The Flesh and the Spirit

Raul Fierro

ROMANS 8

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

The truth is that we don't have to be elderly to know about the problems that people around us have...nor do we need to be thieves, liars, or experienced in adultery to understand life, because as humans, the tendencies of the flesh and the spirit within us do not differ, are not distinct in each of us.

Many times in life I have been wrong, but life itself has shown over time which is the right path.

For a time in my life, I came to hate those who had, even though I lacked nothing...and of course, communism made me believe that in some way the rich were the bad guys, and the poor were the good guys...although this deserves a longer explanation, since Christ said that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, but that is another topic we will discuss in its time and place.

But a poor person unjustly put me in jail, and a rich person courageously and generously got me out of there...this happened back in 1973, during the military coup in Chile.

Sometimes we have errors in concept...give money to the poor and they will become rich...in the end, it is not about being rich or poor, black or white...it is about the human heart, which Scripture says is deceitful. And of course it is deceitful!!! Today I love my father, but tomorrow I feel like killing him...feelings deceive us, and we cannot walk by feelings. It's not that feelings are bad...it's like children; feelings are good, but like children, we have to set boundaries, teach them, parents have to control them, and for feelings, the mind, the heart, we have to set limits.

The problem is that often our finite mind is incapable, due to our limitations.

This is where the Spirit intervenes...

The Spirit is something superior, because it is eternal...and the difference is exactly like when a seal is on the beach, and then is put into the waters. On the beach there are no fish, and it moves with difficulty, but when it enters the water...there it finds fish, and there it can move in another dimension.

The flesh and the spirit are the same. The flesh cannot be subject to the Spirit, and its tendencies are contrary to those of the Spirit.

This is where the divine comes in. Our sayings tell us that to err is human, but to forgive is divine. I tell you, to walk in the will of the flesh and thoughts is human, but to live in the Spirit, that is a work of God.

I do not know what specific problems each person has, and I do not need to tell you mine, because all men have problems...the point is to see how we solve them, and we have two alternatives, one, according to our humanity, that is, by means of the flesh, the mind, and feelings; the other, by means of the Spirit, God, and his superior rules.

Many rebel here...why should I do the will of God...it is impossible...blah blah blah, etc.

All of this happens because there is a lack of knowledge of God, but I ask:

Why does a father discipline his child, because he hates him or because he loves him???

Naturally, because he loves him. So too God has given his commandments...because he loves man...and he has loved him in such a way that Scripture says:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

In this way, as we have also written in our innermost being, but as I was saying, if we approach God, which is impossible for us to have the correct perspective, God can enlighten us and give us his power to do what is right, and be delivered from ourselves, from the flesh, sin, and death.

God bless you.