Differentiating the life in the Spirit from that of the flesh

The huge disparity that exists between the life which is in accordance to the Spirit and the one which is in accordance to the flesh is the motivating and stimulating factor/s. For example:

a.       Life in the Spirit

The motivating and stimulating factor that propels the life which is in accordance to the Spirit is the word of God, which according to Jesus Christ; “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” The apostle Paul in addressing this subject said, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God --- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. (John 6:26, Romans 7:22-25).

b.      Life in the flesh

On the other hand, the stimulating and motivating factor that propels the life which is in accordance to the flesh is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which stems from what we see, what we hear, what we smell, what we taste and what we feel, known as our five senses. But we see clearly that there is one law that operates in the mind and another law that operates in the flesh.

The life which is in accordance to the flesh can be differentiated from that of the Spirit by four simple ways:

• 1.      Disobedience

Disobedience to the laws of God is a clear indication that one is walking and living in the flesh, because the carnal fleshly mind by nature is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Therefore, disobeying the laws of God is a clear indication that one is not walking and living in the Spirit.

• 2.      Walking after the imagination of one’s own heart

One should not walk after the imagination of his/her own heart, because, the heart is said to be deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and thus says the Lord. “Because your fathers have forsaken Me, they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law, and you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me. Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor” (Jeremiah 17:9; 16:11-13).

Again, the Lord says; "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them," therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them" (Jeremiah 9:13-13-16).

Again the Lord says: “this evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.” And so, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace" '; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ' No evil shall come upon you” (Jeremiah 13:10; 23:16-17).

Walking after the dictates of one’s mind is contrary to the way of the Spirit, because ultimately, "At that time Jerusalem shall be called the Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts” (Jeremiah 3:17).

• 3.      Following the customs and traditions of men

Jesus told the Pharisees and Scribes; "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men --- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:6-9).

To set aside the days which the Lord has ordained and sanctified as days of holy convocations and referred to them as “My Feasts” and substituting them with other days and festivals which the Lord has not ordained, is a clear indication that the individual is not walking and living in the Spirit, but is living and walking in the flesh.

• 4.      Sectarianism

According to the apostle Paul sectarianism is both sinful and carnal. With regards to being sinful he wrote, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. I say this, which each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

And with regards to sectarianism being carnal the apostle Paul wrote: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).

The crux of the matter is, one can either be spiritual or carnal and there is only one way that regulates the way of life that is in accordance to the Spirit and regardless of denominational affiliation, we should all be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

To be continued