Friday, January 29, 2016

Meditation on Galatians 5:13-25

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (ESV)
Lord, you have called me to freedom. Free not so I can rebel. Free not so I can reject you. Free not so I can be self-centered. You have given me the freedom to love. Freedom from rebellion, freedom from rejection, and freedom from self-centeredness. Keep me from wanting to use others for my goals and instead, seek to have loving others as my goal. 

Holy Spirit, come and rule my lifestyle. Allow me not to be driven by unbelieving and self-centered passions. Such dark motives are against YOUR LOVE and YOUR LOVE is against such dark motives. Lead me now HOLY SPIRIT in every decision and emotion this day. Dominate my inner life and outward actions. Because of your LOVE for me, I am not under the condemnation of the law. 

Lord, deliver me from the darkness of this unbelieving culture and give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Put to death in me the actions of unbelief and self-centeredness. 

HOLY SPIRIT, create in my YOUR LOVE. Let this love express itself in joy in your love for me, inner peace with you and seeking peace with others, patience with myself in growing into grace and with others who are struggling, showing compassion through deeds of kindness, recognizing the fragile nature of human souls and the need of a gentle touch in my relationship with others, and able to have YOUR LOVE govern over my actions so that I control what I say and do, seeking to have it be an expression of your grace and care. 

Messiah Jesus, I belong to you. YOU have bought me at infinite cost. Put to death in me that which is selfish, unbelieving, and dark. Allow the HOLY SPIRIT now to live in me and dominate me entirely. LORD Messiah Jesus, have mercy and make this a growing reality in my life day by day. 

Lord have mercy, Messiah have mercy, Lord have mercy. Amen

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