RELATIONSHIPS

 
February 19, 2023                                         RELATIONSHIPS
Galatians 5:13-17 “For you were called to freedom brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bit and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
Whether in the family, the work place, the church, are socially, many experience conflict; and most conflicts arise out of selfish ambition. Believers can walk according to the flesh, or according to the Spirit. Walking according to the flesh leads to conflicts, dissentions and discord. We must live, remembering that we have two distinct possibilities; to live according to the Spirit within us, or live according to our flesh. Paul makes it clear that there is a battle that takes place within us; the flesh battles against the Spirit, and the Spirit battles against the flesh. The good news is that we do not have to yield to the flesh; we can die to our ways-to who we use to be-and yield to the Spirit. The power of sin has been broken; if we sin, we do so by choice. When we live by the Spirit, we will not carry out the deeds of the flesh. Christ has set us free, and we are not under law; however, in our freedom, we are to relate to others out of the love that God has poured out into our hearts-preferring and blessings others. Here is the mystery: when out of God’s love we serve and bless others, we are blessed and fulfilled more than if we go ‘our’ way and do ‘what we want to do.’ The ways of the flesh lead to death but the ways of the Spirit lead to life. There will always be many opportunities for us to respond in a wrong way, according to our flesh, but by living according to the Spirit and out of the love of God at work in us, we can respond in a way that honors God. If we love one another and serve one another, there will be peace in place of conflict-it’s just that simple.
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than your selves.”
1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Colossians 3:13 “Bearing with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive.”
Blessings,
Buddy