A Christian in Training.

A Christian in training. Romans 8:12-18

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not 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. Romans 8:12-14 (NKJV)

Have you ever purchased an expensive product on credit and later found that you did not get your intended use of it? You had to have it and it seems so important that you have it, you bought it on credit. Then the payments continued as the thing you so dearly wanted sits unused collecting dust. This is a deficit we all have in our characters; we want it, when we want it and we become willing to do whatever it takes to get it. However, there are those that control that urge and learning from their past mistakes, they no longer listen to those urges.

Sin means to miss the mark; therefore, when we react compulsively we can easily miss the perfection we desired. Therefore, we must grab hold of ourselves and put that type of reaction to death and never let it have a heart beat in our life. Paul calls it "our flesh" and explains that it tries to live, but we must keep it buried.

In the Greek language that these scriptures are written in, the word flesh means the meat or body and is different from the spirit or soul. Therefore the scripture teaches us that our bodies have a mind of their own.

Every teenage boy finds this fact out shortly after reaching puberty. They discover that their body is sending them signals they do not understand. Eventually they learn that their body is demanding attention. This is a God given instinct that is not taught, but created as a part of our makeup. The same applies to every person and sin; it is a part of our physical make up.

Great athletes are great athletes because of ability; however, they must choose to develop those abilities and resist the temptations that their bodies will demand.

Our bodies are selfish in nature; they want good food, pleasure, fantasy, excitement, and possessions. These cravings must be controlled or they will take over and often ruin a person's life, health, and spiritual life. The Apostle Paul teaches that if we live according to our flesh, it will produce death to our relationship with God.

What would the great Kobe Bryant turn into if he never practiced basketball? In the same thinking, what if he was to cut back on practicing so that he can relax more, would he be able to reach the heights of greatness?

Every day the great athletes of the world must put to death other opportunities and buckle down to their sport. Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Roger Federer, Kelly Slater, Reggie Busch, and Michelle Kwan, are all notable athletes and are all dedicated athletes. They know that they must train, become disciplined, resisting temptations that would take them away from their sport.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father." Romans 8:15-16 (NKJV)

Now if we were to list the great Christians, whose pursuit of God reached the same discipline, you would not know their names; for these hold no significant worldly interest. One of the most noticeable to much of the world would be Billy Graham; however, Billy would state that his faith was little compared to many.

So what are we working for? Our bodies are working towards goals and achievements and we must ask if these are the ones that will make us truly satisfied or will they eventually grow old and useless with age?

The Bible prompts us to put to death the desires of the flesh so that we can be alive unto God; for by accomplishing this discipline, we can become children of God and as children inherit all of heaven. Our goal in life should be this one target to train towards; to be reinstated into a relationship with God that sin destroyed.

In our life we face three enemies that will show up every day to keep us from practicing our faith; they are forces of evil, the pull of the world, and the desires of our flesh. With these we must battle and should we lose our focus, we should refocus and then continue towards our goal.

Standing with a gentleman after work, we talked about this life. He said how much trouble his life was in and it led to an explanation about the importance of our present life in regards to our future life, which is important for us all to understand. The explanation went like this.

On the hood of a truck, a finger smudge made a noticeable dot in the dust. I continued to make dots across the hood. Slowly, making one by one, I let quietness draw his attention. Reaching the end, I went back to the first dot and circled it. "Let this dot represent our short life on earth; we will live seventy to eighty years." Then drawing a line under the other dots I told him, "Now extend these other dots all the way around the earth until you circle it and then continue to make laps around it. This is the length of eternity". Going back to the first dot, I told him, "Now what you do here, in this lifetime, influences the outcome of the rest of eternity."

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:17-18 (NKJV)

If you want to spend eternity alone, in darkness, away from God, you indicate this choice while here on earth. Without being pleasing to God, our lives are void and no matter how much we let our flesh try to replace the void with possessions, experiences, or thrills, we will only jump from thing to thing and never find satisfaction.

However, today the Apostle Paul ensures his readers that they can find inner peace with God and know where they will spend their eternity. Like the athlete, people must know the playbook, study the plays, and train to win and that is the life of a Christian.

If you would like to join the world of Christians in training, you start by asking God to forgive you your sins and for Christ to come into your life. Then start studying your play book, the Bible and learn to make the plays that avoid sinful failures and discover victory in Jesus.