"The flesh is really a description of a pattern of relying on and turning to our own abilities and understanding in our lives.
When Christ remade us into a new creation, the option and ability to rely on and turn to ourselves and our efforts remains. We can still turn to a life of striving and performing our way to goodness, godliness, value, and success instead of turning to Jesus and His work on the cross to save us, remake us, and give us life.
Every time we live holding onto guilt and shame, we are turning to the flesh. Every time we strive to please God through our performance in life, we turn to the flesh. Every time we believe we are condemned to a life of repeated sin, we turn to the flesh. Every time we turn to ourselves, our understanding, and our performance instead of Jesus and His performance, we are turning to the flesh. Every time we allow people, their opinions and behaviors to define and negatively influence ours, we turn to the flesh. Every time we see ourselves any less than Jesus and His righteousness, we turn to the flesh. Why, because we are focusing on ourselves and our performance, not on Jesus and His.
Behind every sin, insecurity, anxiety, worry, destructive behavior or mindset, etc. is a pattern of the flesh. This is the essence of the flesh, a pattern of self-effort and reliance that leads to self-destruction. All self-effort/reliance leads to self-destruction."
When Christ remade us into a new creation, the option and ability to rely on and turn to ourselves and our efforts remains. We can still turn to a life of striving and performing our way to goodness, godliness, value, and success instead of turning to Jesus and His work on the cross to save us, remake us, and give us life.
Every time we live holding onto guilt and shame, we are turning to the flesh. Every time we strive to please God through our performance in life, we turn to the flesh. Every time we believe we are condemned to a life of repeated sin, we turn to the flesh. Every time we turn to ourselves, our understanding, and our performance instead of Jesus and His performance, we are turning to the flesh. Every time we allow people, their opinions and behaviors to define and negatively influence ours, we turn to the flesh. Every time we see ourselves any less than Jesus and His righteousness, we turn to the flesh. Why, because we are focusing on ourselves and our performance, not on Jesus and His.
Behind every sin, insecurity, anxiety, worry, destructive behavior or mindset, etc. is a pattern of the flesh. This is the essence of the flesh, a pattern of self-effort and reliance that leads to self-destruction. All self-effort/reliance leads to self-destruction."
Chris Kratzer
No comments:
Post a Comment