Spring Cleaning with Paul!

The weather has been getting warmer and Spring is coming...March 21st!  Time to get tans for the summer, pack away winter things and bring out the shorts, and spring cleaning!  Oh Shoot, I am not a big fan of cleaning (my roommates/family could tell you that) and it usually takes someone else to tell me it needs to get done or a "routine inspection."  Usually cleaning for me is more like making the mess out of sight.  This includes stuffing it under the bed, in the closet, and putting items in any container that has room!  Then looking in my room you would think it is clean, but in reality the mess is just quickly covered up and just to come out again.  To me that is like how we ask God to forgive us sometimes.  "...Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil..."  So be it!  I am done and forgiven for my sins.  To me this is a quick "lets cover up my messed up sinful heart that seeks sinful desires with a White God's Grace blanket" and look...a brand new white heart; pure and holy!  Then the next week our sinful desires come back out and we fall into our same sins...repeating over and over.  Have we really cleaned up our mess or just hid it and made it look good for our "routine inspection"?  I definitely fall into this sin cycle type of life and I am constantly coming to God in prayer to fix me and make me a creation that lives for Him and not my sinful desires.  Monday morning when I was waking up I felt the urge to read Galatians (The whole book...I know crazy right...).  So I obeyed God and read Galatians and as I did this section really stood out....Galatians 5:16-6:10

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
 ¹ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load. ⁶ Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.


I felt so convicted and knew that I was not living in step of the Spirit, but by my flesh and desires.  So I took sometime to really "spring clean" my heart by getting down to the roots of the sin.  Then took the desires and passions of my heart and gave it up to God or "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  Then actually spent time in Prayer and the Word figuring out how to keep in step with the Spirit...isn't it nicer to have a real pure and holy heart instead of masking it?  Have fun with Springtime and all the joys that come with warm weather!!!!   
~Nick~