The position of
weakness
in a humans life
in union with God
2. Corinthians 3,17-18
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Romans 8,7-9
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it
is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Ephesians 4,22-24
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in
the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness.
People live in
dependence on themselves. They have certain things that they do not want to let
go, habits, characteristics, seemingly bringing positives, but ultimately mean addiction
and always occur in relation to the flesh *. In life with God they can be lived
out only outside of life in the Spirit. That's why they make us on our way forward
with Jesus to go backward.
The following two components need to be considered:
1. Rescue is superior:
When I give my life to God, in return I get the connection to him, that is, to
live in the rescue, which is in fact completely and absolutely given by God but
not yet accomplished, for I am still alive on this earth. Characteristics from
my former self principally do not change this fact. Dependencies and human
behaviour do not change my rescue, because I am still on the way.
2. Fight of Faith:
As long as we are on this earth and follow Jesus we are in the fight of faith.
We know on the basis of biblical teaching (it is very important that it is
really happening by the Holy Spirit) which attributes are from the old man (flesh
*) and therefore need to be trashed. Now our will is demanded.
God undertakes himself
again to our will, he accepts it. Our will
is crucial to the Holy Spirit whether he takes over the guidance or not. We
leave the leadership to God and he takes matters into his hands. Thus happens through the hand
of God, a work of faith, and it is the result of our heart.
We are weak and our will is weak. So maybe I'm in one second ready to put myself
and my situation in the hand of God and in the other second not.
Therefore the Holy
Spirit rules for a short time in my life and then not again. The goal is to
hand over more and more the guidance to the Holy Spirit and to overcome all
things and situations through Him, so that we can get ahead on our way and
achieve our goal. Decisive is not how many times we go forward, fall, get up
and go on again, but to stay on the path and to commit our guidance more and
more to Him.
Sometime our old
self will be clothed by the new in one or the other weakness and we are free.
How long this takes depends mainly on how much we are willing and able to commit and “deactivate” ourselves. If we are “off”, the Holy Spirit determines
our heart, our being and acting. The heart is now more and more influenced to
by the Holy Spirit, he has the leading role and determines what happens.
I as a human being want to switch off my volition, I live in my heart and decide
in my heart that this has to be done. I give my heart completely to God and so
the Holy Spirit takes over the leadership.
I am above my will, my will belongs to my flesh, I am the heart, I am the
spirit, I've given up my will and my old life in my conversion. Just as the
will of my spirit is my will, the neither is the will of the flesh my will. Now
not my old self is longer alive, but I am a new creature and Christ lives in
me.
* Flesh = human nature, led by his will