WALKING IN GOD'S KINGDOM IS A BATTLE FOR YOUR VERY LIFE AND SOUL.

3/5/2020

As I grow deeper in my faith in Christ and spend more time in God’s word it has become very clear to me that my decision to follow Jesus will take me into a much more complex journey than that of the gift of Salvation. In many ways salvation is simply the starting point to faith, because upon that moment of salvation so many things in your life begin the process of transformation. Jesus did not come to our world to die for our sins so that we could simply go on living as we always had and all would be good. He came to be our Lord and Savior so that everything about mankind and our relationship with God our Creator would be redeemed from the initial fall of Adam and Eve and the iniquity that was firmly rooted in us from that point on. What every man and woman that embraces Jesus and God’s gift to us through Him must face is a choice for eternity and truly a battle in our very soul. I view the term soul as being the essence of who we are as a complete person, and the life we lead and the various innate things that shape us, from our intelligence, to our emotions, to our needs, and to our actions. The completeness of our life and who we are. A whole creature. Created by God.

THEN THE LORD GOD FORMED A MAN FROM THE DUST OF THE GROUND AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATHE OF LIFE, AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING. Genesis 2:7

As we look at ourselves in the context of where we are in the world we inhabit, it becomes clear that our soul is positioned between two very distinct forces that God’s Word portrays as a conflict for those who would follow Jesus and seek the Kingdom of God vs. those who would choose the world. Flesh, or Spirit. Carnal nature, or Godly nature. Kingdom Life, or Worldly Life. The difference between these ways of pursuing life are massive, and if you have made the choice to be with and abide in Jesus, there is no compromise. The life of the flesh must die, and the life of the spirit must become dominant. Picture your soul as the circle in the middle that has opposing circles touching opposite sides of it. The flesh circle on the left has sin and the world as a bridge that we can embrace and constantly be pulled into that existence. God’s word describes the flesh in the following manner:

NOW THE DEEDS OF THE FLESH ARE EVIDENT, WHICH ARE: IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, SENSUALITY, IDOLATRY, SORCERY, ENMITIES, STRIFE, JEALOUSY, OUTBURSTS OF ANGER, DISPUTES, DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS, ENVYING, DRUNKENNESS, CAROUSING, AND THINGS LIKE THESE 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: 19-21

On our right is the circle representing spirit, and between our soul lies a bridge that moves us into a much different existence; the bridge to our spiritual dimension is Jesus. In our spiritual existence things are very different. Our life in Jesus and as a member of God’s Kingdom is proclaimed in the following manner in the Word of God :

BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FORBEARANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF CONTROL. AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW. THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH IT’S PASSIONS AND DESIRES. SINCE WE LIVE BY THE SPIRIT, LET US KEEP IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT. LET US NOT BE CONCEITED AND ENVYING EACH OTHER. Galatians 5:22

So, take a long hard look at yourself. Where are you in your life, in your soul ? I realize that I am truly in the battle. Every day I begin with prayer that Jesus will help me to defeat my fleshly desires and help me to be repentant and follow Him. I want to be and live in the Spirit Of God, and it is a challenge and it takes commitment. So much of who I have been for most of my life was rooted in the flesh. Personal needs, personal success. Personal effort and personal goals. But….I am changing. I want a life in God’s Kingdom. I want to be focused on the things that give a person a fruitful life. i want peace and joy. I want to care for others more than myself. I want to share the love that Jesus has shown to my heart by reflecting it into the hearts of everyone I meet. I am tired of the things that seem so important, because as I get older I realize just how shallow and temporary they are. I am not a tired old fool. I am an enlightened citizen of the Kingdom of God who has found a completeness in my entire soul and purpose in life.

YOU GOD ARE MY GOD, EARNESTLY I SEEK YOU; I THIRST FOR YOU, MY WHOLE BEING LONGS FOR YOU, IN A DRY AND PARCHED LAND WHERE THERE IS NO WATER. Psalm 63:1

I WAIT FOR THE LORD, MY WHOLE BEING WAITS, AND IN HIS WORD I PUT MY HOPE. Psalm 130:5

So, i ask a simple question that you must contemplate. Are you in the battle or are you already defeated ? Have you given in to the world and your flesh, or are you desiring a spirit filled life ? Only you can make the choice. I would tell you that if you move toward the spirit, eternal life and all the blessings God has for you await your journey and effort. The world is easy and cheap, full of temporary gain mixed with ultimate shame and pain. Poetic, and oh so short and worthless. Everything that God wants in your life, your soul awaits if you simply seek Him and ask His Son Jesus to guide you and lead you. Seek Him and walk with and in Him, and the battle is won. Your choice, your battle, and your victory await ! Be Blessed and Be Free in Christ/JA

TRULY MY SOULD FINDS REST IN GOD; MY SALVATION COMES FROM HIM. Psalm 62:1