving the freedom from the flesh and from worrying. Alongside this study, I have been reading "Walking in the Will of God" by Steve McVey (I suggest everyone read it, unless you like to worry and struggle with life). Today, as I was finishing chapter 4, Dr. McVey challenges the reader to study a few passages. As I read one of them, I almost jumped out of my seat and began to dance on the table here in Starbucks ( maybe I should have!) Here it is and here is what I saw!

            "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."             Galatians 5:16-18

As I first read it, my mind went straight to this thought, "the Spirit will not let me do want I want". Can I tell you this through me for a second. I thought that the Spirit was working against me to accomplish the work of God in my life. I began to assume that the Spirit doesn't let me do what I desire. However, my presupposition was wrong. I assumed God to be a kill-joy and that I couldn't have fun, or do what makes me happy. No, I read this wrongly, or in reality interpreted it wrongly.

It is not that the Spirit will not let me do what I want, it is that my flesh keeps me from doing what I want. I have Christ in me and His will and desire in my life are central because He lives in me. It is the flesh battling against the Spirit in order to keep me from walking in Christ. This leads me to several conclusions:

1. My flesh no longer can give me joy that is everlasting and pure

2. Since Christ lives in me, He is coming out of me to enjoy His life.

3. When I do things according to the flesh, I DO NOT WALK in the Spirit.

4. My nature naturally wants what God wants because He lives in me!

That last one is the most important. I am finding that it is Christ in me that drives my life. He is my life, not who I USE to be! I naturally want what God wants because Christ naturally wants what God wants. I am in Christ and He is in me, an incredible union that cannot ever be separated. The flesh, when I give it control, does not allow me to walk by the Spirit of God. So here is the conclusion I have come to:

I HAVE CHRIST IN ME, SO QUIT LETTING THE FLESH HAVE WHAT IT WANTS AND LIVE LIKE I AM IN CHRIST! Because I am. The Christian life should be a natural walk with Jesus, because Christ is in us! Walk in freedom today with that thought!

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