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No More I

by Duane Huffstutler  
4/14/2010 / Christian Living

No More I

Romans 7:14-21 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more that I do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

As Christians we have a battle to fight. It is not just when we get saved but every day. It is a battle between the things of the Lord and the things of the flesh. Since we give up this life of the flesh when we are saved we think that all will be just fine and a bed of roses. But most of us forget that to get to the beautiful roses we have to go through the thorns. Just because we don't want to live the life of the flesh anymore doesn't mean that it is going to lie down and die, in fact it is just the opposite it is going to rise up and fight. Paul was like us only he was sold out to the Lord, any place the Lord wanted him to go, he went. Any thing the Lord wanted him to do he did. Any thing the Lord wanted him to say he said. And he still had problems with the flesh. The things he wanted to do for the Lord he had problems doing, and the things he didn't want to do for the flesh he found himself doing anyway. It is a constant battle.

Let's look at just one instance when the flesh is going to fight us for control of this body. I think that most everyone of us can relate to having a boss. Here is the situationYou are doing your job to the best of your ability. You feel that you have just made a major accomplishment for the day and are really proud of what you have just done. Then your boss walks up and gives you some constructive criticism. He is real nice about the way he said it, He even went as far as to tell you what would have been a better way to accomplish the entire task, saving you time and effort. But the way you just did it made you really proud and what right does he have to tell you how to do your job.

Now before you open your mouth you have a decision to makeare you going to respond the way that Jesus would or are you going to respond the way your flesh wants to? The flesh wants to jump right back in his face and tell him off. You want to let him know that he doesn't even know how to do your job how can he tell you a better way to do it. You may even throw in a few explicatives (a few choice words to help him understand where you are coming from) you don't stop to think that that will destroy everything that you have been trying to do since you gave your life to Christ. It will destroy your witness throughout the company. You don't think about the time and effort it will take to undo what a second of wrath will destroy. You must always rememberYou can never undo what you do; you can only try to rebuild what you destroyed. Sometimes you are not able to rebuild it and even when you do get it rebuilt it is never the same.

So what if you decide to respond the other way, the way that Jesus would have responded how would that turn out. You stand up and tell him that you are very grateful that he recognized what you were trying to accomplish and thank him for the time he took out of his busy schedule to explain to you how it could have been done better. You may be upset inside but you both go away feeling a lot better about the situation. He is feeling good about being able to improve the efficiency of the operation and being able to help you understand how to improve your part of the operations. You are upset because he tried to tell you how to do your job, but on the other hand you have kept your testimony and have opened another door to witness to the boss about how the Lord can help to improve the efficiency of his life. You now don't have to rebuild what wasn't destroyed and everyone in the company will know how you responded and be open to talk more about the Lord. Because you actually do live what you say and are not just all talk.

It was a hard decision but at this point you realize that it is no more I but Christ that lives in me. If you had responded in the flesh it would have shown you how much sin still reigns in your life. If you respond in the spirit it would show you just how much you have grown in the Lord and how much sin has lost its control over you.

The choice is yours live in the spirit or live in the flesh. Everything that we do has the same decision. Will I live in sin or not?

Duane L. Huffstutler, Written 2011, Faithwriters.com
Duane L. Huffstutler is the Sunday School Director at Oak Grove Pentecostal Ministries in Bonifay Florida. All scripture is from the King James Version (1611)

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