Making Decisions in your Flesh

In this episode, we dive into Galatians and Romans to unpack the difference between two walks: the walk of the flesh and the walk of the Spirit.

So many times we try to satisfy temporary desires, emotions, and impulses, only to end up feeling empty, convicted, or disconnected from God. But through Christ, we are reminded that there is no condemnation for those who are in Him.

This conversation is about:

• Choosing discipline over desire
• Dying to the flesh daily
• Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead your decisions
• Understanding the battle between flesh and spirit
• Walking in freedom, not guilt

The walk of the flesh leads to destruction, but the walk of the Spirit leads to life and peace. Which walk are you feeding?

📖 Scriptures:
• Galatians 5
• Romans 8:1-11

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey guys, it's your girl Sham Bamilema, and I just wanna say welcome to Let's Talk 1213. As you guys know, we are here to uplift your arms so that you can win the war. Um, this podcast is based on Exodus, right? Uh and when Moses had help from Aaron and her. So today we're gonna talk about making decisions in the fast. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about making decisions in your flesh. Now, your girl made a few decisions in her flesh. Don't be too hard on me, but we're gonna see the results of the flesh and the results of the the spirit. We're gonna look at Galatians chapter 5, Romans 8, verses 1 through 11. We're gonna do all of the things, okay? So there's two different walks, right? God created us, and there's two ways of life. You're either sinning or you're not sinning. You're either walking by the spirit or you're walking by the flesh, right? That's it. It's either this or that. I know a lot of people be trying to find great areas, loopholes, and like think they could live a certain life and still serve God, or still think that God is not going to put it in the book of life and ask you to be accountable for the way that you lived your life or the lifestyle you've lived, right? You're either walking in the flesh or you're walking in the spirit. That's it. It's either or. And if you don't believe me, let's look at Galatians 5. A lot of what I'm gonna talk about is Bible, right? Because I don't want nobody to say, she said this. We're gonna use the Bible as a standard. So Galatians 5, it says, It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not subject again to the yoke of slavery. So if we look at this idea that Christ set us free, what did Christ set us free from? A life of sin, right? Because Christ lived a life that was sinless, yet he still died on the cross to bear all our sins so that we can be free from them. If you guys don't know what that word sin means, it means miss the mark. You missed the mark, you did things according to your flesh, you do you did it outside of God's will, you did it outside of the way God intended it to be. So that's what that means, right? It says, Look, I Paul tell you, so this is a letter from Paul to Galatians, tell you that if you have yourself circumcised, Christ will be no benefit to you. So if you guys don't know that back in the Old Testament, you had to be circumcised so that you can be set apart in those times as God's children. So all the children of Israel, who was once Jacob, again, these were a people, the children of Israel. That's a whole nother topic in itself. It wasn't a country, it was a people, the children of Jacob, whose name was then changed to Israel. And I'm not gonna do too much in this area. His name was changed to Israel when he was fighting the angel of the Lord, and he asked them to be blessed, and then he got his hip struck, and he started limping, and he said, Your name would no longer be Jacob, but it would be Israel. So the children of Israel, they all were circumcised. Why? So that it can be a significant sign that they were God's children, right? Okay, Christ would be no benefit to you because if you're so worried about the outer appearance and your heart is not in the right posture, Christ will be no benefit to you. If you think that, oh, I'm being a good person and think that's enough. Christ is no benefit to you. And I testify against every man who has himself circumcised that he is obligated to what? Keep the whole law. As we all know, how hard it was for the children of Israel to keep the law. If you don't know the law, go to the book of Deuteronomy. We're gonna look at the Ten Commandments in the book of Deuteronomy, but the book of Deuteronomy has way more than the Ten Commandments or how they were supposed to live their life. And as we all know, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years instead of doing a short trip. They wandered for 40 years. Why? Because their hearts were still in Egypt. Okay, read the word for yourself. And it says, You have been sir. I'm sorry, guys, I have to lie because some people be out here thinking that they can just follow, do these religious rituals, and they can do these different things and think they're gonna make it to heaven or see God's face or they're pleasing God by doing the works of their flesh because their heart is so far from them. And I was one of those people, right? Oh God, I'm going to church, I'm serving, I'm evangelizing. But I was partying every