There is one word that best describes the nature of our recreated spirits, and that word is Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, who has the identical nature as Jesus, we actually have the nature of Jesus living inside us. Paul wrote, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
Because we have His ability and nature in us, we have the wonderful potential to live like Christ. We don’t really need more love, patience, or self-control—we have the most loving, patient, self-controlled Person living in us! All we need to do is allow Him to live through us.
We all have one major adversary, however, who fights against the nature of Jesus, hindering it from manifesting itself through us; and that is our flesh. No wonder Paul said we must crucify our flesh. It is our responsibility to do something with our flesh, and it’s a waste of time to ask God to do anything about it. Paul, too, had troubles with his fleshly nature, but he took responsibility and overcame it:
I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified (1 Cor. 9:27).
You, too, will have to make your body a slave of your spirit if you want to walk holy before the Lord. You can do it!
