Passion of the Spirit (Mark 4:19; Luke 22:15; Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11; Psalm 63:1; 84:2; James 1:13,15)

Mark 4:19 speaks of "... the lusts of other things..." as being one of the thorns that chokes the word out of our lives.

Two things to notice about this verse, is that both "lusts" and "things", are in the plural, meaning that it is not just one lust, or one specific thing that is referenced, as a potential threat, to the survival of the word in our lives. There are many different "lusts" , and many different "things" that distract from us fulfilling our purpose and calling in Christ.

[It should also be noted, that a dominant characteristic of thorns, is that if not dealt with, they continue to grow and spread, gaining strength, and expanding their area of influence.]

 LUSTS

The Greek word translated "lusts", though it gained a negative connotation over time, was originally a morally neutral word. 

The origins of  the word group have to do with the "violent movement" of anything, whether it be air; water; the ground [earth quake]; animals; or man. Eventually the meaning of something "suddenly" moving violently, or swirling up; boiling up, was attached to the root word, particularly in relation to dust; smoke; or steam. This sudden, violent action, became specifically relevant to smoke, and came to mean the sudden, violent action of smoke going up in the cultic sacrifice of animals. Over time, the root word developed the specific meaning of "sacrifice", with all the different, previously mentioned, shades of meaning, still attached to the word.

 WRATH & ANGER

A second word was born, from these word origins, that meant, "that which moves suddenly; violently", and is a "vital force", in men or animals. The NT consistently translates this word as "wrath", meaning sudden; violent; outbursts of anger or passion, that are unsustainable, and short-lived. "Wrath", as it is used, is not as long lasting as "anger", in that it rises quickly, and subsides just as quickly, whereas "anger" is the seething; prolonged; festering; deep-rooted condition that often leads to these outbursts of "wrath". If compared to a fire, "anger" would be the heart of the fire, constantly burning, giving off heat, while "wrath" would be the occasional bursting forth of the flame, as the sparks fly upward. 

All these underlying meanings are found in the word translated as "lusts". This is a very intense word, that, though it has gained a predominantly negative connotation, it is neutral in its force, and can be applied either positively or negatively.

 We know from scripture that it is not a "bad" word, because it is spoken of Jesus strongly desiring, with strong desire, [both the noun and verb are used together], to eat the Passover with His disciples (Lk.22:15). Though it is identified with the flesh, the object of the verb, is both the flesh and spirit, which each have "strong" warring desires, in conflict with one another (Gal.5:17). Though it is not stated, scripture implies that the flesh and soul are also warring factions, each with strong desires in conflict with one another (1 Peter 2:11).

The inference is that every part of our being contains these "urges",  these sudden, and sometimes violent impulses, seeking expression, and that Jesus Himself is identified as possessing these strong desires. It is unfortunate that most translations render the noun and verb predominantly by the English words "lust" or "lusts", as these terms not only carry a negative connotation, but create a limited imagery of unbridled sexual passion.

 STRONG PASSION

A proper definition, of the word found in Mark 4:19, relates more to 'strong passionate desires for anything that is not presently in possession, or obtained', often expressed by sudden actions or impulses, that can be, if extreme enough, identified as "violent". 

This is the word that is translated "covet", in the 10th commandment. It is strongly wanting something, so badly, that it moves a person to action, in order to obtain it. But, as the origins of the word dictate, this passionate desire, is also something that is not sustainable long term, and often rises suddenly, seeking immediate gratification, but if unfulfilled, it will leave, just as suddenly as it came.

 SPIRITUAL PASSION

Also, as the scripture indicates, every aspect of our being is subject to these strong desires. This is obviously something that God created us with, but needs to be directed in positive expression. What is most important, is that we need to yield to the passionate desires of our recreated spirit, in the likeness and image of God, and this godly expression will then dominate every other aspect of our being.

David stated that his "soul" thirsted for God, and his "flesh" longed after God (Ps.63:1), and again, the Psalmist says his soul longed for God, even fainting for His presence, and his heart [in this case referencing the spirit], and his flesh cried out for the living God (Ps.84:2)! These are incredible scriptures, in that they give us hope that if a man living under the old covenant can train his whole being to seek after God, how much more can we, living in the new covenant, with the spirit of God inside us, allow His dominion and rule in our lives! 

 Every day we can choose to give in to the untrained desires of the flesh, which rise suddenly, and if unfulfilled, will leave as suddenly as they came. We can also choose to yield to the strong impulses of the spirit, and let the kingdom of God be expressed in and through us. [It's called being led by the spirit; walking by faith; etc.,]. These spirit initiated desires will also lose their force, if not acted upon, and die unborn, leaving us to never know the dramatic effect the Spirit of God had planned for our lives or the life of another.

It is also evident, that these strong passions in our flesh, are the very source that the devil uses to lead us into sin, and without which, we would not succumb to his lures. (James 1:13,15)

We can strengthen the effects of the spirit in our lives, by continuing in the word, [He can't get the word out of our lives that was never put there to begin with], and by being in fellowship with other Believers. [God has no lone rangers, only the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, His body, which we are either a part of, or we are distant from]. These actions create an atmosphere for the Spirit of God to express Himself in.

 SPIRIT CONTROLLED

Secondly, if we have not already experienced the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit, through being filled with His Spirit, and speaking in other tongues [languages], we need to go further in God, and join the equipped army of Christ; that according to Karl Gustauf Severn, from Sweden, [an apostolic evangelist who has evidently been to approximately 60 nations of the world proclaiming the life changing power of the gospel, with miraculous signs following], that as of 2008, and the number has only grown since then, there were, statistically, over 600 million tongue talking Believers around the world!  

Let us go on in God, to not only NOT fulfill the "lusts" of the flesh, but to yield to the passionate desires of the Spirit of God, to see His kingdom constantly come, in our lives and the lives of others. 

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours.