John 4:24 – KJV
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

My husband and I watched a beautiful Christian movie last week, and Jesus was sitting down to dinner with someone, all alone in a restaurant, and the lady said, “I am not religious and don’t like religion,”  and Jesus said, “Neither do I.”

Now, before anyone becomes upset at that comment, think about it for a moment and you’ll actually realize that it’s true!

Jesus wasn’t promoting “religion” He was promoting love, healing, and following His Father’s will and “laws” in order to redeem us and cleanse us from sin.

He didn’t like the self-made doctrine of man, or the rules, and regulations, they put together.  Remember, one of the priests condemned Jesus saying, “Your men don’t wash their hands like we do in our tradition” — what is the clue there?  “Our tradition”

But, what is God’s?

Well…most important…Jesus, died for us, and said, “it is finished.”  Which means He did it all for us. He carried on His Father’s will, and laws, and when we accepted Him, as our Savior, He came inside to dwell with us, and we live through the Spirit as He shows us the way.

Confused?

Okay…well think of this then.  

Legalism typically goes by “flesh and rules and regulations made by men.”  Legalism, can hold you hostage by your flesh, and make you do things that you might think will “please God.” And, so, based on that premise, we might operate by the “outside” and not from the “inside.”  

Or, another example.

Think of two boats.  One is a little row boat, and you’re “row row rowing “your little boat.  And, then there is another kind of boat…a “speed” boat. Which is being powered by the engine.  And, that speed boat zooms right past your little row boat, that is being operated solely by “our own power”  —now which boat is faster and stronger?  The speed boat of course!

Think of our spiritual bodies as such.

When we move by the Spirit, it is Jesus, doing the magnificent details in our life.  We are being powered by Him, and Him alone.  He is our energy, our foundation of exuberance, and strength.  That little row boat…well, that is our flesh.

When we operate on our flesh,  we are akin to that slow little row boat rowing away, slowly down the stream, except it’s not “merrily merrily merrily” like the song says it is.

Nope.  We can’t do things on our own, operating on our flesh.  We need Him, our engine, our motivator, our strength and our Savior, and His Spirit.  When we live by flesh, we are sparring with the Spirit.  When we live by the flesh, we act on things according to our flesh. When we live and walk by the Spirit, we are in unison with the LORD.

Jesus set us free, His truth, His death, His resurrection, His Spirit, His love. By all accounts Jesus lived the laws of His Father, and He followed His will, He did it for the LORD and of course for us!

Read His Word, and do things by the Spirit, because you love Him, and glorify Him, and enjoy Him. That is what we should operate by.  Him and His Word and His Spirit.

If we learn to tap into the power of our spirit by seeking first the Kingdom of God and studying His Word, we can tap into the wisdom of God and have all things added to us and we will prosper and thrive!

Don’t do things because, “of this rule and that rule”… for “doctrine of men” or because you think that’s what God wants, and that is what will make you get to heaven.  Remember this:

God knows your heart.

God knows your thoughts.

God knows your soul.

You can’t fool God.

Find joy in serving Him, and when you do, all things will open up to you, along the highway of life.  All things will make sense, things will become easier to do, and your light, which is to say “His light” will shine brightly.

In so doing, you will be making your Father happy, and pleasing Him, in the capacity of which all things are possible.

Rowing your own boat? 

May I invite you to let “God take over” and live life, in a way you’ve never lived before.

“Jesus, take the wheel…”

“Father, God…I recognize You as the One true source that generates power from within, You are the Spirit that dwells in me, thank You, for Your strength, love, guidance, and assurance, but most of all, for defeating death and conquering the world, in Jesus name, Amen.”

*****

“Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:16

*****

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

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