The fifth in a series of five blogs (5-of-5) to explain how most in the Church have missed the Bible’s wholly Spirit-Powered Escape Plan for overcoming the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The fifth in a series of five blogs examining the Church’s Bible-based (but Spirit-passive!) purity programs.
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
CURRENT STATE OF THE CHURCH’S PURITY PROGRAMS
Many of the Church’s purity programs are modeled after the World’s flesh-starving, accountability-based, 12-Step purity programs. Of the Church’s purity programs that are not 12-Step, most are still accountability-based flesh-starvers. All add Scripture references and identify Jesus Christ as their Higher Power (some explicitly, others implicitly). So far, so good. All make mention of the Spirit. The better purity programs even encourage that the addict engage in “some form of Spirit-edifying activities” in the six days between the weekly group meetings. Keep going, Church! You’re almost there. Why are you slowing down? No, no, no, no, no! Don’t stop!
The Church’s purity programs are so close to achieving Ease of Escape. But by stopping short of insisting on regular Spirit-fillings, and only encouraging that the addict engage in “some form of Spirit-edifying activities” in the six days between the weekly group meetings, the Church’s flesh-starving, accountability-based purity programs are still leaving most addicts with only passive relationships with the Holy Spirit [1]. And with those still-passive relationships with the Spirit, the addict’s way of escape remains extremely difficult to successfully navigate (see www.wileygrafbooks.com/news/the-hardest-thing-v6).
A SIMPLE FIX—ADD REGULAR SPIRIT-FILLINGS
But there is a simple fix. Drop the passivity (see www.wileygrafbooks.com/news/drop-the-passivity-v6)! Get Spirit-filling-specific. All genuinely born-of-the-Spirit addicts are already “walking in the Spirit.” They are just not walking in the Spirit regularly enough to renew their minds. To renew their minds, addicts simply need to step up the degree to which they walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). To renew their minds, addicts simply need to be regularly filled with the Spirit in the six days between the weekly group meetings (see www.wileygrafbooks.com/news/feeding-the-spirit-v6). These repeated Spirit-fillings will speed rewiring of damaged neural pathways, shorten the timeline to healing, and greatly ease the addict’s escape.
A hybrid approach, the purity program described above speaks to the Church’s current models by retaining the accountability group. An improvement yes, but an approach that—because it still insists on the need for accountability—will leave most of the still-struggling 83 percent unreached (see www.wileygrafbooks.com/news/fresh-hope-for-the-83-percent-v6). However, once more learn of the ease of wholly Spirit-powered escape, a door for the 83 percent to enter will open, as most—addicts and purity program developers alike—will come to realize that the Holy Spirit is the only Partner that many addicts have ever needed to win their war against the flesh (Galatians 5:16). As another author/pastor has stated:
All a believer absolutely needs to live a holy life ... is the Holy Spirit [2].
A GAME-CHANGING BOOK HAS ARRIVED
In A Way of Escape, readers learn of a wholly Spirit-Powered Escape Plan. Readers learn how to escape lusts of the flesh—not by starving the flesh—but by stepping up the degree to which they “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). They learn how to build a library of Spirit-anointed, flesh-diffusing apps. Apps that are uniquely fitted to them, and their unique Spirit-filling triggers (Ephesians 5:18b-19).
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
The still-struggling now have another option. The still-struggling now have fresh hope for discovering that long-sought-after way of escape from sin and temptation (I Corinthians 10:13). A way that—because it is wholly Spirit-powered—does not require enlisting the aid of an accountability partner or group. Truly, a game-changer!
THANK YOU, HOLY SPIRIT!
REFERENCES
1. Why will encourage engaging in “some form of Spirit-edifying activities” in the six days between group meetings leave most with still-passive relationships with the Spirit? Because most addicts will either: (i) brush aside this not-specific-enough advice, or (ii) wrongly interpret this to mean that they should read their Bible more and pray harder (for why reading the Bible more and praying harder will not free the addict from his addiction, see www.wileygrafbooks.com/news/read-bible-more-and-pray-harder-v6). For the fix to work, Group Leaders must be specific about the need for regular Spirit-fillings.
2. MacArthur, J., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Galatians, First Printing, Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL, page 152, 1987
