The human condition. The condition of the flesh and its desire to sin. It’s the way of the world we live in. Lust of the flesh. Lust of the eyes. Pride of life. Living for the flesh. In the moment. Whatever feels good. Whatever makes me happy. Just doing what comes natural and easy. Merely human. Merely beings given in to sin. The immoral, devastating standard of the world. It’s easy to live by. It’s easy to be a mere human. It’s easy to give in to the desires of the flesh. It’s easy to live in sin and just go with the flow. It’s easy to stick with what comes naturally and is common in the world. That’s what Satan wants of us. He wants us to live life in the flesh. Live the same way the world’s been living ever since Adam and Eve chose to be mere humans and sin.
But God calls us to rise above that! He has called us to overcome sin. He has enabled us to transform from a fleshly life to a spiritual one. We can control the flesh and live in the Spirit of God. That’s why when the Christians at Corinth were still acting in a sinful fleshly way Paul told them in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 that they were being “people of the flesh.” He said, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?… are you not being merely human?” Paul was trying to get them to realize that they weren’t acting like they were suppose to be. They weren’t living up to God’s standard of holiness. They were just doing things the easy sinful way. The fleshly way. The natural human way.
When we continue to live in sin we are being merely human. When we choose to act in ungodly ways we are still being merely human. When we give into the lusts of the flesh we are living in a human, fleshly way. Jealousy. Lust. Pride. Hate. Violence. Sexual impurity. It is all of the world and of the flesh. It is not of God. It is merely human.
God forgives us of our sins so that we can rise above them. We can live on a higher plain. A spiritual one. A holy one. A heavenly one. An eternal one. We don’t have to be mere humans anymore. We can be the righteous creation God wants us to be in Christ Jesus. When we live in God’s holiness we are not being merely human.
How are we living? How do we talk? How do we act? What is in our minds and in our hearts? Are we being merely human? Or are we rising above that to live in the eternal nature of God’s holiness? Living God’s way brings eternal life. God’s way works. Don’t be merely human. Be transformed in Christ Jesus and live in righteousness. We can do it! So do it.
A Cord of Blue 