The flesh and the Spirit diametrically oppose one another. The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit lusts against the flesh. The Bible says that the flesh and the Spirit don’t go together and will never go together. A person sows in the flesh or a person sows in the Spirit. What a person reaps is the result of what a person has sown in; the Spirit or the flesh. Because as is written in Galatians 6:7, what you sow you will reap. Let’s look at what the scriptures in the Bible say about sowing and reaping.
What is a carnal person?
A carnal person is carnally minded and walks after the flesh. A carnal person is led by the flesh (rongo, karekau, hinengaro o te kikokiko, etc.) and does the works of the flesh. These works of the flesh originate from the sinful nature of the flesh and oppose the will of God.
Ko te hunga hoki i runga i ta te kikokiko, whakaaro ana ratou ki o te kikokiko; ko te hunga ia i runga i ta te Wairua, ko nga mea o te Wairua. Ko te whakaaro hoki ki ta te kikokiko he mate; ko to te Wairua ia he ora, he rangimarie. Na te mea ko te ngakau kikokiko he mauahara ki te Atua: e kore hoki e pa ki te ture a te Atua, kaore ano hoki e taea. Na, ko te hunga i roto i te kikokiko e kore e pai ki te Atua (Roma 8:5-8)
The flesh won’t submit to God but rebel against God and disobey His commandments. No reira, the people who are the hanga tawhito and are in the flesh can’t please God.
What are the works of the flesh according to the scriptures in the Bible?
The works of the flesh originate from the evil nature of the flesh. The works of the flesh are mentioned in several places in the Bible and are:
- Pūremu (asexual relationship between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse)
- Te moepuku (moepuku, sexual uncleanness including adultery, whakarere, iramutu, nonmarital sexual relations, Taipoipo)
- Te poke (tinana, morare ranei: -poke, he puremu)
- Te aroha nui (tika te mamae, (pōharahara) aroha, tīweka)
- Te hiahia kino (evil/wicked desire or lust)
- Te apo (tinihanga, te muru:-nga mahi apo, te apo, he hiahia ki te whai taonga)
- Pukuriri (riri tutu, riri, riri, te ngaki)
- Te riri (taikaha, riri)
- Te kino (mahi kino, kino, pūmanawa)
- Kohukohu (whakakino (rawa ki te Atua), kahokaho, korero kino)
- Filthy communication (korero kino, kanga)
- Teka (he korero teka, he ngana ranei ki te tinihanga ma te teka, teka, tipatipa)
- Te taikaha (ki tonu i te whakaatu hiahia moepuku ranei)
- Āhuaatua (karakia whakapakoko, te piri ki tetahi mea)
- Mākutu (te mahi makutu, makutu ranei, te whakamahi makutu me te inoi wairua, te korero ki te rewera, ki te tangata mohio ranei, he awenga e kore e taea te aukati, he whakapoapoa ranei)
- Te mauahara (te riri kino, te mauahara ranei, he take whakahē, riri)
- Rerekētanga (o te hononga pahekeheke; he ngangare, totohe, tautohetohe, ngangau)
- Whakatauira (hae, hinengaro kaha, riri, pūhaehae, ngakau nui)
- Taupatupatu (he mahi totohe, te whakapau kaha, te tautohetohe ranei mo te mana rangatira)
- Nga tutu (wehewehenga, he whakaoho ki te whakahē i te mana ture, tutu ki te mana o te kawanatanga)
- Titorehanga (titorehanga, belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine (rawa Karaitiana), he whakapono, he whakaaro karekau e rite ki te whakapono, whakaaro mana ranei o tetahi karakia)
- Hae (pūhaehae, te ahua o te hiahia ki te whai i nga mea kei tetahi atu, Ko te ahua o te ngakau pouri, o te ngakau pouri ranei i whakaohohia e nga taonga a tetahi atu)
- Kohuru (kohuru, whakamate, ki te pahua, ki te whakangaro ranei, ki te hinga i te hoa whawhai tino kino)
- Haurangi(haurangi, te ahua o te haurangi)
- Whakangahau (ngangau, a carousel, enjoying oneself in a lively and noisy way, ina koa ki te inu me te kanikani)
Shall the people who do the works of the flesh inherit the Kingdom of God?
