- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 12,544
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5
If you have been raised with Christ, then you are to seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1). One of the primary ways you can seek the heavenly is by putting the earthly to death. Jesus called His disciples to a life of self-denial. Matthew 16:24 records one instance: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Easier said than done, though, right? What does self-denial and putting your earthly members to death actually entail? Romans 8:5 is the key: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
Your spiritual power will increase or decrease based on which aspect of yourself you feed the most. If you feed the flesh, you should expect your earthly appetites to get stronger. If you feed the spirit, your spiritual appetites will increase. Once your flesh’s power source is cut off (or starved), it will decrease.
So, the obvious question is: Are you feeding the flesh or the spirit? What can you do to feed the spirit even more?
If you have been raised with Christ, then you are to seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1). One of the primary ways you can seek the heavenly is by putting the earthly to death. Jesus called His disciples to a life of self-denial. Matthew 16:24 records one instance: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Easier said than done, though, right? What does self-denial and putting your earthly members to death actually entail? Romans 8:5 is the key: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
Your spiritual power will increase or decrease based on which aspect of yourself you feed the most. If you feed the flesh, you should expect your earthly appetites to get stronger. If you feed the spirit, your spiritual appetites will increase. Once your flesh’s power source is cut off (or starved), it will decrease.
So, the obvious question is: Are you feeding the flesh or the spirit? What can you do to feed the spirit even more?
