The Flesh and Sin

Review:

We have covered what happens at Salvation (the Spiritual Surgery Heart of Stone to a Heart of Flesh)

We covered our Position in Christ:

We died with Christ

We were buried with Christ

We was raised with Christ

We ascended with Christ

We are seated with Christ

Why do I still struggle with Sin & Temptation?

The first answer is The Flesh!

The flesh is not your heart or your Spiritual Nature, the flesh is not yourself!

A lot of times we hear a lot of double talk from Christians. sayings like these:

“It’s my old self not the new self”

“I have a new heart, but the problem is my old Heart”

“I’m a new creation, but the problem is the old creation”

NO! REMEMBER! The old self, old heart, old creation is dead, buried and gone!!

SO WHAT IS THE FLESH?

The FLESH according to Paul is the fallen World Strategies, Beliefs, Attitudes, Coping Mechanisms

I Cor 1:26

1 Corinthians 1:26 NASB95

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

The flesh was a way to:

carve out a way to be smart or wise

a way to be strong

a way to be noble

a way to have identity or status

So the World Flesh teaches us these things apart from Christ! You can obtain these things without Him!

If we use our brain/mind we can build for ourselves a way of life totally without Christ!

*THIS IS WHAT THE FLESH IS!!

THE GREEK WORD FOR FLESH IS “SARX” WHICH ITS MEANING IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN YOUR OLD SELF!

YOUR OLD SELF IS DEAD AND BURIED BUT! SARX (FLESH) IS VERY MUCH STILL HERE!

The flesh is NOT who I am or my Spiritual Nature!

You do not have two spiritual natures or two selves !

The flesh is a left over way to cope that is stored in our memory/mind(not in our heart), old ways of thinking, old strategies!

If we only look to our mind to solve life's problems we are not living from our new heart! We are simply living from the head with unrenewed mindsets.

ANOTHER DEFINITION OF THE FLESH (IS UN-RENEWED MIND SETS)

Philippians 3:3 NASB95

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

Philippians 3:4–6 NASB95

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

once you have justification, righteousness, blamelessness, sanctification in Christ you don’t have to build a resume to look good in this world!

We always seem to look at the flesh as negative, like in Galations

Galatians 5:19 NASB95

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

BUT THE FLESH CAN ALSO LOOK GOOD!

The flesh can look spiritual and religious and righteous.

Galatians 3:3 NASB95

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The flesh here wants to make you look good! Oh that's wonderful that your saved and everything BUT I’ll take it from here.....You got this! you can do this! you don't need Christ anymore .

You have everything you need in Christ! (look above at the list)

Grace defeats the need for what the Flesh offers!!

Second reason/answer: A POWER CALLED SIN!

The flesh is that STINKING THINKING! BUT there is a cause of that thinking and it’s a POWER CALLED SIN!

Once again: this power called sin is NOT YOU, your nature, your heart ect.

SIN IS ANOTHER ENTITY!

When I get tempted to sin, it is NOT coming from me or my heart! When I get those thoughts they are not coming from my nature!

Genesis Chapter 4 is the first time we are introduced to this power.

Genesis 4:7 NASB95

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Gen 4:

Sin is an IT! Sin is a noun: person place or thing!!

SIN wants to:

dominate you

trick you

steal and kill and destroy you

*SIN IS SOMETHING I DEAL WITH, BUT IT IS NOT ME!

*SIN IS IN ME, BUT NOT ME!

Romans 7:17 NASB95

So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Romans 7:20 NASB95

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Paul stresses this point! He tells us twice! You think this may be important?

There is something in me that's NOT me, there is a source of temptation in me that's not me!

*SIN is in you but NOT YOU!

Being a new creature in Christ makes us more responsible for our choices, because we can choose to follow our new heart where the Spirit resides.

Romans 6:12–14 NASB95

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 12:2 NASB95

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 4:7–9 NASB95

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

HAND OUT DIAGRAM:

WE ARE MADE UP OF 3 PARTS: BODY, SOUL & SPIRIT

BODY IS OUR PHYSICAL SHELL

SOUL IS OUR MIND, WILL & EMOTIONS (WERE I THINK THINGS, CHOOSE THINGS)

THERE IS A DEEPER PLACE WITHIN US CALLED OUR SPIRIT:

THIS IS CALLED OUR NEW MAN IF YOU ARE SAVED OR THE OLD MAN IF YOU ARE LOST!!

IF YOU ARE SAVED YOU SEE THE LIFE OF GOD FLOWING THROUGH YOU (FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT)

John 14:23 NASB95

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

THE GOD HEAD HAS MADE THEIR HOME WITHIN THE BELIEVER!

SO FROM THIS WE SEE THAT GOD’S SPIRITUAL NATURE BECOMES YOUR SPIRITUAL NATURE!

GOD CLEANED HOUSE AND MOVED IN!!!!

**AT THE BOTTOM YOUR SEE THE POWER OF SIN LARKING AT THE DOOR! IT IS IN YOU BUT NOT IN YOUR SPIRIT!