Ever played that old kids game hot or cold? You know where you have an object in the room that you need to find. Someone else gives you the hints: “you’re warmer”, “oh you’re colder now”, “you are freezing”, “oh you are on fire, you are burning up”. So many Christians are living in the “getting warmer” stage. They are on the right path, but just not “there” yet.
Maybe you feel like that. You’ve tried so many times before. You’ve read the latest book. You’ve attended Bible Study and church faithfully. You’ve even experienced some change. But, then old ways creep back in. You start to feel like you can never change. Over time, you become frustrated and almost feel like giving up.
The apostle Paul can relate. In Romans 7:15-18 he says,
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
Paul admitted that complete victory was eluding him. He said “I have the desire, but I can’t carry it out.” I know you can relate to this. The problem isn’t, and never has been knowing WHAT to do. The problem lies in knowing HOW to do it. For those that have been around the church for any period of time, you’ve likely heard numerous messages on taking the next step. We love this, because it gives us practical steps to take. So, the mindset becomes, if I DO this, I will be on the right track.
Please don’t misunderstand me here. I believe these steps can be very helpful, especially for those new to the faith. It gives a very tangible thing to do. Here’s the problem though, these steps are most often will power focused. We are told to repent from our sins. That’s a good thing to do! We are taught to read our Bible daily. Once again, that’s good as well. Now pray daily. Cool, got it! Now also abstain from evil…. OK, that’s sounds obvious, but getting harder. Now, pray for those that persecute you. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Give your time. Give your money. Go to church. Disciple your kids. Spend more time with your wife. Volunteer at the soup kitchen. Stack chairs after church 🙂 … this list just keeps getting bigger and longer. Why? because we love the lists. When we start our journey with our list, we feel like the list is what will keep us going. Problem is, no one does it, at least not all of it. And even those that do, it’s only temporary. We don’t have the will power or stamina to live all of this out.
So, what’s the answer, because that sounds kind of depressing? Well, there is no “I” in TEAM, but there are two “I’s” in SPIRIT…. That actually has nothing to do with it, I just wanted to type that. Actually, it kind of does. It’s about the Spirit in us. The Spirit of God is the HOW we do it.
Listen to Paul in Romans 8:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Spirit, Spirit, Spirit, Spirit … that’s what I see in that passage. I think I counted nine references to the Spirit of God. I love the last line: “Live by the flesh, you die. Live by the Spirit, you live”. Sure that’s my paraphrase, but that’s what it says. Christians often think that “living by the flesh” means “living for the flesh”, but it’s not just that. Living by the flesh doesn’t necessarily mean we are doing the big bad sins. It could mean living under your own power, or depending on yourself. If there is one thing I have definitely learned in my lifetime, it is that I am undependable. Oh sure, others wouldn’t say that. I mean, I show up when I’m supposed to. I do my job. I keep my commitments. That’s not what I’m talking about. I mean I’m undependable when I try and fix myself. My flesh, my will power just never finishes the job. I’m not alone here. No one is capable of this. God wired us this way. He made us NEED the Spirit.
So, maybe you’ve been crawling around your whole life as a Christian worm. You’ve been working hard at becoming a Christian butterfly. You know you are supposed to fly, but you just can’t ever seem to get off the ground. I leave you with this advice: Give up! Quit trying! Go back on the ground (maybe even on your knees) and ask for God’s Spirit to overtake you. Ask Him to help you fly. The problem has never been knowing WHAT to do, it’s always been knowing HOW to do it.
You’ll fail again at some point, because that’s what messy Christians do, but don’t fear, God’s Spirit will keep you flying. He’ll give you butterfly kisses and little white flowers all up in your hair (sorry couldn’t resist a little Bob Carlisle reference).