Kāore, the people who do the works of the flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. No matter what preachers say in the church, the Bible says that people who do the works of the flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Na, kua whakakitea nga mahi a te kikokiko, Ko enei enei; puremu, moepuku, poke, Tuhinga o mua, karakia whakapakoko, makutu, mauahara, rerekētanga rerekētanga rerekētanga, whaiwhai, riri, ngangau, wehenga, titorehanga, hae, kohuru, haurangi, Nga whakamaoritanga, Na penei: Tuhinga o mua, Ka rite ki taku korero ki a koe i nga wa o mua, e kore e riro i a ratou te rangatiratanga o enei mea (Karatia 5:19-21)
Tena ranei koutou i te matau, e kore te hunga whakahere he e whiwhi ki te rangatiratanga o te Atua? Kei tinihangatia koe: kore moetaki, kore karakia ranei, kaore ano hoki he puremu, kaore ranei e whai kiko, kaua hoki e tinihanga ki a ratou ano, Kaore ranei nga tahae, kore ranei, kaua hoki e haurangi, kaua hoki e tawai, kaore ranei te kaipatu, ka riro i te rangatiratanga o te Atua (1 Koriniti 6:9-10).
If the people of the church (tae atu ki nga kaiarahi o te Hahi) do these works it proves that the church (te whakaminenga o te hunga whakapono) is carnal.
It proves that the church doesn’t belong to God and His Kingdom and is not spiritual but belongs to the world (te rangatiratanga o te pouri) and is carnal.
The church building and interior with the dynamic neon lighting effect may look beautiful and the music may sound wonderful and influence the visitors in such a manner that it creates a certain experience, and elevate the mood and evoke pleasant feelings and emotions, and cause goosebumps, but all these things don’t prove that the church is spiritual and that God’s Spirit is present.
I runga ke, it only proves that the church is carnal. Because the church relies upon natural resources (audiovisual technology) to create an atmosphere and to play on the senses, karekau, and emotions of the visitors. But God is Spirit and not a feeling and an experience.
If people go to a concert or a club, their mood shall also be elevated by the dynamic neon light effects and music. The people shall also experience goosebumps, kare ahuareka, me ngā kare. Heoi ano, God and His Spirit are not present.
Do signs and wonders prove if someone is born again and spiritual?
Kāore, signs and wonders don’t prove if someone is born again and spiritual. Supernatural signs and wonders can take place in a church, but they don’t prove the spirituality of the church. Especially if people live in sin and the church tolerates sin.
Signs and wonders can originate from the Spirit. But signs and wonders can also originate from the soul, which is controlled by the kingdom of darkness.
He maha nga tangata, who don’t know God and are not born again and therefore are unspiritual, but do (māori) Nga tohu me nga mea whakamiharo. They do these signs and wonders from the flesh through natural means; natural technics, tikanga, nga tikanga, and natural elements and resources and through influence of evil spirits.
This means that you don’t have to be born again to walk in the supernatural.
Look at alternative healers, Eastern philosophers, Ngā, etc. And don’t forget the sorcerers in Egypt, who could do the same signs as God, ki tetahi whānuitanga.
This proves that you don’t have to be born again to walk in the supernatural.
Many natural technics are adopted from witchcraft and other pagan religions and philosophies and applied in the church, whereby many churches created a mechanical faith and moved in the occult. They move into the occult thinking they are led by the Spirit of God.
The only difference between an occult church and a Spirit led church is their walk. In an occult church the works of the flesh are done and in a Spirit led church the works of righteousness are done.
The new creation walks after the Spirit and bears the fruit of the Spirit
The people who have become a new creation in Christ have the Spirit of God and are no longer servants of sin. This means that they shall no longer serve the sinful nature of the flesh and do the will, hiahia, me nga hiahia o te kikokiko. Their flesh died in Christ and their spirit is raised from the dead. Therefore they are dead unto sin, but alive unto God.
