1 Corinthians 6:12
'I have the right to do anything,' you say,– but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.
It is true that we are saved by grace alone, not by our actions or the lack of them. We cannot earn our salvation or our right-standing before God. It seems to be common to think that if your behaviour is good then you will get to heaven – but that is far from the truth. The only way to heaven is to put our faith in what Jesus accomplished by his death and resurrection on the cross of Calvary.
Theoretically, therefore, Christians can do anything and not lose their salvation, but our new nature doesn’t want to sin. Our new nature is sold out for God! We no longer resist sin to try to be accepted by God, but because we know that our actions of sin give an inroad to Satan and can cause misery in life.
On my personal journey, I have battled with being overweight for most of my adult life. I’ve lost weight many times and put weight on too! However, the worst thing is the feeling that I’ve lost control. Instead of me having power over my body and what I eat, it seems to have power over me! The NIV says I will not be mastered by anything. That is where I strive to be – master of my appetites, not letting them rule over me.
Anything that causes us to be led by the flesh rather than the Spirit, is a lust of the flesh, one of the temptations that Christ himself faced in the desert. It is possible to train our flesh to be led by the Spirit – Jesus is our example here. I know it’s not always easy but it’s going to be worth the struggle. The effects of being overweight are similar to having serious diseases and we have the power to resist those desires in our Spirit.
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, so let’s resist temptation and be led by the Spirit instead of the flesh.
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