Works of the Flesh 2 We usually think

Works of the Flesh (2) We usually think of the “flesh” as those appetites which appeal to the flesh, which is earthly or fleshly. What we need to please God, is to concentrate on the “spirituality” of life. We must crucify these earthly desires!! Whose servants do we choose to be, God or Satan? And, to emphasize this, what service have we given? Romans 6: 17 ff tells us that our works determine our service and to whom we yield service to. But it is still our choice!

Why Do Some Choose the Flesh? • We are enticed, Jms. 1: 14, 15. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. ” Many are carried away by the glamorization of carnality and are captured by it. • We are not to admire sin in any form. Rather, we should HATE sin, Jude 23, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. ” Ps. 97: 10, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. ” Prov. 23: 31, 32, Like wine, don’t build desire for it, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. ”

Old Habits • “Old habits die hard” so we don’t find it easy to stop them. 2 Pet. 2: 22, “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that washed to her wallowing in the mire. ” We seem to just keep committing the same sins. • As a Christian, we are to become a “new creature”. We start our life over again. 2 Cor. 5: 17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ” • Remember our illustration of the sponge and glass, the more we sin, the darker the water, and the harder to clarify the water.

• Follow Paul Gal. 2: 20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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. ” We must, also, crucify our flesh, and continue with Christ’s life! • Some forget and relapse into their old man. • 2 Pet. 1: 8 -9, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ”

Follow Paul • Gal. 2: 20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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. ” We must, also, crucify our flesh, and continue with Christ’s life! • Some forget and relapse into their old man. • 2 Pet. 1: 8 -9, “For if these things be in you…. ” • God has given us things to grow by, to strengthen our hearts from desiring to sin. 2 Pet. 1: 5 -7, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ” These will set our minds on the things above.

Follow Paul • Gal. 2: 20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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. ” We must, also, crucify our flesh, and continue with Christ’s life! • Some forget and relapse into their old man. • 2 Pet. 1: 8 -9, “For if these things be in you…. ” • God has given us things to grow by, to strengthen our hearts from desiring to sin. 2 Pet. 1: 5 -7. These will set our minds on the things above. • We are to grow, 2 Pet. 3: 18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen. ” If there is no growth, there can be no fruit!

Follow Paul • Gal. 2: 20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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. ” We must, also, crucify our flesh, and continue with Christ’s life! • Some forget and relapse into their old man. • 2 Pet. 1: 8 -9, “For if these things be in you…. ” • God has given us things to grow by, to strengthen our hearts from desiring to sin. 2 Pet. 1: 5 -7. These will set our minds on the things above. • We are to grow, 2 Pet. 3: 18. If there is no growth, there can be no fruit! • Note these passages:

Passages • Gal. 5: 24, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ” • Prov. 16: 6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. ” • Gen. 39: 7 -9, “And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ” • Prov. 8: 13, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. ” • We cannot continue to enjoy the pleasures of sin!

How to Crucify the Flesh? • Again, Gal. 5: 24, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ” Prov. 16: 6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. ” – Fear God enough to overcome the flesh! – Abhor and detest sins of the flesh! – Remember Joseph fled from temptation! – “Flee fornication”, 1 Cor. 6: 18! – “Flee youthful lusts”, 2 Tim. 2: 22! – “Abstain from all appearance of evil”, 1 Thess. 5: 22! • REMEMBER, we are made “good”, “in the image of God”. We aren’t made to live in these lifestyles.

Develop Optimism • If we are to cease these lifestyles, we need to replace them with another lifestyle. It will be harder for those things to return, if there is no room for them in our life. • We must believe we can conquer the flesh! 1 Cor. 10: 13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. ” Do you really believe this? God makes a way to stop and escape, to CHANGE! • 2 Tim. 1: 7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. Remember, the gospel is the power of God, Rom. 1: 16. Perfect love casts out fear, 1 Jn. 4: 18, so love God with your all. Pray without ceasing, 1 Thess. 5: 17.

Passages to Help us! • Jn. 15: 5 -10, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. ” • Phil. 4: 13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. ” • Follow after Christ’s example. He never forgot His Father!

Conclusion • Jesus is always with us, to give support and mentor. Mt. 28: 20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ” • In Christ, we are conquerors! Rom. 8: 37 -39, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” • We are the victors in life! 2 Cor. 2: 14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. ”

Conclusion • Jesus is always with us, to give support and mentor. Mt. 28: 20. • In Christ, we are conquerors! Rom. 8: 37 -39. • We are the victors in life! 2 Cor. 2: 14. • Consider that life is short and death is sure! • Judgment is certain, Heb. 9: 27! “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ” • We will appear before the judgment seat of Christ! 2 Cor. 5: 10, “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment–seat of Christ; that each one may receive things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ” • The Questions, “Have I lived a sinful life as a “Christian” and not been a faithful servant of Christ? • Are you outside of Christ?