I like Paul’s letters because of the way he illustrates many of our Christian truths. The verses set for reading and meditation, Galatians 5:1-15 also highlights Paul’s exasperation with those Christian Jews who still wanted to follow Jewish law.
The following two verses (Galatians 5:13-14, NLT), are the ones I liked (v13 , is also used by Selwyn in today’s study): “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ ” [You can only love your neighbour if your first love, is God.]
Selwyn starts today’s study with: “A further challenge for us in these unsteady times is this: discipline yourself for greater effectiveness.” I think that self-discipline is a concept which has almost disappeared from the mindset of the modern, western world. The law now appears to be: ‘You can do anything, as long as it does not harm another, and ‘we’ determine what ‘harm’ is!’
I think that the conclusion of today’s study is worth thinking about:“We must have done with the erroneous idea that to be disciplined means that you become a rigid and repressed person. To be disciplined means that the forces that flow through your personality are all harnessed in the right direction. Unharnessed forces flow everywhere and get us nowhere – except into trouble. When they are harnessed to God’s ends they are disciplined.”
However, what worries me at times is when people use the word ‘force’, it might be intrepreted along the lines that there is some sort of impersonal ‘force’ floating around, which we could use if we can connect to it. There is no such force. (Selwyn, I’m sure, is not using the word ‘force’, in this way.)
The expression of our will – is motivated (in a positive and a negative sense) by many factors, such as: striving to exist in a safe and secure environment (work, food, shelter, education, and health; in the context of family, including children); and, striving for expression – in relationships, ideas, art and recreation.
The forces which operate within us (Christians) can be summarised as a conflict between our sinful human nature and God’s Spirit. The expression of our will, as triggered by the various motivating factors, is modified by the outcome(s) of this constant struggle.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians contains a good summary. (He exhaustively debates this issue in his letter to the Romans.)
Galatians 5:16-25, with some deletions (NLT): “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. …
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. …
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
The goal for all of us is to finally reach that place where we are totally harnessed to God’s ends – as Jesus demonstrated in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42): “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Harnessed to God’s ends
I like Paul’s letters because of the way he illustrates many of our Christian truths. The verses set for reading and meditation, Galatians 5:1-15 also highlights Paul’s exasperation with those Christian Jews who still wanted to follow Jewish law.
The following two verses (Galatians 5:13-14, NLT), are the ones I liked (v13 , is also used by Selwyn in today’s study): “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ ” [You can only love your neighbour if your first love, is God.]
Selwyn starts today’s study with: “A further challenge for us in these unsteady times is this: discipline yourself for greater effectiveness.” I think that self-discipline is a concept which has almost disappeared from the mindset of the modern, western world. The law now appears to be: ‘You can do anything, as long as it does not harm another, and ‘we’ determine what ‘harm’ is!’
I think that the conclusion of today’s study is worth thinking about:“We must have done with the erroneous idea that to be disciplined means that you become a rigid and repressed person. To be disciplined means that the forces that flow through your personality are all harnessed in the right direction. Unharnessed forces flow everywhere and get us nowhere – except into trouble. When they are harnessed to God’s ends they are disciplined.”
However, what worries me at times is when people use the word ‘force’, it might be intrepreted along the lines that there is some sort of impersonal ‘force’ floating around, which we could use if we can connect to it. There is no such force. (Selwyn, I’m sure, is not using the word ‘force’, in this way.)
The expression of our will – is motivated (in a positive and a negative sense) by many factors, such as: striving to exist in a safe and secure environment (work, food, shelter, education, and health; in the context of family, including children); and, striving for expression – in relationships, ideas, art and recreation.
The forces which operate within us (Christians) can be summarised as a conflict between our sinful human nature and God’s Spirit. The expression of our will, as triggered by the various motivating factors, is modified by the outcome(s) of this constant struggle.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians contains a good summary. (He exhaustively debates this issue in his letter to the Romans.)
Galatians 5:16-25, with some deletions (NLT): “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. …
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. …
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
The goal for all of us is to finally reach that place where we are totally harnessed to God’s ends – as Jesus demonstrated in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42): “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Any comments?