Position, Power ----- Obedience, Love
In the world, people are striving for position and power, but in the Body of Christ we should be aiming for obedience and love. Any one of us as Christians can display these qualities of the world if we allow our flesh or carnal nature to be in charge. It is part of the fleshly nature to desire a place of great importance, a place of power. Even children demonstrate this need for power and position as they play their games. It is part of what we call human nature. The Bible calls it carnality. Carnality is actually putting self at the center of the picture instead of Jesus.
Paul has much to say in the book of Romans about the flesh versus the spirit. In the Amplified Bible in chapter 8, verses 4 and 5, he says that our lives are not to be governed by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
And look at verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And verse 12 says that we are not debtors to our flesh to live after the dictates of our flesh.
What are all the above verses saying to us? We are in this world with flesh and blood bodies, with souls that can be tempted to yield to our flesh. The term carnality is a word indicating yielding to the fleshly desires that are put before us. Today we are talking about the flesh yielding to, striving for a position of power, a position of recognition, a position where we are in charge. There is that place in each of us which wants recognition and a place of power. That is our flesh speaking.
God has a position for us and it is achieved through obedience because of our love for Him. Love causes us to yield to Him, to yield to our spirits instead of our fleshly desires. God does place desires in us that are Godly desires. They are His desires and they are pure and without hurt to others. One of the ways we can discern whether a desire is from God or from our flesh is this: Does achieving that desire harm other people? Does it hurt them? Does it produce disharmony? Does it produce a sense of superiority or braggadocio? Does it make you look better than others at their expense?
Anything we do in this world without agape love being at the center of our achievements makes us a useless nobody according to 1 Corinthians 13:2 in the Amplified Bible. Let’s quote verses 1-3 here and see what doing things with our fleshly motives produces. If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] angels, but have not love…I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers…and understand all the secret truths and faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me, I gain nothing.
The above statements are some pretty powerful statements. It is all about motive, heart attitude. God has given to each one of us earthly assignments. We are each here for a reason. Along with that assignment comes position by the Lord and His power manifested through us. Our part is to obey Him and to learn to love as He does. His love is the greatest power in the universe. As we yield ourselves totally to Him, His power produces the results that He is looking for.
Our own fleshly desires must die and His Godly desires must arise. Galatians 2:20 is a scripture I avoided for years because I didn’t understand it, and God kept bringing it back to me. Now I love this scripture. It is so beautiful. Listen with your heart. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul has much to say in the book of Romans about the flesh versus the spirit. In the Amplified Bible in chapter 8, verses 4 and 5, he says that our lives are not to be governed by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
And look at verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And verse 12 says that we are not debtors to our flesh to live after the dictates of our flesh.
What are all the above verses saying to us? We are in this world with flesh and blood bodies, with souls that can be tempted to yield to our flesh. The term carnality is a word indicating yielding to the fleshly desires that are put before us. Today we are talking about the flesh yielding to, striving for a position of power, a position of recognition, a position where we are in charge. There is that place in each of us which wants recognition and a place of power. That is our flesh speaking.
God has a position for us and it is achieved through obedience because of our love for Him. Love causes us to yield to Him, to yield to our spirits instead of our fleshly desires. God does place desires in us that are Godly desires. They are His desires and they are pure and without hurt to others. One of the ways we can discern whether a desire is from God or from our flesh is this: Does achieving that desire harm other people? Does it hurt them? Does it produce disharmony? Does it produce a sense of superiority or braggadocio? Does it make you look better than others at their expense?
Anything we do in this world without agape love being at the center of our achievements makes us a useless nobody according to 1 Corinthians 13:2 in the Amplified Bible. Let’s quote verses 1-3 here and see what doing things with our fleshly motives produces. If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] angels, but have not love…I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers…and understand all the secret truths and faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me, I gain nothing.
The above statements are some pretty powerful statements. It is all about motive, heart attitude. God has given to each one of us earthly assignments. We are each here for a reason. Along with that assignment comes position by the Lord and His power manifested through us. Our part is to obey Him and to learn to love as He does. His love is the greatest power in the universe. As we yield ourselves totally to Him, His power produces the results that He is looking for.
Our own fleshly desires must die and His Godly desires must arise. Galatians 2:20 is a scripture I avoided for years because I didn’t understand it, and God kept bringing it back to me. Now I love this scripture. It is so beautiful. Listen with your heart. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:50 AM
<< Home