If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. Galatians 5:25 AMP
Context and Charge:
I can make a claim, but the fruit of my daily life is the loudest testament to the One who sits at the control centre of my life. In fact, anyone can make any kind of claim, but words are cheap. You do not produce fruit overnight; the evidence of fruit cannot be ignored, because it is the product of labour, time and effort, with the major work done away from human influence and control. That is what the Spirit of God is and does; He is never always visible, but His presence in a man's life cannot be ignored. When He is in, a man's life will surely reflect his presence. When He is absent, a man's life will also show it. That is why there are works of the flesh, as well as the fruit of the Spirit. You cannot be in one and fake the other; my life will always reflect the state of my command centre. Which one am I truly subject to?
The effect and impact of the control centre has eternal implications. I must keep at the back of my mind at all times that I am working for an eternal reward. The people Paul writes these words to must also define who they are: those who belong to Christ. Do I know who I am and who I belong to? Do I know what the terms of engagement are, and am I committed to the dictates and demands of that engagement? The old man has to die, if the new man must thrive. The old man and the new man will NEVER see eye to eye on anything, because they are not from the same source. It is the Spirit of God that births and sustains that new man. I must therefore depend on the Spirit of God, on a daily basis, to provide all that I need to keep the new man in control. The alternative is trouble, and the end is death.
Conviction and Conclusion:
It is about freewill and choice; I get to decide if the old man stays dead, as it should, or if I want to indulge it once in a while. I hold the power over that decision, but God holds the power over the permanent and eternal consequences of that decision. God will supply all that His own nature desires and demands, and the devil will also supply all that the old nature desires and demands. I do not get to sit on the fence, as there is none. I do not get to coast through life, without any commitment or dedication to an assignment. I do not get to start with God, and then seek to finish it on my own, relying on my own wisdom. I take heed to the things that God considers important, so I do not pursue wrong priorities. Eternity is too long not to be sure where you will spend it. God's time of favour is here.
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