Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires. - 1 Peter 4:1-2
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us about our two natures that war within us. And while it is true that the nature we feed will grow strong and dominate the other, we must be very realistic about the power of the old nature and its ability to rebound and gain control. It doesn't take much nourishment for the old nature of sin to revive and flourish again.
Some of the great foundational realities of Christian living are tucked away in Romans 6. In verses 12 and 13 we read: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life."
Paul says that to go forward in spiritual growth, we must deal ruthlessly with sin in our lives. Paul calls us to feed the new nature and starve the old; to be dead to sin and alive to God, walking in newness of life. I know of no better way to do that than to begin each day with a quiet time of personal Bible reading and prayer. Without this time of reading, study, recommitment, and prayer, we cannot hope to provide the nourishment our souls need each day.
Yes, sin will remain with us, but it will no longer make the rules, chair the meetings, and command the army. It will not have its own way. Once we were powerless as the servants of sin, but, thank God, that is no longer the case.
Prayer
Lord, today I will nourish the life of the Spirit within me by making choices that starve the old nature. Amen.
Which nature are you nourishing today?
Daily Smile:
Ms. Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent..
"The Flight to Egypt ," was his reply.
Pointing at each figure, Ms. Terri said, "That must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. But who's the fourth person?"
"Oh, that's Pontius - the pilot!"
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