Flesh vs. Spirit

Introduction:

I hate running. But I’ve always admired runners at times I’ve given running a chance. But for truly great runners, it’s not about beating the other person. You’re not racing against others. You’re racing against yourself. Trying to beat yourself. Overcome the the pain and doubt that keeps you from being faster. And when it comes down to it, that exists only in your head.

The same is true of Christians. We are never in competition with other people. Not with other Christians and not with non-Christians.

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

And more than anything our battle is not external but raging on the inside vying for our love and affection. Our war is with ourselves.

Over the next 3 weeks we are going to look at 3 aspects where the world’s ways are opposed to God’s ways and it comes from 1 John 2:15-17.

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Time and time again the Bible tells us not to love the world. And here we find out 3 things in the world that at odds with God’s ways.

This week we’ll look at “the desires of the flesh.”

Next week we’ll look at the desires of the eyes.

and then finally we’ll end with the pride of life.

As we dig deeper into the desires of the flesh, let’s turn to the Apostle Paul.

Transition: Turn with me in your Bibles to Romans 8:1-11. Throughout the Bible there is a constant compare and contrast between the ways of God and the ways of the world. The world is almost universally seen as bad. And as we’ve seen, it’s because of the flesh, the eyes, and pride.

We live in a fallen world, yet some of us still yearn for the world.

Today, we’re looking at the contrast between the flesh and the spirit.

Transformational Principle - If you want to be transformed, you must learn to deal with your sinful nature.

Romans 8:1–11 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Transformational Principle - If you want to be transformed, you must learn to deal with your sinful nature.

Main Point #1 - Apart from Christ, we are condemned by our flesh. (Romans 8:5-8)

Explanation: In verse 5, the apostle Paul draws a strong contrast between the flesh and the spirit. he sets up this dicotomy between the ways of God (the Spirit) and the ways of the world (the flesh). And you should already know that God’s ways and the world’s ways to match. God’s ways are not our ways.

The flesh brings death.

The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.

It does not submit to God’s law…because it can’t. (We’ll come back to this).

Those in the flesh cannot please God.

Flesh is a weird word that doesn’t often give us positive images. Which is probably a good thing. Because the primary way that God talks about the sinful nature of man is to speak of man’s flesh.

You even see in some bible translations the word flesh, translated as “sin nature.” This is not to say that our own spirit and mind are not sinful. Its all corrupted by sin. Flesh is just a way to categorize it because it shows what causes us to sin.

And a perfect example of this fleshly desire is seen in the first temptation of Jesus: hunger.

Matthew 4:3–4 ESV

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

And this is a great example of the fleshes power over us because we can all relate to it. Because we all have to eat.

But we can also identity with the idea our hunger can sometimes have control over us because that hunger can affect us in other ways.

Illustration: Remember those snickers commercials a few years ago where people were acting irritable and mean to everyone. And then someone lovingly hands them a snickers. because “you’re not you when you are hungry.” We even have a word for this, we call it hangry. Hungry and angry all mixed into one. And I’m sure Amanda would tell you of times when I was hangry and said or did something dumb.

Now I would argue against what Snickers said. I think, apart from Christ, there is no greater picture of our sinful nature than when we are hangry. Because it shows just how much a slave to our sin we actually are.

And I think the Bible knows this. This is one of the reasons why throughout history of Judaism and Christianity, godly people practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting by it’s very definition is telling you flesh, “No.” I will not be controlled by my hunger, I am master over my flesh.

And then we apply this across the board. We see the same thing with the rest of our fleshly desires. They appear like a hunger or an urge to do something sinful. Some are easier to control than others.

Anger emerges as a hunger for vindication or vengeance. Or just to punch someone in the face.

Lust emerges as a sinful desire for one who is not your spouse.

Covetousness is a hunger for things that other people have that you want.

Pride is a hunger for meaning and significance.

Addiction is a hunger for any number of things that control and enslave us.

Even sinful ambition is a hunger for success on your own terms.

Application: As followers of Jesus who desire to lead holy lives, we know that overcoming sinful desires is our Everest.

And the world reacts 2 ways to our sinful desires.

For those things that the world seems to agree with God about like addiction, they say it all comes down to willpower. For everything else, the world normalizes that which the Bible calls sin. And says it’s not sin and not only tolerates it but celebrates it.

One thing I think that’s important for us to acknowledge is that the Bible actually says we are born sinful.

This is what David is talking about in

Psalm 51:5 ESV

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

David had just committed a sin of lust and in his prayer of repentance, he acknowledged that 1. What he did was sinful. Remember the world did not necessarily think that a king taking another man’s wife and having him killed was sinful. To many that was just Tuesday. But David knew God expected better of His kings. 2. Kings never admitted wrongdoing. That was weakness. Kings did whatever they wanted. But God’s kings were held to the standard of the law.

You don’t give into your sinful desires.

Now the law was given as a way to show our sin.

Romans 7:13 ESV

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

But left to ourselves, we are completely powerless to overcome our sin. We need someone to come and take care of that.

And this is the beauty of God’s grace in our lives.

Our sin condemns us. But God took care of what we couldn’t do ourselves.

Main Point #2 - In Christ, we are freed from our flesh leading to abundant life. (1-4, 9-11)

Explanation: I think everyone should memorize Romans 8:1.

