by Nia Jonas
We can be passionate about many good things. Yet, these passions can easily turn into idols. Whenever we have made something an idol, we convince ourselves that we cannot live without it. Then identity, rather than being defined by who we are in Christ (justified, redeemed, forgiven, reconciled, and adopted) becomes defined by that which is perishable.
Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (NKJV). This passage of scripture does not just speak about sexual sins or sins of the physical body, but in fact teaches that the word “passions” (translated ‘lust’) refers to excessive desire.
It is commonplace to believe that the material things we own are not enough and we need more in order to feel whole. It is easy to be deceived that we need more money, love, and success.
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The Apostle Paul commanded the church to crucify the lust of their flesh. To expound on this statement, let us focus in on Galatians 5:16-18 which says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The two verses above connect because the phrases, “walk in the spirit” and “led by the Spirit” are essentially the same. There is also another obvious relationship between the phrases “lust of the flesh” and “under the law”.
What does “under the law” mean and what does it involve? To obey does not mean that you must be “under the law”. We can obey the law to express our love for God (John 14:15). Love and gratitude encourage us to obey God. When we obey from a fear of hell and damnation, we are afraid that God will withhold His blessings from us. Being burdened under the law is having a mindset that we are not perfect enough for the judgment day; thus, we may live under the false notion of doing good works to gain salvation.
To be led by the Holy Spirit we must omit every evidence of our efforts at gaining salvation. Nothing we can do would make us worthy of God’s love. Set your mind on the perfect obedience of Christ. Christ lived the life that we should have lived and died the death that we should have died.
So how do we cultivate fruitfulness?
Our Lord Jesus is not asking us to do works “meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8) in order for us to be accepted. We can not make ourselves perfect for him to love us. He willingly died for our imperfections, and because we belong to him, we are loved and accepted by God our Father. This love compels us to do what is right.
Trust for yourself, and others you are disciplining, that the same power the raised Jesus from the dead can turn a fleshly life into a spiritual one.
God’s grace is sufficient. If that was not the case, we would be hopeless. Let us obey God with a godly fear, not fearing the consequences if we do not obey, but having so much love for him that we are willing to keep His commandments. Let us obey because we delight in the work of God.
I was one of two believers in my high school class.
I was saved at the age of 12 and being a newborn of the faith put me through many challenges. I was tempted to conform to ungodly practices in order to fit in and be accepted by my peers. I lost touch with who God wanted me to be and began to idolize “acceptance” more than focusing on my spiritual growth. I had no desire to pray or seek God’s help before turning to others.
I was able to reconnect with God’s Word and my spiritual life through becoming best friends with another believer. This helped my relationship to grow with God knowing that she as well, was facing difficulties in staying true to the faith. We sought God through difficult situations and prayed that our faith would become stronger, though temptations were thrown at us each day. Cultivating fruitfulness became even more of a desire once I began attending college and met other believers who faced challenges just like I did. Today, I am grateful for being in a community of believers who have a godly fear for the Lord. He alone deserves the praise and gratitude that I can give.
Nia is a freshman at The College at Southeastern in Wake Forest, North Carolina where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She loves writing, but most of all devoting her life to Christ. She looks forward to spending summer break back home on the island of Antigua. Please submit any questions or comments for Nia in the contact form below.
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