The Word of God speaks of two Adams. Through the first, sin entered the world, bringing with it death. And that sin, and the death in which it results, has been passed down to each and every one of us (Romans 5:12). Through this first Adam, we will all die but, through the second Adam, we all can be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). Through the second Adam, we have the ability to turn from that sin and the death in which it results by receiving God’s amazing grace and His gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). The first Adam is man, whom God breathed life into, creating a living being. The second is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who became not just flesh, but a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).
We are all descendants of Adam, and we all have within us the sinful nature of man, the desires of the flesh. The wages of sin is death so, when we live by those desires, when we set our minds on the flesh, we are setting our minds on death. But, through Christ, we can put to death those sinful desires, choosing instead to allow the Spirit of God control our minds. When we do this, we are setting our minds on life and peace (Romans 8:6). When we invite Jesus into our lives, we allow the Spirit of God to dwell in us, we are no longer in the flesh (Romans 8:9). The flesh and its sinful nature no longer control us.
We have been given a choice. It is a choice between life and death. We can choose to live according to the flesh, giving into to its sinful nature and its desires that have no regard for God and for His commands. Or, we can choose to walk by the Spirit, seeking Him and responding to His guidance. The desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit run in direct opposition to each other. When we choose to walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh, as the Spirit will help us from doing the things that the flesh desires (Galatians 5:16-17).
The choice is ours. Life or death. Choose the ways of the flesh, its sinful nature and desires, and by doing so, choose death. Or, we can choose the ways of the Spirit by following Christ and allowing the Spirit of God to guide us and, by doing so, choose life.
A Worshiper's Journal 