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And I think our first reaction to this is, “Why not?”

We have been set free in Christ Jesus. Now “in” is an important word here. We weren’t set free by Christ Jesus. We are set free in Christ Jesus.

When someone sets you free, you are free a part from them. In a sense you are free to go. But that’s not the case with us. Jesus doesn’t say, you’re free to go. He says you are free as you follow me.

You see we were dead in our sins, but Jesus made us alive as we follow Him.

Illustration: One of my favorite movies is the 2002 version of the Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a powerful story of perseverance under wrongful suffering. But one part that I think relates here is that Edmond Dantes escapes from prison and comes across some pirates preparing to execute one of their own, Jacopo. Their leader, Luigi Vampa, decides justice and entertainment would be better served by pitting Edmond and Jacopo in a knife fight. Edmond wins but spares Jacopo, who swears himself to Edmond for life. It’s called a life debt. In exchange for saving his life, he dedicates his life to serving him.

We see something similar with Jar Jar Binks and Qui Gon Gin, but let’s not talk about that.

The same thing happens with us. Jesus saved our eternal lives, by taking our sin and dying on the cross to deal with the sin that sentenced us to death. In Romans 8:3-4 is also a very good concise articulation of the gospel.

Romans 8:3–4 ESV

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The cross did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. So when we say we need to deal with our sin, what we really need to understand is that God already dealt with it.

Again, the world says, you gotta earn it or make up for it. God’s ways says He already dealt with it. We need to accept it.

Now many Christians stop at vs. 4 when it comes to our salvation.

God dealt with it! Woohoo! I get to go to heaven!

vs. 9-11 reminds us of what is now expected of those who would embrace the salvation bought at the cross.

Do not walk according to the flesh. But walk in the spirit.

Christ is in you, act like it!

You have life because of Christ’s righteousness.

And i love vs. 11 because it reminds us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies…through the Spirit who dwells in you.

Jesus didn’t just buy us a one way ticket to heaven, but He made us alive here on earth. He transformed us so that we can follow Him.

Application: Again this contrast between the flesh and the spirit is all over the Bible. And so often the Bible doubles down on the need to lead holy lives because of what Jesus has done for us.

One of the more famous passage of scripture is

Galatians 5:22–24 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

But have you ever memorized the verses that immediately come before it? Probably not, because they aren’t as pretty.

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Probably not putting them on a coffee mug. Though it probably would be more helpful.

In celebrating that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that if we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus for forgiveness we will have eternal life, let’s not forget that we are called to lead holy lives as we follow Jesus.

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

And I think this continues to get back to our theme for the year. Transformation isn’t a one time thing. It is a daily denial of our flesh and desire to follow Jesus because of all He has done for you!

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Response: Are you still letting your flesh have control over you?

Summation:

Transformational Principle - If you want to be transformed, you must learn to deal with your sinful nature.

Transformational Principle - If you want to be transformed, you must learn to deal with your sinful nature.

Main Point #1 - Apart from Christ, we are slaved to our flesh leading to condemnation. (5-8)

Main Point #2 - In Christ, we are freed from our flesh leading to abundant life. (1-4, 9-11)

Closing Illustration:

Martin Luther.

Many people trace the beginning of the protestant reformation when Martin Luther published his 95 theses in 1517. (Which sorry to say, the nailing of them to the Church in Wittenberg, probably didn’t actually happen. But not many know the internal struggle that Luther faced over his life to that point.

At an early age, as the story goes, it would seem that Martin Luther came face to face with a holy and righteous God. And it terrified him.

Martin Luther was an aspiring lawyer and looked at everything from a legal perspective. So if you were to ask him what is the worst sin, he wouldn’t say murder or adultery and immorality. He would ask you “what is the greatest commandment?”

And like any good Christian, we should respond with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength.

Then he would say, and did, that the worst sin is not murder but failing to love God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength.

And you might say, that’s impossible.

Luther would say, this is why I’m so afraid.

Luther spent most of his life afraid of God’s wrath with such a strong desire to please him. As a monk, while most monks were going to confession once a week for 10-15 minutes, Luther would sometimes spend hours each day confessing every single short coming focusing intently on his failure to love God with his whole heart.

But then a transformation happened. He was studying the book of Romans and he came across

Romans 1:17 ESV

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

When Luther understood that pleasing God had nothing to do with his works and everything to do with his faith, he was reborn. No more works based righteousness. No more penance for sins. No more fear and dread to fall into the hands of an angry God. God was just God who dealt with our sins himself.

He was transformed and he would stand toe to toe against the pope and councils and churches. Because once he understood it, he would risk everything to free people from the fear of sin and death. But as they say, great men are forged in fire.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith became the rally cry of the reformation and the world would never be the same.

God will allow us to see feel the weight of our sin light of his perfection for us to turn to Him and receive the grace He is so willing and able to give.

But hopefully we don’t go through what Luther did on his road to redemption. Hopefully you will simply accept that you are a sinner and turn to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin.

I want to invite you to a life of freedom from the bondage of slavery to the flesh. It doesn’t take more work. It’s not another burden to bear. It is a free gift to you.

I’ll leave you with a reminder of Paul’s words to the Romans

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

and as John says

John 8:36 ESV

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Let’s pray.