Jesus calls me to stop and reflect on the works that come from the flesh.
The works of the flesh cannot give me true life. They belong to the old self and, when I continually surrender myself to them, they begin to decay within me. They become dead works—things that cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit.
«“The works of the flesh are obvious…”
— Galatians 5:19–21»
Jesus is calling me out of the flesh and into the Spirit.
He is saying:
“Come out. Rise up from your deadness. Leave behind the works that belong to the old self. Let them be buried with Me through the Cross, and rise with Me into new life.”
«“Our old self was crucified with him… so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin.”
— Romans 6:6»
The Christian life is not simply trying harder to control the flesh. It is allowing Christ to put the old self to death and allowing His life to grow within me.
«“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
— Galatians 2:20»
The more I continually feed myself with things that belong to the flesh and to the world, the more they weigh down my soul. What I repeatedly allow into my heart eventually begins to manifest itself in my thoughts, words and actions.
«“What the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh.”
— Galatians 5:17»
It is like a balloon weighed down by stones. The more stones I attach to it, the more heavily it is pulled toward the earth. In the same way, attachment to worldly and fleshly things can weigh down the soul and keep it from rising freely toward God.
But Jesus calls me:
“Lay down the stones. Let go of what weighs you down. Do not remain buried in the old life. Rise with Me.”
«“Let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that lies before us.”
— Hebrews 12:1»
Jesus does not merely call me away from something; He calls me toward Himself.
The more I draw near to Jesus, the more I must allow Him to fill me. I do not overcome the flesh simply by staring at the flesh. I overcome it by turning toward Christ and allowing His Spirit to lead me.
«“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
— Galatians 5:16»
So I bring my flesh, my attachments, my worldly desires, my old habits and my sinful tendencies to the Cross.
Bury them with Christ.
Leave them at the Cross.
Rise with Christ.
Live by the Spirit.
«“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17»
My life is no longer meant to be controlled by the desires of the flesh.
Christ lives in me.
Christ leads me.
Christ becomes my life.
«“When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.”
— Colossians 3:4»
The call of Jesus
Come out of the flesh.
Come out of what weighs you down.
Come out of the old life.
Come to Me.
Be filled with My Spirit.
Let the old self die at the Cross.
Rise with Me into new life.
Do not live according to the flesh.
Let Me live in you.
«“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”
— Galatians 5:25»
Jesus, help me to recognise the stones that weigh down my soul. Give me the grace to lay them at Your Cross. Put to death in me whatever belongs to the old self, and raise me into the freedom of Your Spirit. May I decrease, so that You may live more fully in me. Amen.
