Reaping for Eternal Life
Praise the Lord, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits. — Psalms 103:2
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. — Galatians 6:8
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: Although we want to do good, we sometimes fall back and are overwhelmed by guilt. We need not remain in it: we can let the Lord shepherd us. The Spirit and the flesh are at odds, and what we believe in our souls shapes our decisions. We can heed what comes from the world, or believe and obey God’s word. Living in a body exposed to temptation—sarkinós—is not the same as being ruled by the flesh—sarkikós. Temptation remains, but Christ has freed us from the power of sin. In the Spirit, we can please God and live by faith in his Son.
Take heart, brothers and sisters. There is no need to worry too much. If you are a Christian convinced by your faith in Jesus Christ, do not despair. Set guilt aside and let the Lord shepherd you. The same thing happens to all of us. We want to do what is good, but when the moment comes, we make a quiet exit; we retreat. Guilt surfaces, we feel miserable, and we promise under our breath that it will not happen next time. I am a Christian; I am designed to do good. Why do I fail?
The Spirit and the flesh are continually at odds. As he bid farewell to the Thessalonians, Paul encouraged them: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole being, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
When we receive the Holy Spirit, an awareness of God arises within us that did not exist before. Our personality resides in the soul. In the soul—our thoughts, desires, and feelings—behavior is generated and beliefs are formed. The soul receives information from the world and information from God. If we put more faith in the information that comes from the world, our behavior will be fleshly. If, on the other hand, we decide to believe what God says and obey him, my conduct is spiritual. What happens inside my soul will affect my decisions. King David gave his soul commands to do God’s will: “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1a). He spoke to his soul: “My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:5). “Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why are you troubled within me?” (Psalm 42:11).
The body constantly receives information from the world through the five senses (smell, touch, hearing, sight, taste). Paul lamented: “Wretched man that I am! Who will free me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24), and immediately acknowledged that Christ had already given him freedom: “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25). The body is constantly exposed to the miseries of the world, and Satan knows it. The eye looks at what it should not look at; the members of my body are constantly tempted to do what God abhors. Bad news: that is not going to change. Good news: Christ freed us from the power of sin, we are spiritual, and our soul prompts us to make decisions that lead to eternal life.
Solomon declared: “Whatever my eyes desired, I did not deny them, nor did I withhold any pleasure from my heart…” (Ecclesiastes 2:10a), and acknowledged the sin: “…all was vanity” (verse 11).
Paul makes a distinction when he speaks of the fleshly person. In the original language of the New Testament (Greek), there are two words translated as carnal in Spanish: the first is sarkinós, describing a person who recognizes, as Paul did, that we are constantly tempted because we live in a body of flesh and bone exposed to evil. The God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ, was tempted, but his soul chose to obey the word of God. The second Greek sense of carnal is sarkikós, which means being governed or dominated by the flesh. “…and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Do you see the difference? In a certain way, we are all sarkinós, but a sarkikós Christian is inconceivable. For either you live governed by the flesh, or you are in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. Jesus said to his disciples: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no use at all; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63).
Even so, although we live in the flesh—sarkinós—we can live in the Spirit in a way that pleases God. Remember, beloved brothers and sisters, that by living in the Spirit we can command our soul to be governed by the word of God. Christ has freed you from your mortal body. You are spiritual. Decide today to begin telling yourself, with conviction, likewise: “…the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b).
God bless you!