time. Yes, I was the girl who's partying every Friday and Saturday night and still going to church on Sunday. Yes, that was me. Yes, I was the girl when I went away to college. I stopped going to church. The only time I was going to church is when I came back home. Yes, that was me. I joined the choir to be like, you know what? Let me just get a little bit of Jesus by going to this choir. Your girl was partying. I partied hard. I started smoking in college. I was drinking in college. I was 19, thinking I was a mis what do they call the um bartender mixologist with no degree. I was mixing all the drinks for my friends. Yes, that was me. Fornicating. That was me. Okay, but still thinking that I can serve God and go into his church. And again, God is gracious and merciful. I am not perfect. My daughter was made out of wetlock. If you haven't heard me saying that before, I will say it again. When I met my ex-husband, I told him, I am just using you for sex because I need to cope. Sex was my coping technique, smoking was my coping technique. I was not going to God for him to help me deal with the issues of my heart. I was going to my flesh. I was doing whatever I wanted to do, going out, partying, drinking. Yo, let me tell y'all a testimony. I had to stop partying because I can remember December was like I was coming back home from a Christmas party. And I literally, every time I was going, I was this is when I was I've I live in the Bronx. So I was going to Brooklyn to party because I'm a Brooklyn girl. Okay. I'm I'm sorry. I go to parties in Brooklyn. I was not partying in the Bronx. Don't know y'all, you know, not too much on me, all right? I'm a Brooklyn girl at heart. So I was traveling back and forth every other weekend or every weekend, honestly, going to Brooklyn, linking up with my friends. And I was started to get into accidents. I was like, okay, God. And mind you, God was already dealing with my heart. I don't know if this was like 2017, 2018 or whatever. I had a Nissan Maxima. I was getting into accidents all the time. There's one time that somebody rear end ear rear-ended me when I was going to Brooklyn. And she was like, Oh, you sure you? Mind you, my car was fine. I was fine. I was like, girl, don't worry about it. I'm I'm going to a party right now. I'm not about to let this hold me. I got rear-ended and I just was like, yeah, I'm still going. Like, and I this was this last time when I was like, it was a big accident. Like the whole front of my car was taken off. I was dragged. And I had to drive like that back home because I was not about to deal 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the morning with getting toad, finding a lot, blah, blah. I drove home with like my bumper almost coming off. And I said, you know what, Gun, I'm gonna stop partying because clearly you don't want me to party no more. The thing that you've given me, I keep getting into accidents. I keep having to take it to the mechanic. I keep having to pay, you know, do insurance and all of that other stuff. You know, even though I'm not found at fault. But you know, New York City is a no-fault state, so insurances don't matter about that. Cool. Your girl was doing, and you know, God was really trying to tell me, I need you to cut it out. Like if you are out there and God is telling you to stop doing something, just stop doing it. I love Amos chapter three, where it says, how can two walk together if they don't agree? That is something that's really keeping me. If God doesn't agree with a certain thing that I'm doing, I'm going to stop. God revealed to me what it is that you don't want me to do. And I'm not saying I'm obedient right away, but I do want y'all to understand that obedience is equivalent to witchcraft. And if you don't believe me, go to 2 Samuel. I think it's first to 2 Samuel and read it for yourself. All right, we're gonna keep going. Has been servant from Christ. You who are seeking to be justified by the law, you have fallen from grace. So if you're seeking to be justified by your traditions, by the law, you have fallen from grace because God is gonna hold you to it. Okay? But we through the spirit by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness. So what? Through the spirit by faith, waiting for the hope of righteousness. We can only get righteousness through Christ Jesus. We can only get righteousness through God. But we first need to have faith and we need to be going according to the spirit, right? For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncons uncircumcision means anything. But faith without working through what? Love. Faith without working through love. It is our faith that is working through love. Do we really love God enough, right? And have faith enough in him to live a holy life. Be ye holy, for I am holy, thus says the Lord. You are running well. Who who hinder you from obeying the truth? This precision did not come from him who calls you. This persuasion does not come from him who calls you. A little leaving lives the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you, the Lord. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view, but the one who is disturbing you will bear the punishment whoever he is. So any of you who are being legalistic and like, oh, you gotta follow the law and you gotta do this, just know that burden is on you twice as heavy because who are you to tell me, right? You want to look at the the speck in your brother's eye when you have a whole plank in yours. Focus on your own journey. If you're not doing it to uplift me and you're not sharing it just so that you can support me in my spiritual growth, focus on your own journey. Do not be, you're gonna be judged at the same measure that you judge other people. God said that we're supposed to judge each other righteously, not you boasting about yourself and being prideful. And I will continue, right? But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I will preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. Because Paul was circumcised, but he still was persecuted. Okay. I wish that those who are troubling you would even emasculate themselves. So that's for themselves. Emasculate goes crazy. So those are those people who are judging other people and trying to have them live this legal life and all of that other stuff, go emasculate yourself. And if you don't know what that word means, I'm not gonna say it on this podcast because it might be kids looking at this podcast or people who are not of age or whatever, maybe overhearing. Go look up what emasculate means. For you were called to be freedom, brothers and sisters. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another. What? Again, that word through love. In order to live a faithful life, in order to please God, you have to love. Go read 1 Corinthians chapter 13. You cannot be in the church, you cannot be doing anything for God and you do not know how to love, right? It says, for the whole law is fulfilled in one word in the statement, you shall love your neighbor as what? Yourself. Let me go a little bit further. If you guys don't even know how to love yourself, if you don't know how to love the God who created you, you cannot turn and say you love people. If you don't value who you are, if you don't value who God called you to be, you cannot love people. Learn how to love yourself. Learn how to love God, learn how to honor God with your temple. For your body is not your own, it is the Lord's. Okay? That's why it consists you. But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. So you if you out here hurting each other and if you out here hurting people, just take care because you will be consumed by that. You will be consumed by that. But I say, walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. There's only two walks: the walk of the flesh and the walk of the spirit. But I say to you, walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. They contend every day for each against each other. For these are in opposition to one another in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. Okay. When you in your flesh, you're just doing whatever you want. They're in opposition to one another in order to keep you from doing what? Whatever you want. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are. So we're gonna go through these different things. If you listen, check. I need you guys to go through these different steps. If you see yourself in any of these things, that means you're operating in your flesh. Okay? So we're gonna go. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, those of you who are fornicating, those of you who are practicing same sex, those of you who are having orgies, those of you who are in these open relationships, those of you like I'm just saying, sexual morality. All of it falls onto that. Impurity, indecent behavior. If y'all guys don't know, indecent behavior, you're out here just wilding, idolatry, an adultery. I had to look it up. Image worshiping, worshiping other people, worshiping celeb celebrities, worshiping and covenant the things that other people have. You wishing that the grass was green on your end because you see the grass is green on somebody else. Idolatry. You're worshiping the image of a thing because it looks good, because not everything that glitters is gold, baby. Not everything that shines is a diamond. Witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger. Okay, this is your flesh operating. You can get angry, and that's why I said the Bible says, be angry and sin not. Selfish ambition. You're not. I love when Philippians says, do not consider your own interest, but consider the interest of others. That's selfish ambition. When you're doing things and you're not being considerate to the other people and the people around you, and you're not thinking about how it's gonna affect the people around you, how it's gonna affect the people that you love and the people who care about you, or you're not thinking about those things. Dissensions. Dissensions is basically that you're causing separation. Separation in the church, separation at work, separation in your household. That is you operating in your flesh. Factions. I had to go look up what this factions were mean. And it blew my mind. Those of you who like to create clicks, yeah. I'm talking to the people of God now. Like to create clicks in church and you like to exclude people and think that you're better than everybody else, and that these are the group of people I'm gonna just hang around with, and you're being factious based on people's appearance or class or being oppressive to other people. And, you know, literally that word factious means creating clicks. I had to go look it up. I was like, what is a factious? The only time I heard about factious is in the movie Divergent. And you know how everybody was in their different groups based on what they, you know, were it were picked on the medical people, the smart people, the farmers, and all of that other stuff. Those are different clicks. Stop trying to create clicks. That's you operating in your flesh. All right. That was for you, that was for you. Envy, drunkenness, can't say corrosion. What? Corrosion and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So don't get mad when God says or Jesus says, and you'll be like, oh, I was doing this in your name, and I was doing that in your name. And Jesus look at you. Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God, you worker of iniquity or you worker of lawlessness. I need you guys to understand, you cannot be saying you love Jesus and you're practicing these things. You will not inherit the kingdom of God. This is a warning. Paul warned us. I didn't warn y'all. I'm just reading the word. Today I told you guys we're gonna talk about how you're making your decisions in your flesh. And this is when you realize like if any of these are in the root of your decision making, you are doing things according to your flesh. If you are jealous, oh, I'm not jealous. This is what jealousy looks like. Why she got that on? She don't look good in that instead of saying, damn, she looks pretty. I like what she's wearing. That's cute. Track your heart posture. Jealousy and envy is in the heart. Strife, you being angry and causing issues. God calls us to be mediators. He is the mediator himself. He is the person that mediates a thing. So he calls he doesn't cause us to have dissension and separation. That's why right now the church is so divided. Like there's so many people doing different things. We're supposed to be reading one word, and there's so many different factions. There's Seventh-day Adventists, there's a Pentecost, there's this, there's that, this. Now there's a thing, the non-denominational, right? There's different dominations, right? A house divided is easily conquered. So even as the organization of the church, there's dissension. Why? Because there were people operating in their flesh, most likely. I just want to be the one to say it. It boggles me. I'm not gonna say too much because I don't want to get in trouble. But I just want you guys to understand that this is why I say read the word for yourself. And I'm not saying not to go to church because the church is there to equip you. That's what the fivefold Miller Street is about, is to equip you for this journey and for this walk so that we can go out into the highways and byways and speak about Christ. But I need you guys to understand to hold yourself accountable to the standards of the word of God. Now, for me, when I read that and I was like, nah, God, I want to go back. Because if you said before you formed me in my mother's womb, you knew me, that means I was with you before you sent me down on this earth. And I kind of I want to go back. I want to go back. I want to go back. I want to go back to where the roads are with gold, when there's riches and glory. I I want to go back. And if I have to check myself that I am not committing witchcraft, right? And witchcraft is just you wanting to control outcomes. That's what witchcraft is. You wanting to control outcomes. It's not always you speaking. Those of you who are saging, right? If your affirmations are not affirmations of the word of God, that is witchcraft. Let me just say it right now. Zodiac signs, believing in, like, oh, the zodiacs, witchcraft. Because you want to control outcomes. You have to control your environment. You have to control the people around you. Witchcraft. Some of you guys need some therapy to really work through some of those things that you're dealing with, some of those traumas, because control makes people feel safe. I get it. I was one of those people feeling like nobody can take care of me unless it's saying it's God, but in all reality, I had to learn that. I felt like nobody can take care of me or love me the way God loves me or love me the way I love me. And how can I possibly love myself if I'm not opening myself to receive love even from God? You need to understand. You can't be out here being hostile. I'm just telling you, read the word for yourself, right? It says, but the fruit of the spirit, verse 22, is love, joy, peace, the fruit, not fruits, the fruit of the spirit, meaning this is the production of this Holy Spirit. That if you're living according to the Holy Spirit, this is what is gonna produce and be seen through you. You're gonna be lovable, you're gonna have joy, you're gonna have peace, you're gonna have patience, you're gonna have kindness, you're gonna have goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. Yeah, baby, I'm working on self-control. Cause I have an issue with my eyes. I like eye candy. Okay. Like, and if you know what eye candy is, mm-hmm. I lose control. Like, ooh, he looks good. He looking like a whole snack, just like how they look. Mm-hmm. That's me. I have to have self-control. Like, nah, I cannot fall back into coping with that. I'm listening God, there was a prayer pray. Like, God, just don't let me feel those desires if he's not my husband. Like, if