Opposites Attract
Hello Bride of Christ,
One concept I have personally always enjoyed reflecting on and teaching to my young toddlers was the concept of opposites. Our libraries for my sons had tons of books illustrating this concept.
The opposite of up is down.
Light. Dark.
Happy. Sad.
Inside. Outside.
Big. Small.
Tall. Short.
The list goes on and on illustrating the relationship between the two items. Opening up the idea that the only way to recognize tall, or for tall to be considered tall, was to have something short in comparison. Comparison. Think, if everything was the same height or length there would be no such thing as tall or short. Even worse yet, we could only appreciate tall when short is present, rather than appreciating it irrespectively. Comparison is dangerous territory for it narrows our perspective. Comparison can lead us to see only in part and operate out of limited information. Too often this issue of comparison impairs our ability to walk with our living God. Paul addresses this in his letter to the Galatians.
The Galatians unconsciously fell into this trap of comparison. They compared their free lives found in the gospel to those enslaved to the law. Their lifestyles illustrated that they believed the flesh’s opposite was the Spirit. The flesh (revealed by the law) being works of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, an outburst of wrath, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, envy, etc. (Galatians 5:19-21). The Spirit (revealed by the gospel) is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Notice the works of the flesh do not have a one-for-one opposite with the Spirit, for the nature of true opposites is that one exists the other is absent. Darkness cannot exist when light is present. You cannot be a tall short person. However, we are made of flesh and Spirit, and since these two are not opposites they repel one another and war within our beings. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:17) Contrary, meaning the flesh and Spirit desire opposite results/works, but not opposite from one another.
How do we know this? Ever try to stop giving into your flesh? You know fornication is a work of the flesh. So you work to become abstinent and refrain from sexual immorality. However, the Spirit’s fruit is not purity. In fact, the Spirit’s fruit is self-control. Unconsciously, your appearing holy desire is still rooted in your flesh. You are pulling from the source of the law (right and wrong behavior) to “walk in the spirit.” As a result, you stumble repeatedly, without realizing that, just like the Galatians, you are trying to perfect your spirit by walking in the flesh (Galatians 3:3). The false comparison of the Spirit being the opposite of the flesh leaves you no better off. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ “ (Galatians 3:10)
Bride of Christ, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) (Galatians 3:13). The gospel. Christ came to fulfill the law, that through God’s grace we might be freed from the law of religion, right and wrong behavior, but better yet receive the promise of the Spirit. “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:24-25) As a result, let us not limit the Spirit by looking to it to do the opposite of the flesh, but recognize the flesh is dead to us, for those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). Instead let us walk freely as children of God in the power of the gospel, allowing the Spirit to produce in us its true fruits which reach beyond the right and wrong behaviors of life, but deeper into molding us to be Christ image bearers. For it is in this state of being Christ’s Spirit working in us where we find the hope of glory!