Born again Christians have received the Spirit of God and walk after the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Na, kahore e tau te he inaianei ki te hunga i roto ia Karaiti Ihu, kahore nei e haere i runga i ta te kikokiko, engari i runga i te Wairua. Na te ture hoki a te Wairua o te ora i roto ia Karaiti Ihu ahau i atea ai i te ture a te hara, a te mate. Mo nga mea kaore i taea e te ture, he ngoikore hoki no te kikokiko, Ko te Atua e tuku ana i tana tama, i te ahua o te kikokiko hara, mo te hara, whakahengia te hara i roto i te kikokiko: Kia rite ai te tika o te ture i roto i a tatou, kahore nei e haere i runga i ta te kikokiko, engari i runga i te Wairua (Roma 8:1-4)
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Tena ki te mea te wairua o te tangata i whakaarahia ake ai a Ihu i roto i a koe, e noho ana i roto ia koe, Ko te mea nana i whakaarahia a Karaiti i te hunga mate, ka tangohia o koutou tinana maori e tona wairua e noho ana i roto ia koe (Roma 8:9-11)
What is the fruit of the Spirit?
The fruit of the Spirit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, the fruits are:
- Aroha (Godly love and not worldly love)
- Joy
- Te rangimarie
- Longsuffering
- Gentleness
- Goodness
- Whakapono (pono)
- Ngawari
- Temperance (te whakahaere whaiaro)
Ofcourse there are people, who are not born again and seem loving, mārū, whakaroaroa, meek, pono, koa, and peaceful. But the difference between the people who are carnal and the people who are spiritual is, e te iwi, who are carnal are led by the flesh and not by the Spirit.
Ko te tikanga tenei, that as long as the circumstances and situations go according to their will and as long as the people treat them according to their will, then everything is fine. But as soon as something changes and the circumstances and situations don’t go according to their will or as planned and other people don’t do what they want or don’t do what they expect them to do, or if they experience resistance and persecution, then their behavior changes and a whole bunch of other characteristics appear.
But the fruit of the Spirit, which originate from the Spirit and the Godly nature of the new man is permanent. Ko te hua o te Wairua is not dependent upon natural circumstances, Nga ahuatanga, surroundings, me nga tangata. The new man bears the fruit of the Spirit at all times.
What does it mean what you sow you will reap?
What you sow you will reap means, what you plant in the soil you will reap. If you plant in the flesh, ka kotia e koe nga hua o te kikokiko (Nga mahi a te kikokiko) and if you plant in the Spirit you will reap the fruit of the Spirit. Let’s explain this a little more.
No reira, teina, he kaituku matou, Ehara i te kikokiko, kia ora i muri i te kikokiko. Ki te mea hoki e noho ana koutou i muri i te kikokiko, ka mate koutou: Tena ki te mea na te Wairua koe e whiriwhiri i nga mahi o te tinana, Ka ora koutou (Roma 8:12-13)
Christians who by faith and regeneration belong to Christ and have become a hanganga hou are not led by the evil sinful nature, e mau na i roto i te tino. They don’t do those things that oppose the will of God.
Christians listen to Jesus and Whaia ia and don’t listen to the flesh and the lusts and desires thereof. They don’t do the works of the flesh. That’s because they have crucified their flesh and its lusts and desires in Christ.
If you sow in the flesh you shall reap corruption
As long as you remain the old man and walk after the flesh, you’ll do the works of the flesh. You shall remain a slave of sin. You shall sow to your flesh and of the flesh reap corruption.
The old man walks after the flesh and shall not please God with his works, but shall grieve God.
If you sow in the Spirit you shall reap life everlasting
But if you Aroha ki te Atua and have become a new creation you’ll keep His commandments. You shall walk by faith after the Spirit in His will in obedience to the Word. You shall sow to the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit and reap life everlasting.
Ko te hunga katoa e arahina ana e te Wairua o te Atua, He tama ratou na te Atua. Kihai hoki koutou i whiwhi ki te wairua pononga, e wehi ai koe; Engari kua riro i a koe te Wairua Whakatuturutanga, na ka tangi tatou, Pera, Matua. Ko te Wairua tonu ano hei kaiwhakaatu ma o tatou wairua, Ko tatou nga tamariki a te Atua: A mena he tamariki, Katahi ka whai kainga; Tuhinga o mua, Tuhinga ka whai mai; if so be that we suffer with Him, kia whakahoutia ano tatou (Roma 8:14-17)
'Kia tote o te whenua'
Mātāpuna: Te whakakotahitanga kaha, Papakupu Oxford, Papakupu Merriam-Webster
