Hi CL,You referred to a wild animal nature, but that YOU had to keep it under control. With me I don't have to rely on my own strength of will (or maybe I do but it doesn't seem so). I refer to nature as desire, or compulsion. It has nothing to do with physical bodily hormones or genes. It is like the joke about the frog and the scorpion in a flood. Stop me if you've heard this. hehehe During a flood a scorpion begged a frog to let him ride across the river on his back. The frog said, so, you'll sting me and kill me. The scorpion said, no I won't because then both of us will die. That convinced the frog so the scorpion jumped on his back and off they went. When they got to the middle of the river, the scorpion stung the frog. The frog cried out, why did you do that, now we will both die. And the scorpion said, I couldn't help myself, it is in my nature. But what if the nature of that scorpion supernaturally became the nature of a snail that wouldn't kill the frog. Then they would both be saved without harm. It is a change of mindset. When we are born again and become new creatures in Christ, we have the mind of Christ.
Or . . . what if the scorpion's stinger was removed? Where is thy sting?
I find those desires and compulsions to be etched into the brain at least to some degree, at least in me, and I speculate that as we are raised by those with corrupted bodies, corruption gets built into us as we grow up, again, at least to some degree. Many people have fairly reasonably healthy upbringings, and grow into extremely functional people. Yet still all share in the corruption, which began with the fruit from a forbidden tree. I'm not prepared to quibble over all this, it's how I find myself, what my research shows, and as a model of what's happening, it seems to work exceedingly well. But that's really all I can say.
Before I learned about what faith really is, and what grace really is, and what God really did, I tried to control myself, and was a mess as you can well imagine.
I just got your "hehehe"! That's how long it takes . . . LOL!!!
That's what it means to me about living according to law, to be constantly monitoring your behavior to see if it conforms to whatever law it is you are endeavoring to keep. And then trying to modify that behavior as best we know how so that it does conform. And that means my eyes were firmly fixed on . . . me.
But now that I know that it's entirely by faith in Jesus that I have grace to stand, I trust in Him.
Jesus guides me in what is good for me to do.
Jesus empowers me to perform all that He wants.
Jesus intercedes for me any time it goes awry.
Jesus fills me with His Own faith, making His life to be my life, transforming me to become just like Him.
Oh this is fun!
Jesus reveals the greatness, the absolute magnificence of His deep and intimate love for us, for me.
And Jesus sets me back on my walk as needed.
My part?
. . . so I'll turn my eyes upon you, Lord, look full in your wonderful face! And the things of earth they grow strangely dim in the Light of Your Glory and Grace!
Much love!