The fireplace and the spirit

Imagine a room with a fireplace. The only source of light in this room is the fireplace; and when the fireplace is not lit, the room is in total darkness. But when the fireplace is lit, the darkness is dispelled; and as the flames get bigger, the light from the fire gets stronger. And as the light gets stronger and brighter, the darkness becomes less and less until it is all but eliminated completely. But as the fire slowly dies, the darkness slowly encroaches on the fireplace, and the shroud of darkness thickens in the room. The only way to suppress the darkness is to re-kindle the flames and to feed the fire in the fireplace.

The room represents you, your body and soul; and the fireplace represents the spirit. Before we come to know Christ; before we accept him into our lives; before we acknowledge him as our personal Savior and Lord; the fireplace is not lit. The spirit is dead. We are consumed with darkness, and are enslaved to sin and our sinful nature.

But when we come to know Christ; when we accept him into our hearts and lives; when we acknowledge him as the Lord and Savior of our lives; the fireplace is lit and the spirit comes to life. We are born again. We are a new creation. The old has gone, and the new has come! We are free from the shackles of slavery to sin. We are free! The son has set us free and we are free indeed!  

And as the spirit grows within us, as the fire become bigger, and as the light becomes stronger, the power of sin in our lives grows weaker. As we feed the spirit in our lives, as we fix our eyes on Jesus, as we seek to live for him, the flesh becomes weaker. It becomes starved, and slowly dies away until it is all but gone.

But if we stop feeding the spirit; if our eyes wander away from Jesus; if we seek satisfaction and joy and love in the things of the world; the fire slowly begins to die. And as the light from the flames weaken, darkness begins to fill the room. The sinful nature grows stronger and more powerful in our lives. It drags us down; shackling and binding us. The things we were once free from we are now enslaved to once again.

We cannot simply fight the darkness. We cannot hope to overcome our sinful nature by trying to suppress the sinful nature by our own means. We cannot remove our chains and shackles by our own power. I used to think this way. I used to think that I could conquer my sin on my own. I used to think that if I would just do this or that, I could overcome by sinful nature and the desires of my flesh. But I can't. I've tied that numerous times and have failed over and over again. I have discovered that the only way I can suppress the darkness; the only way I can overcome my flesh; the only way I can eliminate the sinful nature is to feed the spirit. To feed the flames. To feed the spirit. To turn my focus back to Jesus. To seek to live for him. To seek to give him each and every area of my life.  And as my focus returns to Jesus; fixing my gaze on his loving face, and walking towards him on the water, the flame in my heart re-ignites. The chains become loose and fall to the floor. The darkness shrinks away. The fire blazes and brings warmth to the body and soul.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.

~~~Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus~~~
Words and music by: Hel­en H. Lem­mel

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain