Our flesh is the shame
God built into our genes
To help us survive
Without Him
Tag Archives: flesh
Fruit vs Counter-Fruit
StandardWe were created
To cultivate
And consume
The Fruit of the Spirit
Enjoying it
Is like being
Back in Eden
Divine Dial Tone: Continuity vs Quality
StandardLEAD! B.11 From Gluttony to Self-Control
StandardIn Which We Deny Our Bodies to Nurture Our Souls
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:10
While gluttony primarily refers to the excessive consumption of food, here we will define it more broadly as “seeking to satisfy our souls by indulging the appetites of the flesh.” This is in contrast to self-control, which is the ability to align the actions of our body with the desires of the spirit.
Importantly, for a Christian self-control is ultimately about being controlled by God’s Spirit; in fact, God sometimes lets us fall into sins of the flesh to teach us not to trust in our own willpower!
This is also why those who undergo persecution are considered “blessed”, or “lucky”, as it is obvious to them that they can’t pursue physical comfort and the kingdom of heaven at the same time.
For the rest of us, alas, the temptation is far more subtle…
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Peter Kreeft: Back to Virtue
- 13. Courage under Persecution vs. Self-indulgence
- Dick Hockett: Foundations of Wisdom
- 3.1 (Self-control) Example: Proverbs about the Tongue