Are We Neglecting to Water Seeds of Faith?

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Karen and I’s old pastor was also a missionary that had a heart for Africa and would often go there to share the gospel. One year he had the opportunity to share the gospel with the main people that took part in a horrible horrible genocide, and the amazing thing was that some of them gave their lives to Christ. When he came back to share the story he shared the idea that everyone has the “Seed of atrocity in them.

“During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, also known as 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, members of the Hutu ethnic majority in the east-central African nation of Rwanda murdered as many as 800,000 people, mostly of the Tutsi minority.

So as we get in to the word let me ask you, this

inside each of us we have 2 natures

one of sin that is the flesh

one of the spirit that desires God

The question is,

Which One Of These Natures Do We Water?

In today’s passage we will see the sharp contrast in the two natures

Galatians 5:16–26 NIV

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Water The Spirit

Walking in the Spirit will allow us to stay away from the desires of the flesh.

As we put our trust in God

Study the Word

Spend time studying the Word

Spending time in fellowship with other believers

We are watering the seed of faith, we are walking in the Spirit.

Verse 17 we see that these 2 natures cannot live together

Galatians 5:17 NIV

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.

So in reality we cannot water both and be ok, its either one or the other.

If we water the flesh what will grow?

Paul goes through a list of works that are in direct contradiction to God.

Let’s look at a few of them and talk about it

Sexual immorality

The greek word here is (Porneia) it is where we get a certain word from. The meaning of this word in the greek is any kind of sexual activity that is unsanctioned from God’s plan and law. That is why things that are viewed on the internet are so destructive.

Also sex outside of God’s plan is destructive, its something that God designed for a husband and wife. and outside of that you are setting up issues not only for the future but now as well.

There is a reason why Paul puts this first on the list, sexual immorality is a sin that is set apart from others as found in 1 Cor. 6:18

1 Corinthians 6:18 NIV

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

There is a reason why the enemy uses this sin so so much, because it is is destructive and pulls us away from God so fast.

the next one I wanted to point out is Sorcery, The greek word is (Phramikia) this comes on the heels of idolatry and there is a reason for that. This word conveys witchcraft, demonic control, but also drug use. I’m not talking about tylenol, but drugs used in the occult, trying to change reality open one self to spirits and such

Divisions, is the last one that we will look at today, but division is such a horrible thing to happen not only through friends but in the Church as well. Satan wants the Church to be against itself, if we are fighting one another, how are we going to share Christ with others and seek the will of God.

So back to the question,

What Seed Are You Watering?

We cannot be watering our faith, while sprinkling our flesh.

its easy to think that, oh it’s not hurting anyone, or i’m only doing a little. I can repent and be ok, or God still loves me

We see that when we have this mindset, Oh God will still love me, we forget that we are nnot showing God Love, 1 John 5:3

1 John 5:3 NIV

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

We cannot claim to love God and have this attitude,

yes we will mess up, but it is important that we do not continue in a lifestyle that goes against God’s Will,

we might spill some water on the flesh, but it’s so very important that we don’t continue to water that seed.

How do we water the seeds of faith?

we need take a look at our life, and see if anything that is on this lost, or anything else that is taking us away from God is going on in our life and we need to get rid of it.

We need to seek God and seek His will.

We need to not just read our Bibles, but study it, read the hard to read parts, the parts that show us our sin.

We need to fellowship with each other, so that we can build each other up

We need to devote ourselves to prayer, not just when we need something, but always

1 Thessalonians 5:16–17 NIV

Rejoice always, pray continually,

When choices come up and we know that one choice is sin, we need not to make excuses why its ok, but say no.