Mention the name Charles Lindbergh, and many will remember that he completed the first solo flight across the Atlantic.
In addition to his prominent exploits in flight, however, he also made a major contribution to biomedical research.
After his sister-in-law developed a severe heart condition, Lindbergh began a period of intensive research during which he collaborated with the French Nobel-prize winner Alexis Carrel to invent the Lindbergh-Carrel profusion pump.
This pump provided the first practical means for stopping the heart during medical procedures and paved the way for the first open-heart surgeries.
As with our memories of Lindbergh’s achievements, we as believers can at times focus exclusively on Jesus’ work of salvation, overlooking how He wants to work in our daily lives.
Romans 13:14 says:
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
The idea is getting dressed in the Lord Jesus Christ and is referring to the centrality of Christ in our daily lives.
Since we already share Christ’s risen life, we are to get dressed in Him as our total resource for life.
He is all we need to grow spiritually and win the battles of life.
We are to embrace Christ’s life in us every day by drawing on His strength, aligning our thoughts with His, submitting our wills to His plan and yielding to His life to control us.
When we get dressed in Christ, we can live as beacons of light in a dark world.
This not only involves the positive, but also the negative:
“make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts.”
The idea is to secretly make plans to satisfy the flesh, if not immediately, sometime in the near future.
For us to plan out specific ways to satisfy our flesh is out of bounds.
Another way of saying it is: don’t put yourself in a position or place where it would be easy to carry out what your flesh desires.
The word “lusts” refers to desires of any kind, not just sexual desire; it is the satisfaction of our physical appetite beyond God’s bounds.
It includes the desire for power or desire for prestige.
Certain people, places, activities or situations can promote the flesh to give in to its desires and sin, and we should do what is necessary to avoid them.
If it is impossible to remove ourselves from the sphere of influence, we must draw moment-by-moment on Christ’s power.
By avoiding situations for the flesh and putting on Christ, we can overcome the temptations of the flesh that threaten to overtake us.
When slaves were escaping from the American South, they would use clues to help them head in the right direction.
Often their final goal was Canada, where slavery was not permitted, and they could find freedom.
To figure out which direction was north, they would notice the moss that usually grew on the north side of trees.
They would also look at the migratory patterns of birds.
But, the best clue was the North Star.
Unlike other stars it never changed position but always pointed toward their goal.
Jesus is our North Star!
May we “rivet our eyes on Jesus, the One who started our faith and the One who brings it to maturity.”
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries