Is it possible to "balance" the Spirit and the flesh?

I'm pressing on with this blog. There was so much information shared with us at the retreat - I don't want to let it sit on my desk without a thorough review - and if I'm reviewing it for myself, I might as well share it with others!

In Missy's third session, entitled "The Power for Christian Living" she shared how we try to balance the Spirit with the flesh - this is impossible as the Spirit and the flesh cannot work together (for these are opposed to each other) - this is the biggest reason we experience failure. We looked at Gal. 5:16-26, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do ("prasso" - continual action, habitual practice) such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another."

We have a choice to NOT obey the desires of the flesh. Missy gave the illustration of our flesh (sin) as grooves in a road - picture a bus driving inside the grooves requiring no effort from the driver other than giving it some gas! It takes effort to live in the Spirit! It does not take effort to live from our flesh.

The Spirit says: forgive - the flesh says: Hold a grudge

The Spirit says: Be temperate, stay calm - the flesh says: Get angry, do whatever you want

The Spirit says: Give that money to someone in need - the flesh says: Spend that money on yourself

The Spirit says: Spend some time in the Word and prayer - the flesh says: You've had a long day; chill out in front of the TV for the evening

The Spirit says: Hold your tongue. What you are about to say is not kind or necessary - the flesh says: tell it like it is!

Sin is easy and comfortable - obedience - is like making new grooves - brings freedom!

Missy took this definition from Steve McVey, Grace Walk:

Flesh - the techniques we use to try and meet our needs, independent of Jesus Christ.

Christ must be our source!

I've got to be honest - I'm struggling with this. There were several times this week I chose to live out of my flesh and the result was not pretty!

We need freedom from anything controlling our lives, other than Christ. Missy began Saturday morning reminding us that if we have received Christ, we are a new creation. We are completely new – not renewed. Sometimes I’m tempted to think of myself as a kind of restored Humpty Dumpty – the Lord put me back together again but I’m terribly scarred, still tender in places – not yet healed but that is a lie! I am a BRAND NEW CREATION! (Notice I keep reminding myself of this fact!) Satan wants us to think we are a patched up job – not quite good enough, not quite worthy, unacceptable (etc.) because if he can convince us that we just don’t measure up, he can deceive us and basically render us ineffective in our Christian walk. We will have little impact for Christ if we listen to the enemy’s lies. A few years ago I fell into this trap. We were having some major issues with our children and it was no coincidence that I began to hear voices in my head telling me I was a loser Mom. At the time I was an Area Coordinator for Moms In Touch International, a ministry where moms gather weekly to pray for their kids and the schools they attend. My job was to encourage moms to pray for their kids! I began to question myself – how could I suggest other moms pray for their kids when ours were having so many struggles? A friend gave me a book entitled The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. Mr. Anderson explained that when we choose to entertain those deceiving spirits rather than focusing on Christ and all He has done for us, it’s like Satan stops us in our tracks. I actually considered quitting my position with Moms In Touch! Then I began to speak truth out loud, in the name of Jesus, whenever I heard those “voices”, and they stopped. It was amazing! I loved it when Missy shared . . . God never intended for us to be bound to anything but Him. What is controlling my life other than Christ? In my case, I was choosing to focus on (believe) circumstances rather than God’s word. One of my favorite passages is from Romans 4:17-22, As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He (Abraham) is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations. . . without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead. . . Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness."

Abraham chose to believe God – not his circumstances!

It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm then, and do not LET yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Gal. 5:1

Missy shared that our freedom ultimately depends on two things:
1. What we believe to be true about God. Our view of who God is.
2. What we believe about ourselves in relationship to God.

Some of the yokes we shared at the retreat included fear, worry, insecurity, guilt, anger, control issues, food, approval, shopping, emotions, & bad habits. Share a yoke you have had to deal with in the past or are currently struggling with today.

For those of you who did not attend the retreat, Heather mentioned the list we read regarding who we are IN CHRIST. If you have received Christ, this list describes you as a new creation:
I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13)
I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14)
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life (John 15:1, 5)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
I am a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
I am enslaved to God (Romans 6:22)
I am a son (daughter) of God; God is spiritually my Father (Rom 8:14, 15; Gal 3:26; 4:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom 8:17)
I am a temple-a dwelling place of God. His Spirit and His life dwells in me. (1Cor 3:16; 6:19)
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1Cor 6:17)
I am a member of Christ's body (1Cor 12:27; Eph 5:30)
I am a new creation (2Cor 5:17)
I am reconciled to God and one in Christ (Gal 3:26, 28)
I am an heir of God since I am a son (daughter) of God (Gal 4:6, 7)
I am a saint (Eph 1:1, 1Cor 1:2, Phil 1:1, Col 1:2)
I am God's workmanship - His handiwork - born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph 2:10)
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family (Eph 2:19)
I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph 3:1; 4:1)
I am righteous and holy (Eph 4:24)
I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil 3:20; Eph 2:6)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)
I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col 3:4)
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4)
I am a son (daughter) of light and not darkness (1 Thess 5:5)
I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling (Heb 3:14)
I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life (Heb 3:14)
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Pet 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own posession (1 Pet 2:9, 10)
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet 2:11)
I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet 5:8)
I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns (1John 3:1,2)
I am born of God, and the evil one - the devil - cannot touch me (1John 5:18)
I am not the great "I AM" (Ex 3:14; John 8:24, 28, 58) but by the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10)

