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NASB | Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. |
Subject: Starve the flesh, feed the Spirit |
Bible Note: All Christians have two natures: the self-nature (flesh) and the divine nature (spirit). Our spirit is made alive when we first believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, rose again, and reigns in our hearts. The less mature you are in the Lord, the more difficult it is to crucify the "flesh". This is where belief in the cross of Christ comes in. We cannot, in our own strength, overcome the "flesh". All that we can do, and MUST do, is to submit ungodly desires/actions to the Lord. We do this by confessing our desires/actions to the Lord, daily, and by relying upon His power to overcome whatever we are struggling with. For example, suppose that you are a gossip. But, you desperately want the spiritual fruit of love to be manifested within you. Simply go to the Lord in prayer and tell him all about your struggle; be specific. For example, tell the Lord: "I gossip about so-and-so because I envy her" or "I gossip about so-and-so because I'm jealous of him". Tell the Lord that you don't want to be a gossip any longer and confess that you need His help to fulfill His command to love others as ourselves. Then allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Look up and meditate on scripture that speaks to loving others (e.g., 1 Cor 13); you're now feeding the spirit. Then commit to demonstrating godly love, as defined by scripture, in ways that are specific and measurable. We cannot merely be hearers of the Word, but doers; so we must commit to specific actions, enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit. At first, it may seem that you are fighting the battle alone. But, our Lord is faithful and He will not tarry to cleanse you of your unrighteousness, nor to relieve you of your burden. This act of confession and repentance to the Lord (i.e., cleansing) should be continual. Everytime that the urge to gossip comes upon you, go through the process again. As long as we live in these earthen vessels, we will have struggles with the "flesh". However, as we learn to rely upon the Lord, we will find ourselves walking more according to the spirit, rather than the flesh. Blessings! |