What does our nature desire? And more importantly, what does the Spirit desire?
Our nature desires pleasures of the flesh, as opposed to joy of the Spirit. The Spirit desires that we "love the LORD our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut. 6:5), and that we love each other as Jesus loved us (John 15:12). It's tough love, and by that I mean it's tough on the person loving, not the one being loved. And so in return, our nature desires lust -- arousing the same parts of our bodies and minds, but without the commitment or the pain.
Our nature desires temporary excitements over everlasting fulfillment. From the brutal fights in the Colosseum to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to roller coasters that become faster, more complex, more loopy and more vomit-inducing, our sinful natures demand that our minds be stimulated by entertainment (I have nothing against roller coasters, but I find it sad that it's a reflection of our need to be excited). In an interview about the motives behind his "shocking youth message", Paul Washer said he was astonished to see youths in the revival meeting dancing, lifting girls up and passing them back and forth as if they were in an earthly nightclub (I also have nothing against dancing. Like all the arts, dance is a reflection of God's creativity, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't godly dancing at that meeting.) The Spirit desires fulfillment: enjoying the company of the Father and fellowship with brothers and sisters. Sure, it doesn't sound as exciting as a drinking party, but it doesn't have to be boring either.
Our nature desires that we gratify ourselves rather than lifting others up. The best example I have is the one pastor Tom gave: "do you leave an inch of milk in the jug and put it back in the fridge?" Or my version: "do you secretly leave your dishes in the sink in hope that someone will come by, someday, and wash them for you?" (For the record, I am extremely guilty of this one.)
There are probably many more examples, but these three came into my mind the quickest. These are things that our nature desires -- our nature, meaning that it's ingrained into us, and to resist it would be like trying to canoe up a waterfall. It just doesn't happen.
As Christians however, we are controlled not by our sinful selves but by the Spirit. This is a great reminder for me. Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life" is good, I suppose (after all, we do need to live with God's purpose in mind), but what about "The Spirit Driven Life"? How would that look like? I won't do the Spirit injustice by trying to preach on how Spirit-driven living looks like, but the next couple verses illustrate the power of God, and give a glimpse of how God works for and through those who allow themselves to be driven by Him. If Christ is in you, Paul says, your body is dead to sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. God's power allows Him to sustain our lives even though we have essentially killed ourselves through sin. The second verse is like the first: "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." (v. 11) In Ezekiel 37, God tells the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to dry bones (Ezekiel probably holds the distinction of being the only prophet to prophesy to the dead, as opposed to the living), and at the word of God, the dry bones grow flesh and come to life. God said to Ezekiel that the bones represented the house of Israel, which had its hope cut off. Yet God said that he would open their graves and bring them up from them. God can not only sustain the dead, but can restore life to the dead.
And so I pray that I (and we) would be Spirit-driven, led by what the Spirit desires. As I was writing, this passage came to me. Many people heard it last Friday, but I don't think anyone can hear too much of it. In particular, I think this passage reflects the character of God, and of those who are Spirit-driven:
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Rom. 12:9-12)
Matthew
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