Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.

This is a parallel to Oswalds’ statement that we often sacrifice the best and accept the  good when we accept the natural. We must give up the natural in order to revceive God’s best; the supernatural….JDV

Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14 ). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . .” ( Romans 12:1 ). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.

When we commit ourselves to God, ( are at the end of ourselves) and let go of our own ideas and thoughts about what is right or wrong,   God is then free to live supernaturally in us. JDV

If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.

God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19 ).

Oswald would say that in order to come to the end of ourthe end of ourselves we must sacrifice and be obedient. We can also come to the end of ourselves through our pain and suffering through our wrong decisions and difficult times..however IF we are honest seekers after “ther truth ond reality of the cross” we will come to give up ourselves and become more obedient and disciplined; one way way ot the other.

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “. . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

……. for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10

Whenever we have lost joy in an area of our lives, perhaps it is because that area remains with us. We have not not given it over to the cross.  Could that be an indicator? Without joy, we are still holding onto our own circumstance.  Fulblown acceptance of the cross will include joy….. JDV

^{Galations 5:22}

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The opposite of joy will be visceral tension. Visceral tension tells us that we have not turned it over to the God of the universe. DJR

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted.

And we accept the cross in areas of our lives as we turn those areas over to God. This is how real transformation in all areas takes place. We pickup our cross daily in areas of of our lives and God transforms us as we lose ourselves and our control in the cross…..JDV/DJR

Luke 9:23
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 ). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood . . .” ( Ephesians 1:7 ). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.

Conviction of sin is best described in the words:

My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.

Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God, and perhaps a thing to be embraced. JDV

Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8 ). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . .” ( Psalm 51:4 ).

We sin by choosing to folowing our own guidance. We separate ourselves from God by believing we can make the right decisions for our lives, believing as the serpent told Eve, “You will become as God”. But that is not what occurs, and we know it as soon as our direct connection is severed by our act of self reliance or as we act on our own appetitites. JDV

“each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin . . .” (James 1:14-15).

The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.

The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19 ). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Our covenant with God is Jesus Christ and His sacrifice and our acceptance of His  sacrifice. That is how we enter into a personal relationship with Him as His children:  We believe and accept His gift. …..JDV

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” ( Isaiah 45:22  ).

When we are connected to the Spirit of God with the Holy Spirit within us, we no longer look for God to deliver us becasue we understand that He already has delivered us, regardless of the circumstances…..As the song says He paid it all…..

When we were/are washed in the blood of Christ,we are complete in Him. And we can be washed anew every day not to be saved from our sins, but to work out our salvation in the everyday circumstances of life. JDV

When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement—

Jesus paid it all.JDV

no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.

When we are connected to God, we radiate peace and joy, regardless of our circumstances. We walk by faith not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5;7- We walk by faith, not by sight ….knowing that Jesus paid it all, we are the sons and daughters of God and enjoy all the benefits of that relationship as we accept them……JDV

I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God”— make it ineffective ( Galatians 2:21 ). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” ( Philippians 2:12 ) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires ( 1 Corinthians 6:19  ). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.

This is one of those lessons that reminds me of the “burden of the law”.

As believers we are to keep ourselves under control for God. But what if we cannot? What if we try and try and still find that we say and do the wrong things? What if we still have the wrong desires, does that mean we are not saved?

If that were accurate, then the Apostle Paul would not have been saved. ………

Romans 7:14-25

 ^14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

 ^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

 ^21-23It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

 ²⁴I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

 ²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different….JDV

John. 16:13-15 …and the Spirit of God shall guide us unto all things….and He guides us as we stay connected to Him. JDV

Paul said, “I beseech you . . . that you present your bodies a living sacrifice . . .” ( Romans 12:1  ). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.

Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.

Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.

And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation . . .” ( John 16:33  ). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “. . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.

It is a delight because we already know the outcome…JDV

Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ

Make no mistake though, we will lose every battle if we are the soldiers. If we are engaged directly in the battle against the oppostition, we will lose. However, if we are connected to God and allow Him to fight the battle through us, the victory is guaranteed. In fact the victory has already been delivered for us no matter what we face. Our victory in all things is in Jesus Christ on the cross. JDV

II Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ….

 II Chronicles 20:15 …Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: …….. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Deuteronomy 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
   .

If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality….

 reality being the power of the Spirit, allowing the power of the Spirit to work through you. When we do this it is apparent to you and all those around you. It is all about connection…..JDV/ DJR 

Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God 

(another way of saying being connected DJR).

Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.

Reality being the connection with God. JDV

Reality; being connected to the very Spirit of God, cannot be shaken….powerful and supernatural manifestations can take place when we are connected to the the God of the universe….as we connect with others.  JDV/DJR

If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again.

Oswald’s definition of “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” is an undiluted definition that means being actually and completely connected to the person of Jesus Christ….. not the idea of being connected to Jesus Christ. There is a very big difference……… JDV

That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19 ). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.

Perhaps the church can explore the thought that as we are grounded in the reality, the connectedness to God, we can as a body, disagree on issues of doctrine, but stay united as we stay connected. ….JDV

It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son ( Isaiah 53:10 ), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.

The issue is to stay connected and available through our relationship with Jesus Christ. JDV

The issue is not to conform or “be a good Christian” it is to stay connected and let God use us whenever and however He chooses. Our step by step spiritual growth plan does not seem to work out in real life. We cannot hope to “become a better person” then be used by God. We simply stay open to be used how and when God chooses.

We do not have to be conformed before we are confirmed by God as He uses us. We are confirmed simply accepting the gift of Jesus on the cross. This gift prooduces all we ever need as we stay connnected.

It seems that adding any “metric” to our spiritual quest will actually become deterrant to our true spiritual objective which is connectedness to him.

The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” ( Romans 7:9 ). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” ( Romans 7:14  ). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!

From 35000 feet, on an airplane this morning, (amazing times we live in ) I am worshiping and praying along with the devotional and song. The music and lyrics choked me up a bit as I came to feel the impact of God’s grace and mercy. Trying to “feel” close to God is tricky…because our feelings are tricky, the enemy vigilient. Whenever we fail and God knows we will, our accuser stands there shouting out our failure trying to bring us down from the victory Jesus freely provides. All we need to do is accept the gift…..JDV

We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.