Reaping to eternal life

Courage, brothers. There is no need to worry too much. If you are a Christian convinced by your faith in Jesus Christ, don't be sorry. Throw guilt aside and allow yourself to be shepherded by the Lord. The same thing happens to all of us. We want to do good, but when the time comes, we exit; we are going into retreat. Guilt surfaces, we feel miserable, and we quietly promise that next time it won't happen. I am a Christian, I am designed to do good. Why did I fail?

The Spirit and the flesh continually compete. In saying goodbye to the Thessalonians, Paul encouraged them: “And may the very God of peace sanctify you completely; and that his whole being, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ”(1 Thes 5.23).

Upon receiving the Holy Spirit, a consciousness of God is generated in our being that did not exist before. Our personality resides in the soul. In the soul - thoughts, desires and feelings - behavior is generated and beliefs are formed. The soul receives information from the world and information from God. If we believe more in the information that comes from the world, the behavior will be carnal. If, on the contrary, we decide to believe in what God says and obey him, my behavior is spiritual. What happens inside my soul will affect my decisions. King David gave orders to his soul to do the will of God: "Bless my soul to the Lord" (Psalm 103.1a), he spoke to his soul: "My soul, wait in silence only on God, because from Him it comes my hope. (Ps 62.5) Why do you despair, my soul, and why are you troubled within me? (Ps 42.11)

The body constantly receives information from the world through the five senses (smell, touch, hear, look, taste). Pablo complained: “How miserable me! Who will free me from this body of death? " (Ro 7.24) and he immediately recognized that Christ had already given him freedom: "Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ro 7.25). The body is permanently exposed to the miseries of the world and Satan knows it. The eye looks at what it should not look at; the members of my body are constantly tempted to do what God hates. Bad news: that's not going to change. Good news: Christ freed us from the power of sin, we are spiritual and our soul leads us to make decisions for eternal life.

Solomon declared: “And of all that my eyes desired, I denied them nothing, nor deprived my heart of any pleasure…” (Ecclesiastes 2:10) and acknowledged sin “… everything was vanity” (Vers. 11).

Paul makes a difference when it comes to the carnal man. In the original language of the New Testament (Greek) there are two words that are translated as carnal in Spanish: the first is sarkinós who is the person who recognizes, like Pablo, that we are constantly tempted because we live in a body of exposed flesh of bones. to evil. The God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted, but his soul decided to obey the word of God. The second meaning of carnal in Greek is sarkikós, which means to be ruled or dominated by the flesh. “… And those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Ro 8.8). Do you notice the difference? We are all Sarkikos in a certain way, but a Sarkikos Christian is not conceived. Because, either you live governed by the flesh or you are in the Spirit and you walk in the Spirit. Jesus said to his disciples: “It is the Spirit who gives life; meat is useless; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life ”(John 6:63).

However, although we live in the flesh –sarkinós-, we can live pleasing God in the Spirit. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that by living in the Spirit we can command our soul to be governed by the word of God. Christ has freed you from your mortal body. You are spiritual. Decide today to start saying to yourself as well, with conviction. "... the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians (2.20b).

God bless you!