A ‘Spin-less’ Christianity

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: A ‘Spin-less’ Christianity ------------------- Date: 7/2/2002
Keywords: “spin”
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: Galatians 5:24*

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Questions

1. How would Paul’s statement grab you if we substitute "crucify the flesh" with "hang the flesh" or "electrocute the flesh"?

 

2. What would the first century Christian readers, who were quite familiar with crucifixion, have thought when they read that they were assumed to have already "crucified the flesh"?

 

3. Do you think that there is an implicit invitation/challenge to keep on crucifying the flesh in verse 24?

 

Practical help

The current United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, is known for his no nonsense, no "spin" approach to the military’s obligations. Once, when asked in a press conference about the USA’s goal with respect to its enemies in Afghanistan, he replied simply, "We are going to kill them." Blunt, honest, to the point and straightforward. The reporters were left with no doubt as to Rumsfeld’s intentions.

Christians (those who belong to Christ Jesus (to find out how to "belong" to Christ Jesus, click here)) are said to "have crucified the flesh." Paul is not referring here to the physical flesh, not to skin, but to an active anti-God force that tempts Christians to sin. He says that to some extent, in some measure, and in some way, all Christians have pounded a nail in this "flesh."

With respect to porn, believers are to get out the symbolic hammer and crucify the fleshly temptation to be involved with the stuff! Don’t coddle it or cuddle it — crucify it! If that means installing software that will prohibit you from surfing to dirty pics, do it! If that means collecting an accountability partner — or a whole team — who will agree to support you and pray for you and ask you hard questions, go for it!

Victory over porn — a fleshly lust if ever there was one! — will require that you do what Scripture commands. Enjoy the physical body the Lord has given you — there is nothing wrong with it — but ruthlessly kill "the flesh!"

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."