Freedom — In the Spirit – Friday
TODAY’S VERSE
Galatians 5:24-25
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 keep in step with the Spirit. (ESV)
A friend of mine once tried to quit sugar completely. For a few days, he did great. No desserts, no soda, no late-night snacks. But then he started thinking, “I’ve been doing well. One treat won’t hurt.” One treat turned into two. Two turned into three. Before long, he was right back where he started, only with a little more frustration and a little less resolve.
He said something that stuck with me, “I didn’t actually quit. I just paused.”
Sometimes we find ourselves approaching sin with a similar attitude or maybe a casual disregard. We start to negotiate, make light of sin, or convince ourselves that Jesus covered it, so one more time won’t hurt. But our sin is the very thing that put our Savior on the cross.
Jesus came not so that we can make peace with our sin and grow comfortable in our bondage, but so that we might be redeemed through His sacrifice and made right before God.
When Paul says, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires…” he’s pointing back to our Savior on the cross. Jesus was crucified to take on the punishment of sin that we deserved. When we put our faith in Him, we acknowledge that every sinful passion and desire we’ve had or will have, has already been paid for through His death on the cross. Crucifying the flesh is a fancy way of saying surrender.
We aim to stay in step with the Spirit because daily surrender is a battle. Just like my friend struggled to stop eating sugar, we, too, are utterly helpless without the Spirit cultivating Christ-like fruit in our lives. You know the ones: patience, gentleness, self-control, etc.
Here’s the good news: when Paul says “those who belong to Christ Jesus,” he’s referring to YOU. You belong to Him. But what’s the catch? Just because you belong to Him doesn’t mean you act like Him. That’s what Paul wants to make clear to the church in Galatia. We need the Holy Spirit to help us act like Christ, because it doesn’t come naturally. Those who recognize their identity in Christ and admit their need for Him will activate the Spirit in their lives.
We surrender our sinful desires by telling God about them through prayer. When we do, He shoulders them on the cross and crucifies them there.
Our hope is in Christ, whose victory on the cross keeps us in step with the Spirit.
APPLICATION
Identify one area where you’ve been ignoring sin instead of submitting it to Jesus. What’s one practical step you can take today to prune it out of your life? Ask God to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in your life, and cut out anything that does not bring Him glory.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that Jesus has already won the victory over sin. Help me to live in a way that reflects that reality. I ask that you prune out anything in my life that doesn’t bring You glory, and for perseverance to walk in step with the Spirit. Remind me that I am not alone. You are with me. Amen.