Galatians 6:24 - "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires"
We only need to turn on the news to witness just how much trouble.
Sexual immorality, drug abuse, and hatred seed the destruction of individuals and those around them in a continuous cycle.
Even those who have dedicated their lives to Christian ministry are not immune. Pastors are caught in affairs and church leaders are caught in theft and other sins. Churches are left destroyed and faith is questioned.
We often witness such destruction and wonder how others could ever do such things. At the same time, when we are honest, we understand exactly how.
We were all born under the curse of original sin. As such, we have a tendency to sin out of selfish ambition. We look to please our own flesh by seeking pleasure, security, a sense of significance, and safety. Of course, we know we are meant to find ALL of these things in God, but we turn to our own fleshly passion and desires too often.
This is why this memory verse from the book of Galatians can be incredibly helpful!
Paul offers great perspective about the victory we can already claim because Jesus died for us. He reminds us that "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
As soon as we claim Christ as our Savior, He crucifies our fleshly passions and desires. As such, we can live free from the burden they truly place on our lives! We only need to believe and accept this great truth!
Our response to this gift includes renewing our minds. We work to change our passions and desires in a way that glorifies God. We mentally kill off our fleshly passions and desires and replace them with something much greater - a holy ambition to pursue a deeper relationship with God. Ultimately, it is through the disciplined mind we gain wisdom. We fully understand the emptiness of all the world's offerings even as we grasp the fullness of what God offers.
Apply This:
1. Meditate on this memory verse several times this coming week
2. Accept the truth - Jesus' crucifixion killed off your fleshly passions and desires
3. Ask God to align your passions and desires with those of His kingdom