he's not my husband, I don't want to feel those desires. Um, I know you can't take it away from me because you know you want us to be fruitful and multiply. And the only way we can be fruitful and multiply is if we have those desires for the person that you want us to be with. All right, cool, you can't take it away. But so better yet, if he's not my husband, don't let me feel nothing for him. Close my eyes. Let me not see him. Like, I don't, nope, keep him away from me. Okay? That's why it says if you don't want to fall into sin of sexual sin, flee from the devil and he shall leave you alone. Like you have to run the opposite way. Run, run, run, run, run, run. Now, those who belong in Christ crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. That's the self-control part. You have to crucify the thing, the flesh. Don't be like, oh God, crucify my flesh. You, you have that responsibility. It's your responsibility to identify those things that are your operating you through your flesh and you crucify it. Put it on the cross by the blood of Jesus. Like, I am no longer gonna operate this way. You have to crucify it, right? Now, those who belong to Christ Jesus crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let the Spirit, let's follow the Spirit as well. Let not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. So Paul had to say it again. Let me, let me, let me just repeat it one more time. Let me repeat it one more time. Let's not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another, love each other. The greatest of all commandments is to love one another, and it will be all right. You gotta love one another. We can't be out here just hating on each other, envying on each other, right? I love how my there ain't no hater, toleration. You can't have it. Like you have to one another. We all are different parts of the body of Christ. You have to figure out what part do you play? Are you the eye? Are you the head? Are you the fingernails? Are you what part do you play? Because it says in a word, what is the body if it was just the head? What is the body if it's just an eye? We all got a different part to play. You cannot be like, oh, looking at one person and try to do it their way. You gotta communicate communicate with God, figure it out, God, who you call me to be, what's my purpose? What part do I play? Right? Let's jump to Romans chapter 8, verses 1 through 11. Because if you don't, I'm gonna give you guys all of this information because I don't want you to feel condemned. We are not meant to feel condemned. It says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for all those who are in Christ Jesus. There's no condemnation. So if you're feeling convicted, good. That means the Holy Spirit is bringing some things to your memory that you need to stop doing. Okay? Because that's what the Holy Spirit is there to do, to guide you and help you to live a holy life. It says, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. You are already set free from your flesh. You are not in bondage anymore to sin. For what the law could not do, weak as it was, though the flesh God did sending, how did God do it? What the law couldn't do, God did by what? Sending his own son in the likenessness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. Meaning, in simple terms, as a blameless, sinless person named Jesus Christ, God's Son, himself in the flesh. The word was with God. Jesus is the word that nobody can get to the Father but through him. Came down on earth to fulfill the law, to say, look at me. I set the example. You can live a sinless life. And I know sometimes because I even pray like I ain't Jesus. I ain't Jesus, but I'ma try. I'ma try, I'ma try, and I'm gonna go and ask for forgiveness. I'ma repent, I'ma turn away from a thing, right? So that the requirement of the Lord might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. So you have to be intentional to walk according to the spirit. How do you walk through the accordance? You practice patience, practice peace, practice goodness, practice faithfulness. Go practice the fruit of the spirit, joy. Instead of being a hater, practice some joy, right? For those who are in accord with the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are accord with the spirit, the things of the spirit have the mind of the spirit. For the mindset on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and what? Peace. Because the mind set on flesh is hostile towards God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God for not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you not in the however you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you, but if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. So you have to follow God in his spirit, in his righteousness. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he will also raise you. So you have to understand that you have to walk according to the spirit. You can't be out here obeying your flesh. I hope that encouraged you. Go look at the Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verses 6 and 21, those ten commandments. Even with that, if you find yourself breaking those ten commandments, I want you guys to be encouraged to follow the Holy Spirit. I love you guys. Be blessed. Did you look it over? Okay. You think it's good for her? Okay.