Daily Devotional for Wednesday, February 5

Christians Have Crucified the Flesh

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts;· Galatians 5:24.

Paul just contrasted the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. While we are not under the Law, there are still sinful desires that are contrary to loving one another. The Holy Spirit's desire is to fill us with the tools we need to stand firm against sinful lusts and, instead, show the love of God. Practically speaking, what does that look like? If we crucified the flesh, what will be the outward demonstration of a life belonging to Christ?

There are Scriptures I have read over and over again to help me keep my eyes focused when my flesh veers toward selfishness. The first is Romans 12. Paul gave practical examples of loving God and loving others. If we are walking in the Spirit, our motivation for all of our choices will be love. The next passage I read and let ruminate in my heart and mind is the entire book of James. He wrote to encourage and instruct the Jewish Christians to stand firm for Christ wherever they were, a message we can all apply to our lives. The third section I revisit comes from the gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7, which is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. I was fortunate enough to visit Israel in 2014 and sit on the Mount of Olives. While there, one of my fellow travelers opened his Bible andbegan reading Matthew 5-7. Bythe end, we were all weeping, imagining what it would have been like to walk with Jesus and listen directly to His teachings. At the time those words were spoken, the teachings were contrary to anything the people had heard. Jesus taught how to live a Spirit-filled life in the midst of the legalistic society. Any time I need to be reminded of how to honor God with my life, I reread those three passages and let the Spirit lead.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Hold fast to what is good, constantly motivated by love.

Ashley Ridings