Friday, June 15, 2012

Putting to death

Today is the last day of 7. But, it's not time to brew a cup of coffee or finally have a beloved cheese stick; tomorrow I head to Haiti for a week. However, I guarantee you once we land in Miami next Friday this girl is making a beeline to the nearest Starbucks... iced grande soy chai don't mind if I do!!

But as this challenge comes to a close I finally realize why I did it.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13

This is why I did 7 - the food chapter. And, this is exactly why I am not currently convicted about doing any of the other chapters. For me, the deeds of my body is a struggle with food. A craving for what brings death. A bondage to sin of gluttony. Yet, I want to live. Live in the freedom of being an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ.

Living according to the flesh for me means allowing myself to eat foolishly. It's death. Not a physically death (although that could sure be a reality), but a spiritual one. A life with no hope, not glory, no love. That's not the life I want. I want a life of hope of the creation set free. A hope that is yet seen, but longing for patiently.

To have that life, I must, with the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body. Oh! how thankful I am that this killing of my sin is not under my own strength. I've tried that way and it in fact leads to death.But here in Romans 8 I am reminded that the Spirit is how I put to death my sins. And, I only have the Spirit because I belong to Christ. It is through the power of the resurrected Christ that I have life!

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