Flesh Flesh Flesh

So here I am reading my Bible when I get to one of favorite parts of the Bible. The book of Romans Chapter 8. I mean the whole book of Romans is just awesome and profound, but when I look at Chapter 8 from a young believer’s perspective it always smacks me straight in the face. That is why I like it so much.

 So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)

I know some of you have those friends out there that will tell you that reading the Bible is difficult, or that it leaves too much for the imagination. I tell you this though; if you look at the passage above I do not see where you can get to creative with your imagination. This passage plainly tells us that if we live by the flesh we will die. In the same sense it tells us that if we put away the things of the flesh we will live. Period.

Let’s take a look at something that a lot of people do not consider when you think about this subject. As a matter of fact this is something that I myself have recently struggled with. Smoking or tobacco. I mean there is nowhere in the Bible that specifically tells us that using tobacco is bad. I mean some might even say that God created it, therefore it must be good for us right. Well we will take a look at that as well.

I spent a great deal of time with pastor about a week ago on a trip to Houston where we had this same exact talk. We talked about everything from tobacco to marijuana and the fact that God created these things so they can’t be wrong. Well that is true, things like tobacco and marijuana were created by God to be perfect the way they were made, those specific things stopped being God’s perfect creation the moment we (humans) interfered with that perfection. I mean you have to remove these two items from their natural environment, dry them out, mix them with chemicals, and break them down in order for them to be in a state that we find enjoyable. So what does that tell us, that in its pure and perfect state all of God’s creations are good. It ceases to be something good when we (humans) change those perfect properties to please our fleshly desires. I know that is a little harsh to put it that way, but that is truth.

I am not getting on a high horse here and trying to tell people how to live their lives. What I am doing is sharing my conviction and passion for the Lord. There was a point when we were created perfect, yet because of our need to satisfy fleshly desires, we have since been born into sin. Just sharing a thought.

In the Beginning