I have been home on medical leave for the past few months due to a work injury. Being out of work and pretty much homebound has given me much time to think. While this has been painful, at times, it also has been quite wonderful. One of the topics God has me contemplating is the simplicity of the spiritual life. Plainly stated, He gives us commands for righteous living and we are to obey. So, how, exactly, does God command us to live?
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophet’s.”
– Matthew 22:37-40
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”
– Ephesians 5:22-33
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– Ephesians 5:18-20
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
– Hebrews 5:18-20
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
– Romans 12:2
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
– Matthew 5:48
Why does following His commands seem so difficult for us? Why is it that we instead focus on self, reject God-given authority, turn to the world for comfort and “entertainment”, complain, neglect fellowshipping with our church family and, most importantly, with God in His Word and prayer? The answer: our human flesh. I am not sure about you, but I find the concept of the flesh (aka old sin nature or old man) somewhat confusing. Once born again and saved, we are dead to sin and no longer enslaved to it (Romans 6), yet we are still under its influence. Though I have heard several good analogies, I admit to having only a base understanding. Since His Word is true, I accept it as stated, knowing He will make it as clear to me as is necessary.
This flesh of ours wants us to do the exact opposite of what God wants and does its best to control us so its desires are met. How do we overcome the flesh?
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will 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 keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
– Galatians 5:16-17
Since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2) it has always come down to a choice. Will we choose to obey the Lord or the flesh? Will we submit to the desires of our flesh or submit to the will of the Holy God of the Universe?
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’.”
– Matthew 16:24
The spiritual life is simple in concept, we are to obey. It is not always simple to obey, of course, but it is merely a matter of loving God and hating sin. If we love God we want to obey Him and avoid sin.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
– John 14:15
“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”
– Proverbs 14:15
Every minute of every day we are called upon to make choices, both big and small. Each of them is a unique opportunity for us to decide whether we will serve self or serve our Lord and Savior. This brings to mind when Moses addressed the Exodus generation, urging them to make the right choice.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
– Deuteronomy 30:19-20
We have a simple choice to make; choose God and live righteously or choose the flesh and sin. No excuses. No rationalizing. Just simple obedience.
In His Love,
Monica Ledford
P.S. Moses also reminded the Israelites of the simple fact that obedience results in blessing while disobedience results in discipline.
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.”
– Deuteronomy 11:26-28