Rom 7:24 (NIV) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? When you give something your very best and you fail, it can cause you a lot of negative emotions. When you have exhausted all your training, understanding, skills, talents, and abilities and you still fail, you can get very emotional about it. You can experience hopelessness, helplessness, frustration, anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, shame, and a whole lot of other emotions. So, step one, you are coming to Jesus to be set free from thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds that you are STILL having trouble with.

Rom 7:15 (NIV) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. When you came to Jesus, you sure didn’t expect to experience confusion. The problem you face with Christianity is, you have been living life for quite some time. As long as you weren’t a Christian, you COULDN’T learn Biblical principles. 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. So, step two, now that you have become a Christian, you are learning HOW to stop using human effort and world traing to live the Christian life.

John 12:24 (NIV) I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Just imagine a new, little peach tree; it started out as a peach pit. The peach “seed” had to be placed in the ground and be buried there. That is like you having to take the “seed” of your body and consider it crucified with Jesus. It is you BELIEVING that you were buried with Jesus in the GRAVE. Gal 2:20a (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live.... BELIEVING you died and was buried with Jesus is your third step into submitting your emotions to Jesus.

John 11:25 (NIV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. Just like the peach pit or peach seed had to be buried in the ground in order to come alive as a new, little peach tree, so you had to be buried with Jesus so you could come alive as a Christian. Gal 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. BELIEVING you are now alive through Jesus’ life is your fourth step into submitting your emotions to Him.

2 Cor 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! The little peach tree is no longer a peach pit; the old has gone, the new has come! As a peach pit, it couldn’t bear peaches; it didn’t even have the potential of bearing peaches. But now, it IS a peach tree and has the potential of bearing fruit. BUT, as a new, little peach tree, it hasn’t grown enough to start bearing peaches. It needs time to grow roots and branches; all the resources of the ground, water, and sunshine need to be absorbed into its roots so it can GROW. That is what you are doing; so, you are growing in spiritual things. This is your fifth step into submitting your emotions to Jesus.

2 Tim 2:15 (AKJV) Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. As the little peach tree continues to grow, its potential for bearing peaches grows. But, if anything bad happens to the soil around its roots, or if it stops getting enough water, or if something gets in the way of it getting enough sun, it can wither and die. The little peach tree doesn’t have any control over these things; but, you do! Jesus said in John 15:5 (NIV): “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Why does Jesus say: “If a man remains in Me”? Unlike the little peach tree, you have a God-given free will. You can DECIDE to not get enough spiritual nutrients, spiritual water, and spiritual sun. Step six: Keep growing spiritually!

Gal 5:22 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. IF THE little peach tree continues to get plenty of nutrients from the soil, water, sun, and protection, it WILL grow into a mature peach tree and bear peaches. The little peach tree doesn’t have to do anything special; it just has to absorb all these things into it and the peaches will come. As you get the spiritual nutrients, spiritual water, spiritual sun, and protection from Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control will automatically grow out of you.

If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing: Just like it is natural for the little peach tree to bear peaches, just like it doesn’t have to “do its best,” “try real hard,” or “believe in itself,” apart from Jesus YOU can do nothing. You are learning how to BE so you can cooperate with Jesus and then DO. Step seven: Yield to the fruit of the Spirit.