Shepherd’s Outpost  

By  Pastor Ron Gardner

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you …”

Romans 8:9

That really is the question which must be resolved, “Does the Spirit of  God dwell in me?”   It’s interesting to me just how many people I talk to who, consider themselves Christians, and yet seemingly seek to live their lives after the flesh.  The Greek translation of a Christian, first mentioned  back in Acts 11:26 is to be ”a follower of Christ.” That is to say, one who seeks to live as Jesus Christ taught us to live, speak as Jesus taught us to speak, to do as Jesus taught us to do - essentially, love as Jesus taught us to love. Yet when asked if those who claim to be Christians read their Bible, the answer is typically “once in a while” and as far as church attendance, well, it’s just not a priority. And while missing church or occasional Bible reading doesn’t cost any of us our salvation, unarguably however, it will not cause us to draw closer to the Lord, or strengthen our walk with Him, nor make us more in love with the One who showed His love to us by taking our place on a the cross.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:8, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”   Clearly the Lord is able to see past the tongue and look deep into the heart and find the true issue, that being the battle between living for Jesus or living for self.  Paul writes to the church in Galatia,  Galatians 5:17, “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 you wish.” Paul penned it perfectly! We all must seek to deny our desires and learn of Gods Spirit; what He wants of us, what He expects of us, what He desires for us, and then make application in our hearts and lives of those powerful truths.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us that we should continually come together, for the continuation of love for one another, Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.”  Sadly, we know many in the church today, are truly self-serving, but this is nothing new. The Lord speaking to the prophet Ezekiel declares in Ezekiel 33:31, “So they come to you as people do; they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.”

So we see as with all things pertaining to God, it always comes down to the heart, which brings us back to our topic verse. Is the flesh or the Spirit ruling your life? You know, I write Shepherd’s Outpost as God has laid upon my heart to be a voice of encouragement, to gently stir your hearts toward Him; to challenge you in your commitment to Him, and to hopefully deepen your relationship with Him. And so, may you know how immeasurably, emphatically in love with you your Savior, Jesus Christ, is. 2 Peter 3:18 “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever.  Amen.”