So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. (Galatians 5:16-18 NLT) When we allow someone to guide us, aren't we actually placing trust in where they will lead us, what they will allow us to do, and who it is they will have us interacting with along the way? This is the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life - acting as both guide and teacher along our path. Our sinful nature can get us 'lost' if we follow it and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be trusted to have what is truly in our best interest in store for us. The...
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18 NLT) The message of the cross cannot be understood through human reasoning. If we could understand the exact things that transpired in the heavenly realms as Christ hung there, breathed his last, and then gave his all for mankind, we'd probably all be on our knees in full repentance right now. There wouldn't be one soul untouched by the intensity of that sacrifice. The human mind is not able to know fully what transpired, but through faith we can trust that what Christ accomplished was meant for our good. The power behind the cross isn't usually fully comprehended through what we read in our scriptures. It becomes very evident in a changed life, though. The more a life is transformed by the power of the cross, the more we come to 'know' and 'appreciate' that Christ did more than just 'die' ther...