THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH
The
primary principle of Christianity is this:
that the desires of the flesh (lust,
desire, envy, covetousness, longing, yearning, etc.),
through the work of the Holy Spirit, are crucified and destroyed and are to be replaced with God’s Love.
We allow God to alter those little critters inside us that encourage
us to be angry, to take things that do not belong to us, and to do many
other things that are against God and His love for us.
Spiritual
death cleanses us of those undesirable passions.
1Corinthians 15:31
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Our natural desires are in direct conflict with the Spirit of God, and His will for our life.
Galatians 5:16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.Galatians 5:17
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.Galatians 5:19
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,Galatians 5:20
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,Galatians 5:21
envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Galatians 5:23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.Galatians 5:24
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.Galatians 5:25
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.Galatians 5:26
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
Becoming a Christian is much more than just joining a church. It is a relationship with God and Jesus, and learning to live in His will.
Romans 6:5
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,Romans 6:6
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;Romans 6:7
for he who has died is freed from sin.Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,Romans 6:8
Romans 6:9
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
Crucifixion of the flesh results in purification, new life (born again), sanctification.
Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Romans 6:11
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.Romans 6:12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,Romans 6:13
and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
When
we have been saved from our problems or worries, or have been healed from
our passion, God expects us to stop doing the things we once did.
John 5:14
Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."NASB