A note from Barb

As a child, my mother always took me to Sunday school. It was customary at our church to give each child a pansy on Mother’s Day to give their mother. This tradition continued over the years and even after I left home I would continue to give my mother pansies. Sometimes it would be in the form of the actual flowers, other times it would be a coffee mug, thank you notes, stationery and even an afghan with pansies woven into it. It was a personal connection between us that nurtured old memories and cultivated new ones.

When I had my own home and flower garden, pansies were always tucked into a cool corner. I had to hand water them and always thought about Mama when tending to my garden. I didn’t get my pansies planted the spring that my mother took a turn for the worse as I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her. Although her death was anticipated it happened unexpectedly. I was devastated and heartbroken. I woke up the next morning not knowing how I would make it through the day. As I looked out the window at my unplanted flower garden I saw pansies blooming! The plants had survived the winter. What a blessing from the Lord. He knew 50 years ago, with the giving (seed) of the first pansy, that this would be the peace and comfort I would need in my time of sorrow.

My mother died nine years ago on April 30th. My heart was heavy as I got up Friday morning and prepared to go to the women’s retreat. I adore my mother and still miss her. I didn’t share my feelings with anyone but God knew. After the drive to the retreat I decided I wanted a cup of coffee and went upstairs to get it. I gasped and stopped in my tracks as I looked at the tables. There, just for me (or so I felt), was a field of pansies and God’s assurance that He cares for my broken heart and will continue to comfort me until the day I’m reunited with my Mother.

My thanks to you, Pam, for all the time and effort it took to plant all those little pots of pansies. Their smiling faces lifted my spirit and once again reminded me how great our God is.

With love and gratitude,

Barbara

Since last August when Bill & Paige Loveless came to NMC to share the Christ is Life message I have been praying through Gal. 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Needless to say, when Missy shared that her favorite subject to speak on was our identity in Christ – I was totally excited to hear what the Lord had to say through her at our Blooming In Christ retreat.

I have been asking the Lord to explain to me what it means to die to myself. . . I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live. . . but Christ lives in me. I began to imagine two power sources – the main one and the back up generator. I realized that I had been living with myself as the main power source and Jesus was my back up. He wants to be my total power source. With Him, I don’t need a back up! One of my favorite authors, Jennifer Kennedy Dean explains new life in Christ as “Jesus in a Jennifer suit” or in my case, “Jesus in a Jacque suit.” The truth is if we have received Christ, we are a new creation – not renewed but brand spankin’ new!

But what about sin? I was so thankful Missy broached this subject. Sometimes I think that as Christians we think we shouldn’t sin so when we do we don’t tell anyone because we think somehow we haven’t “arrived” or worse, maybe we are not really saved. Satan loves it when we think this because that leaves our sin in the dark – growing like crazy and driving us crazy! If we could only “get” that when we confess our sins to one another, it brings them into the light and they can be dealt with. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking a friend to pray with you. You may need to admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. The point is there is a real battle – remember when the Apostle Paul shared his heart from Romans 7:15, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

Missy shared that the more we refuse our flesh – the weaker it gets and the stronger our faith grows. We have a choice not to obey the desires of the flesh! I loved the prayer she shared, “Lord, I believe I am a new creation, and in my mind and heart, I want to live for You and obey You. I am going to take a step of faith and turn away from what my flesh wants. Lord, I know this pleases You but I also know that I don’t have the ability to pull this off. So I am relying on the power of Your Holy Spirit to enable me to walk in the direction that You want me to go.”

Hallelujah – the flesh will lose power if I resist it – this is a supernatural act of God in me! Missy told us that the amount of fruit will be determined by how much we choose to walk in the Spirit – being receptive to Him. The next time you see me, ask how I have resisted my flesh lately? I need friends to be accountable to. I want to surrender and allow His FRUIT to be displayed in my life for His glory! And I know you want that too – let’s encourage one another!
Blooming Together, Jacque