http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026,%20Mark%2014&version=ESV
Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus spoke these words to his disciples. Yet they could not stay awake. Their fleshly desires, in this case, the desire for sleep was greater than their desires from their spirits.
Friends, if the disciples could fall prey to the desires of the flesh on the night Jesus was crucified, how we can too!!
But if we walk in the Spirit as Paul writes in Galatians, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
Cultivate a life in the Spirit through prayer, reading of God's Word, serving in God's Kingdom, and fellowship in the Body of Christ.
We will always have fleshly desires, but what we must do is to not place legalistic restrictions on ourselves, and self righteous discipline. What we must strive for is to feel The Expulsive Power of a New Affection, as Thomas Chalmers wrote.
The above is a sermon which Chalmers wrote and the basic premise is that the only way to overcome sin and the flesh is to not fight them with discipline and such, but to love Christ more than your sin, and in doing such your life will reflect a Christ-likeness that it did not have when you enjoyed your sin more.
I am not doing him justice. But read the sermon, as it is a tough read, but I believe it is worth it. You'll find the link below.
http://www.monergism.com/Chalmers,%20Thomas%20-%20The%20Exlpulsive%20Power%20of%20a%20New%20Af.pdf
Soli Deo Gloria.
Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.
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We to will face our garden of Gethsemane experiences. The place where our will crosses with God's will. A place of testing and pressure. A place of temptation and sorrow but as our Lord showed us the way, we do can be victorious!
ReplyDeleteThree times Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to pass from Him but each time He prayed not my will but thine will be done. Jesus fell on His face. The pressure was on to do his own will, to give in to what He wanted to do over God's will for Him.
The temptation was so great his capillaries in his skin burst and He sweated great drops of blood. The pressure will also be on us. Will we fall on our face to seek His strength or give into sin? Will we consult our will and deny His? Will we ask for the cup of God's will to pass from us or will we say, "Your will be done" It's not easy my friend, but if we do like Jesus and fall our faces and pray to the one who can strengthen us, he to will send his angels to strengthen us! He will will give us the power to get up off our faces and face the tasks before us. He will give us the grace to endure and to overcome.
Our will be like flint as we march out our garden to do His will. Not my will be done but thy will be done! will be our marching songs.
Every victory in our life starts on our faces before God then we march forth!