Spiritual Gifts part 202: We are not called to preach against 'dead leaves'.

Spiritual Gifts Part 202: We are not called to preach against “dead leaves”.

 

Our old sin nature is the competitor to the Holy Spirit.

When we run the race, the old sin nature does what it can to impede our progress and divert us from the course.

Rom 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

We have an exhortation - “live by the Spirit” - followed by a promise - “you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”.

“Walk” is
present tense,
active voice, imperative mood.

There is actually a double negative here (ou me) meaning “no never”.

God substituted Christ for Adam.

1Co 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Rom 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died [as a substitute] for us.

Col 2:6
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

God’s plan for our walk after salvation also involves substitution.

Lay aside the old… so that we can put on the new.

God takes that victorious strategy of the cross and resurrection of Christ and desires to replicate the formula again and again in each of our lives.

Eph 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

asotia (as-o-tee'-ah); compound of negative particle a and a derivative of the verb sozo.

The verb sozo refers to preservation,
so asotia means
“not preserved”, and denotes wastefulness.

1Jo 4:18
…perfect love casts out fear…

“We are not called upon to preach against ‘dead leaves’. We have a message of the imperishable Spring.”

L.S. Chafer