“The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you cannot do the things that you would.” (Galatians 5:17) This “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” factor is Push– Pull in that it works both ways. We think of the good things we would do that our flesh (old nature) prevents but forget the bad things we would do that the Spirit of God prevents. Walking in the Spirit and our new nature prevents us from fulfilling the lusts (desires) of the flesh.
There is no law against the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23). Those who are Christ’s (possessive sense) have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. We do this by reckoning ourselves crucified with Christ. We live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit; i.e. our spiritual lifestyle determines what we do or don’t do, not our now dead desires.
God has made us “alive together” with Christ and has “raised us up together” and made us “sit together” in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5, 6). In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Paul sees himself as having been crucified with Jesus Christ. Not literally crucified as was the believing thief at Christ’s right hand. Paul saw himself as figuratively crucified with Christ – and so must we. He was referring to his (and our) legal position in Christ.
Paul writes of being “buried with him in baptism, in which you also are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12) This is Operation Identification.
Paul wrote of our past sinful conduct and evil desires, and of God’s mercy toward us (Ephesians 2:1-6). He then wrote that God has “made us alive together with Christ, and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” The secret to a glorified life is a crucified and dead and buried life.
Paul’s figurative expressions follow the same order as Christ’s literal experiences. We were “crucified with Christ” and “buried with him in baptism”, and were made alive “together with” Christ”, and raised up “together with” him and made to sit “together with” him in heavenly places.
These expressions identify us with his suffering, his separation, his resurrection, and his glorification; and although figurative they speak of spiritual realities. We are “in Christ” in a positional sense, in that he represents us before the Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father sees us in the person of His Son.
So we don’t have to try to be there with Jesus — we are already there in our person of Saviour! Our heavenly standing is untouchable, because Jesus experienced death, burial, resurrection, and glorification. Our earthly state is another thing and is improved day by day as the Holy Spirit works in us to will and to do the things that please God.
The Contrary Mary factor is now the Merry Mary factor.