“Turn”

“Turn to me” would make a wonderful lyric for a song.

Talking about the soul and the flesh and the Spirit as “motivators” of the soul a word continues to be emphasized in my readings. The word is “turn”. Another word is to "draw." To what source are you going to "turn" or "draw" from?

What a person “turns” to will drastically effect their outcomes in this life and into eternity (heaven or hell). If they turn to Christ they will have life but they if they turn to their own fleshly understanding there is decay and death.

With help from God, because I could never do this myself, I was able to make this table. You start with the Soul God has created at the bottom of the two columns. The two columns represent what happens when we decide to follow the Spirit of this world or the Spirit of God.

Spirit of God (Sound Mind)	Spirit of this world. (Not Sound Mind)
7. Life	7. Decay & Death
6. love, peace, hope, joy, humility,	6. Twisting and distortion of enlightenment directed by sinful desires.
5. Productive as individuals in Christ Jesus.	5. Unproductive: following the ways and understandings of the flesh.
4. Respect For God	4. Not acknowledging God for who He is.
3. Trusting God	3. Trusting the world, people, themselves.
2. Knowing God	2. Knowing there is “some” higher power.
1.Walking in the Enlightenment of Christ (Spirit Understanding)	1.Knowing some words of enlightenment (Fleshly Understanding)

The “Soul” God has created.

When we as Christians “turn” to the Spirit of God who lives inside of us, he gives us a “sound mind” but if we “turn” to our own fleshly understanding it will produce pride, fear, frustration, anger, hatred, envy, and depression to name a few - very destructive. (Romans 1:28-2:1)

It’s pretty much a principle of Spirit filled life verses the principle of sin and death.

Romans 8:5-6 “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace.” These principles make their own natural spiritual law.

Romans 8:12 “So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

We must understand that just as the sinful nature is so readily available to us so is God readily available to us if we trust in Him.

We have to “deliberately depart” or “turn from” what our sinful nature wants to do and “respond” to the Holy Spirit who called us to not act as the rest of this world does.

1 Peter 2:11 “Dear bothers and sisters you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.”

1 Peter 3:10 For the Scriptures say, if you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

Isaiah 55:7-8 “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Remember Paul saying in Romans “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”

Don’t let thoughts and awaiting solicitations from evil come to fruition by your actions. Turn from them to God who will give you the mercy and grace you need to overcome and be productive in any given situation. Remember God’s grace can overcome any thorn in our flesh if we get under the protection of God’s faithfulness and grace.

Hebrew 4:15-16 “This High Priest of ours (Jesus Christ) understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

"Turn"- to Jesus for his mercy and grace.