Knowing that our nature that we were originally born into is truly opposite of our God, will now allow us to understand how we could never be in relationship with Him until his Son died on the cross for our sins. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we didn't just dip our head in water and all of a sudden came out with this new nature, a transplant happened. Our Father who is the master surgent transplanted the Holy Spirit inside of us and sealed us with him until the day of our Lord's return. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here". Our loving God transplanted the same nature in us that He shares with His Son and His Holy Spirit. We could not gain salvation on our own, nor could we produce the righteousness it takes to respond properly to this world's stimuli on our own. That old nature we once had is still alive with us in the flesh, but the new nature that was transplanted is alive with us also in the Spirit. That war that is taking place inside is the fact that these two natures cannot respond at the same time. One has to win in order to respond to any given stimuli. Our duty is to crucify the flesh daily with the reading of His Word and with a disciplined prayer life that surrender's our flesh unto His Will and allows the Spirit inside of us to grow and mature into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. God has done it ALL, we just have to allow the Spirit to mature until our last breath. We can rest and enjoy the ride of the Spirit perfecting us and allowing us to grow closer to God in our relationship and in our new nature!!! Be Encouraged!!! Have a wonderful life of experiencing the fruit of the Spirit on purpose!!!!!
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
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