Sarx

I just got back from jogging. I think that most of the newness has worn off but I was still able to get out for a bit. I promise that this won't become a jogging journal (a JogBlog if you will) but it really got me thinking about something. As I was reluctantly forcing myself to go out this morning I was realizing how much I allow my body to run my life. This got me thinking about how much Paul talks about our flesh and how we shouldn't be ruled by it and everything. So, in an effort to control my flesh (let's call it sarx so that I can sound like a Greek scholar) I have attacked a lot of the concrete manifestations of sin. I've tried to become good at not sinning and I feel as though I've been doing pretty good at that lately—so I'm quick to pat myself on the back without realizing that even though I'm keeping the symptoms at bay, I'm still operating as though sarx is my master.

I don't think that I have been taking this obscure idea of The Flesh that the Bible talks about so much literally enough. Here's where the rubber meets the road—or where the "gume meets the cesta" for my Slovene friends: could jogging actually have something to do with sarx? When I don't feel like getting out of bed to go run around outside and I do it anyway, is that a spiritual victory? Humm… OK, so what about food? Maybe that is what fasting is all about—could I be taking a stand against sarx by not eating for a little while to show that I actually do have the power to control my body, or more specifically my stomach?

OK, but here's the cool part: because of Jesus we have victory! Check out what Paul wrote in Romans 8:

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sarx that leads to death. The law of Moses could not save us, because of sarx. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body (same word here too—sarx) like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sarx's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow sarx but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sarx think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If sarx controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For sarx is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of sarx can never please God. But you are not controlled by sarx. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what sarx urges you to do. For if you keep on following sarx, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds (in other words—say no to sarx), you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family—calling him "Father, dear Father." For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

In the first chapter of John it says that the Word (Jesus) became flesh—Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to “put on sarx” and suffer like nobody else in order to break the power of sarx and to pay the price for sin. Now it sounds a little bit trivial to say that by jogging I am sharing in his sufferings, but maybe there is more of a connection here than I realize.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don't become weary and give up.
-Hebrews 12:1-3

So maybe this will be a JogBlog of sorts :)
~JC