Day 82 – The Spirit and Human Nature

₁₆What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. ₁₇For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. ₁₈If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.

₁₉What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; ₂₀in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; ₂₁they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.

₂₂But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ₂₃humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. ₂₄And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires. ₂₅The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives. ₂₆We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.

₁My brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. ₂Help to carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ. ₃If someone thinks he or she is somebody when really they are nobody, they are only deceiving themselves. ₄You should each judge your own conduct. If it is good, then you can be proud of what you yourself have done, without having to compare it with what someone else has done. ₅For we each have our own load to carry.

₆Those who are being taught the Christian message should share all the good things they have with their teachers.

₇Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. People will reap exactly what they sow. ₈If they sow in the field of their natural desires, from it they will gather the harvest of death; if they sow in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit they will gather the harvest of eternal life. ₉So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. ₁₀So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith.