Reaping & Sowing: Flesh vs. Spirit #SELFCONTROL

💚CLICK HERE FOR SELF CONTROL SCRIPTURE CARDS

"I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate." Romans 7:15 NLT

Y'all! Apostle Paul (the author of the book of Romans) is in my business! As I was reading this verse, all I could say was, "YAAASSSS PAUL!" in my millennial generation voice. I mean, it was such a relief to know that someone who had been miraculously used by God -to do the work of God- still struggled in his flesh from time to time. Because if we are honest y'all, those of us who have truly become "new creatures in Christ" (1 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) through salvation (Romans 10:9) deep down in our spirit, we no longer desire to commit the sins that so easily slow us down (Hebrews 12:1 NLT), but sometimes we do it anyway. YUCK, LOL!  So to relate to someone who understands that, was a relief in that moment chilllee! 

-BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE!-

As the body of believers, the goal is not to rejoice whenever you can relate with a familiar disobedient spirit. Instead, we are to use this opportunity to,"Confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed." (James 5:16 NLT)

Nonetheless, if you notice, Apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament through the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Which means that even though he may have experienced moments of weakness in his flesh, he did not reject the power of the God's Spirit the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of Self Control (Galatians 5:23). As a result, he was able to recognize God's faithfulness in providing strength to endure temptation as well as the way of escape that God the Father provided for him each time he began to waver. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

In closing, though Apostle Paul was as human as we are and faced with the same temptations, he made a choice to sow into the things of the spirit. In other words he threw himself into the things of God (1 Timothy 4:15) more than his fleshly desires. And due to the obedience of "Submitting to God and resisting the devil/flesh/temptation..." (James 4:7) he was able to LIVE, OBTAIN, & HARVEST a GODLY, CONTENT, & BLESSED LIFE, in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:12-13)