“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.” Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)
Searching for a snack out of boredom, I opened the refrigerator to see what I could find. Instantly, my EYES fell upon some Halloween candy. Then my HAND grabbed a piece and shoved it into my MOUTH! All before my BRAIN had time to think about it! So there I stood… candy breath and all… wondering what just happened! I just proved God doesn’t lie. I had vowed to NOT eat candy.
It really ISN’T a mystery. Paul wrote this verse 2000 years ago to give a heavenly explanation to what every one of us should already know. He gave it even MORE detail in Romans 7. Humans make BAD choices… ALL the time. I listen to the excuses regularly, from myself… AND from others… then ask… “I don’t understand… WHY do I keep choosing the wrong thing!” As if I was genuinely surprised!
NO GOOD THING LIVES IN YOUR FLESH (Romans 7:18).But that is NOT what the WORLD, the FLESH or the DEVIL says about me. The message that screams to ALL of us is, “you’re a winner, believe in yourself, you’re enough or you can do it!” And the dude with the candy breath just refuses to smell it! But I am not alone in asking the question. Paul asked it of himself 2000 years ago!
We are agathokakological beings. That means we consist of both good and evil. We aren’t BORN good and then go bad. actually, it is the reverse. No one teaches a child to be bad. They already KNOW. Steeped in sin, we have the natural tenancy to choose the WRONG things. ALL evidence points out that WE NEED A SAVIOR! A fact that quickly disappears with a whisper of, “Eh…I’m fine!”
If I agree with God as to my lost and dead disposition, why is my natural inclination to defend myself? Why do I fight so hard to be right, when I know that the majority of the time my flesh is wrong? In a world of sin, why is a drink or drug chosen over responsibility? Why is it easier to take a nap then get something done? Why is it easier to quit than press on? If you’ve read this far then you already know the answer. Our flesh stinks!
Sin is a stench in the nose of God. If we even had a HINT of its awful reality, we’d faint! Want a taste? Hold your hand over a candle for 1 second! THAT is a TINY taste of what the wage of sin brings. Now multiply that by a gazillion and add eternity! THAT is GOD’S view! THAT is the price he paid to free me from sin’s penalty. The very LEAST I can do is love Him for it.
