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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
I'm writing this devotion in between two contrasting statements: one geared toward flesh, and one geared toward TRUE Spirituality. Why? Because there is only one kind of fruit or another that we CAN bear, and only ONE true source of good fruit. Jesus says "I am the vine;you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5). If you read the statements in Galatians above and below you will see: the Fruit of the flesh, fruit I can bear within myself, is based on my emotions, my desires, and my selfish ambition, whereas the Fruit of the Spirit, fruit I cannot produce, but is produced by the Holy Spirit by abiding in Christ, is based on His works. If I examine myself honestly through the Scriptures, I see how I talk, how I act, what I say (or don't say), I will only be producing fruit based upon these two criteria. Too many people produced fruit based upon how they feel, and yet Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the LORD search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
We can't trust our own hearts, our own feelings, our own emotions. Doing so damages the Christian walk. We have been deceived, and if you look at social media, weep, because we have been deceived on every side. We need to ask, then, honestly, is my fruit producing love, joy, peace. patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control? Am I lacking in any of these things? And if the answer is yes, then I MUST drop to my knees, repent, and ask the Lord to change my heart. My flesh is at war with my Spirit, and so I must not trust it! I must then seek the Lord, and ask Him to produce in me the Righteousness that only comes by His Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things 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 keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:16-26
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