Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

Another question that perplexes people is how to understand Galatians
5:17 which says: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other, so that
ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Everybody knows about this
unending conflict. The “flesh” is our fallen, sinful nature that all
humans inherit from the fallen Adam which is in constant war against
the Holy Spirit. Everything that the Holy Spirit inspires us to believe
or to do, the flesh resists, 24 hours a day. The “flesh” per se never
gets converted; the heart is converted, and we can receive “the mind of
Christ,” but the “flesh” stays fallen until Jesus comes.

There are two ways that this verse is understood: (a) the flesh is
stronger than the Spirit, so that means you cannot do the good things
that you want to do. Those who take this dismal view see Romans 7:15-17
as a comment on it, where Paul says “What I would, that do I not; but
what I hate, that do I.” If Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit is not
as strong as our sinful flesh, can you think of any worse News than
that? Surely that shouldn’t be called “Good News”!

But there is (b) which understands Paul as saying that the Holy Spirit
is 24 hours a day “striving” against the flesh; and if we “walk with
the Holy Spirit” (Gal. 6:16), then we CANNOT do the evil things our
sinful flesh constantly prompts us to do! The Holy Spirit wins the
battle 24/7.

The context of Paul’s sad comment in Romans 7 is 8:1-4; don’t skip it!

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------