All tagged flesh
This morning while reading my daily devotional message written by Pastor E.M. Bounds I encountered a phrase I had heard several times before, but one that never ceases to cause me to pause and reflect on my Christian walk. We read the Bible online, and in paper or hardback form, but the very first Bible any unbeliever reads is covered in flesh… our flesh. We are the first introduction that sinners have to God’s Word.
How deep is our faith in Jesus Christ? Have we believed all our lives that Jesus is the Son of God, and yet never been intimate with Him? Have we walked down the aisle weeping and confessing that He is the Lord of our lives, and then continued along with the reins of our lives held tight in our hands? Maybe we spend a lot of time trying to make ourselves righteous by doing those things Jesus taught, but do them without ever having met our living Savior. In faith, true faith, we are meant to allow Him to transform us by making us righteous, and holy.
Two individuals enter into a wedding ceremony, but God’s intention is that our vows begin the process of our becoming one flesh as our life together begins. This is a beautiful mystery, and it is fraught with hardship and challenge. Many think it occurs suddenly during the physical consummation of our union, but are we ready for the deeper spiritual joining that takes a lifetime to produce in us? Are we ready for the consuming fire of God that purifies and completes a marriage? Are we prepared to endure the fire and become one ash in the palm of God?
Are we bearing fruit in the spirit as we should? Are we listening to the instructions that Paul gave the Galatians when he wrote to them regarding how one should exhibit the Spirit in their lives? We are meant to leave our worldly behavior, and the desires of our flesh, behind, once we believe in Jess, and the Holy Spirit has come upon us, but when we look at ourselves, are we successful in this?
We can sin in so many ways, but none as easily, and completely as by the sins of our flesh. These sins are so natural to us, and fit closely with similar inclinations that we have received as gifts from God. It is in this way that we can find ourselves fooled by Satan, and caught up in them. The desire to make love to your spouse is a close cousin to your sinful desire to commit adultery. The need to protect your family isn’t too far removed from such things as jealousy, fits of anger, or even murder. We walk a fine line when it comes to our flesh, and that line is no broader than the width of our faith.