Galatians 5:24-25 (NKJV) And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
We are a three-part being, comprising of body, soul and spirit. Our will is located in the realm of the soul where we make decisions and choices in life, and our choices and decisions be significantly affected by our moods, feelings, and emotions. These decisions can also bring about negative impacts in our lives and the lives of the people around us.
God will not overcome our will because we are made to be free moral agents where we make our own decisions. Therefore, we can decide to walk in the Spirit by obeying what is right based on the Word, or we can react in the flesh based on what we feel at that moment. There are people who have chosen to go against the Word of God and pierced themselves with many sorrows. It has nothing to do with God tormenting or disciplining them, but they are purely reaping what they have sown with the choices that they have made. Therefore, if the soul is not renewed with the Word of God, it will be a great hindrance to us walking in the Spirit and we will be no different from the people of the world.
Galatians 5:17 (NKJV) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
The flesh is part of the soul in the makeup of man. The “spirit man” is new and has the nature of God but the body doesn’t change after we have accepted Christ. Therefore, having had the liberty to live the kind of life that’s without restraint and accountability before we were saved, it is a huge challenge for the soul to submit to the Lordship of Christ after we are saved. Also, without the proper teaching, some of us are not even aware that we can overcome the bondages that used to dictate our lives. Therefore, we need to constantly renew our mind with the Word of God regarding who we are, what we can do, and what we have in Christ.
We are very used to living out of our soul rather than in the Spirit, but God leads us in the realm of the Spirit because only the “spirit man” can understand the things of God and enable us to overcome temptation. Therefore, unless the mind, which is part of the soul, is renewed, the soul will not yield to God. However, if we deal with the flesh daily by renewing our mind with the Word of God and yielding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we can have victory over sin and temptation!
Sermon Series: The Make-up of Man (Part 2)
自由意志的个体
加拉太书 5：24-25 凡属基督耶稣的人，是已经把肉体连肉体的邪情私欲同钉在十字架上了。我们若是靠圣灵得生，就当靠圣灵行事。
我们是由灵、魂、体三个部分所构成。我们的意志位于魂的领域，我们在那里为自己的生命作出决定和选择，我们的选择和决定受到我们的情绪，感受和情感的极大影响。这些决定也可能会给我们的生命和周遭人的生命带来负面的影响。
神不会压制我们的意志，因为神赋予我们自由意志以做出我们自己的决定。因此我们可以决定顺着圣灵而行，照着圣经的教导顺服正直，也可以根据当下的感受在血气中做出反应。有些人选择违背神的话语而被许多的悲伤刺穿。这无关乎神对他们的刑罚或管教，他们只是收获他们当初作选择时所播种的后果。因此，如果魂不被神的话更新，就会成为我们顺着圣灵而行的极大障碍，我们与世人也就没有什么不同。
加拉太书 5:17因为情欲和圣灵相争，圣灵和情欲相争，这两个是彼此相敌，使你们不能做所愿意做的。
血气是人魂的一部分。我们已经知道“灵人”是新造的，具有神的本性。在我们接受基督后，身体却没有改变。因此在得救之前过着自由自在没有约束和责任的生活的我们，在得救之后就面对着一个重大的挑战，那就是魂要顺服基督的主权。当然，如果没有正确的教导，我们中的一些人甚至不知道我们其实是能够克服曾支配我们生命的那些捆绑的。所以，我们需要不断地用神的话更新我们的心思意念，认清我们在基督里的身份、能做的事和拥有的东西。
我们习惯了随心所欲地生活，而不是活在圣灵里面。神在灵的领域带领我们，而上帝对我们的带领是在圣灵的领域里，因为只有“灵人”才能明白神的事并使我们能够胜过试探。因此除非作为魂一部分的心思意念得到更新，否则魂是不会顺服神的。然而，如果我们藉着每天用神的话语更新我们的心思意念来对付肉体，顺服圣灵的提示， 我们就能够战胜罪和试探！
讲章系列：人的构成（第二部分）
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