The Killing Fields

The deeds of the body

In the book of Romans we are presented with this truth:
"12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

As we walk with God we sometimes wonder how we actually accomplish such a task. Do we use a sword? Do we cut off our hand like Jesus said? How do we use the Spirit?

Sometimes theological statements are no help in our life until we bring them out of general principles and put them into real life situations. Theological truths can sometimes become clichés if we are not careful.

Growing a garden

When you grow a garden you are always contending with weeds. Weeds are like sin--if you don't keep them in check--they could take over. But is the goal of gardening to keep the weeds away? No, of course not. The goal of gardening is to grow good food. Growing food is a positive action--stopping weeds is a negative action.

When we set out to grow a garden we make a plan how we are going to grow good food. This plan includes choosing good soil(positive action), making sure you have a water source(positive action) and sun light(positive action). Lastly, you plan how you will prevent weeds(positive action) and how you will deal with weeds that crop up(negative action).

With good planning, most of your time should be spent on the positive things, not the negative. All your focus and attention should be set on your goal of good food--not on killing weeds.

Led by the Spirit of God

God says we are to accomplish this in our lives "by the Spirit". This is a positive action. We have to make a plan and execute it.
Good soil
We first have to choose good soil. This is accomplished for us by God when we are born again by the Spirit.
Water
Next we need a good water source. This is Jesus who we find in the Word of God. We need daily watering. Pray. Read the Word. Listen to the Word. Read and listen to others talk about the Word.
Light
Then we need a steady flow of light. This is Jesus and the Spirit. The Spirit gives us light when we read the Word of God.
Prevention
One last positive action is to plan on preventing weeds. This requires some kind of weed blocker. Weed blockers are not 100%, but they can prevent most weeds. Types of weed blockers are internet filters, cancelling cable tv, not buying doughnuts :), scheduling your time so you will be intentional about how it is spent, not shopping when you don't need something, pre-thinking about what we will say so we avoid gossip and slander, etc.
So you see, we are to spend the bulk of our time on positive things rather than the negative(pulling weeds). If you spend all your time on the negative, all you will end up with is a large plot of weedless dirt!

We want a garden--not dirt! And not weeds!

Help the weeds are growing!

Weeds are sin. When the weeds are growing you must root them up. You can't just tear the tops off, you must root them up.

But how? You take both hands if necessary and you completely and utterly pull those nasty things up and throw them away.
But how? By the Spirit. God has empowered you by the Spirit to say no. He has granted you repentance. When you see a weed(sin), you must identify it and completely and utterly turn from that thing and begin again with the positives. Tear up the sin and then head right back to tending the garden. Don't look for more sin, begin tending the garden. Sin will find you soon enough, you don't need to go looking for it.

Where does my help come from?

A great help that God has given us with prevention and weed plucking is the church. Your brothers and sisters in Christ are there to help you grow and to tear up the weeds when they grow.
1 John 1:5 "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."