30.How can we recognize the people who truly belong to Christ?

They have crucified their flesh with its passions and appetites.

To crucify the flesh is to choose to obey the Spirit and the Scriptures rather than to yield to the desires of our flesh. God helps us by bringing us into various experiences that are painful to our fleshly, soulish desires.

The flesh desires to fulfil its lusts but the Holy Spirit desires purity.

The flesh desires to adore idols but the Holy Spirit causes us to worship the true God.

The flesh desires to practice sorcery but the Holy Spirit disciplines our hunger for supernatural experiences.

The flesh rejoices in hatred and quarrelling but the Holy Spirit fills us with love, joy, and peace.

The flesh is quick to be jealous of others but the Holy Spirit is confident and seeks not His own advantage.

The flesh is contentious and argumentative but the Holy Spirit rejoices in harmony and agreement.

The flesh enjoys sectarianism, boasting of the party it belongs to, but the Holy Spirit seeks the unity of the Body of Christ.

The flesh is envious of the success of others but the Holy Spirit is content in the Father’s will.

The flesh will murder to get its own way but the Holy Spirit waits for the Father to satisfy the desires of the heart.

The flesh will eat and drink itself into sickness and death but the Spirit of God lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

The flesh enjoys carousing and revelling but the Holy Spirit experiences deep joy in worship and supplication.

Life lived in the desires of the flesh brings death to our spiritual nature.

Life lived in the desires of the Holy Spirit brings joy and health to our body, soul, and spirit in this world and preparation for resurrection in the Day of the Lord.