Here at Mary Magdalen, we were truly blessed to have Deacon Travis Clark preach for us this weekend. You can read all about his ordination over at the Clarion Herald’s site.
The good Deacon grew up in this Parish, and everyone just loves him. I was impressed that he used no notes for his Homily, as I usually have, well…. some printed materials and an outline with me, to put it mildly.
Leading up to Pentecost I was doing some Scriptural meditations on a life in the spirit, vs, a life in the flesh. Here are just a few of them, to help focus our minds more clearly
Romans 8
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.a
For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.
The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
RULES FOR THE NEW LIFE
Ephesian 4: 30
Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger,and do not leave room for the devil.
The thief must no longer steal, but rather labor, doing honest work with his [own] hands, so that he may have something to share with one in need.
No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.
[And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
What is “Living in The World” vs. “Living in The Spirit”
“For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.”
And finally…
1 Corinthians 6:9
“Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes* nor sodomites.”
Galatians 5
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.