[If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in] the flesh, I have more:
Summary: Understanding Paul’s language sometimes requires that we know Jesus to know what he is talking about.
Here is an interesting fact: To understand the “flesh,” you first have to be in the “spirit.”
What does that mean? Let’s use fish for an example.
Does a fish know it is in water?
To a fish, water is everything. It is the air that they breathe and the world that they swim in. Unless a fish first leaves the water, it never knows that there is a world of air and dry land.
The “flesh” is similar because when we are first born, it is all we know. Without somehow taking flight in the spiritual realm outside the flesh, it is all we ever know, unless we are “born again” (John 3:3).
When we are born again, something amazing happens. It is as if we were a fish that wakes up to discover that it can swim and fly at the same time. Somehow, in a way that is beyond human understanding, we exist as both flesh and a new spiritual being at the same time, too.
The reason I mention this is that if you are in the flesh and do not yet know God, talking about the flesh as if it were something foreign sounds crazy. It is not, in any practical sense, logical. Yet to the believer, to the one who knows Jesus Christ personally, the difference between flesh and spirit is stunningly obvious.
The “spirit” is the part of us that is born again and restored to a living relationship with God (See Luke 15:11-32). Once we accept the promise of salvation offered by Jesus (John 3:14-15), there is a connection that takes place, and with it, a miraculous renewal of our spirit. In that moment, Jesus provides us with the promised Holy Spirit (John 15:26).
The presence of the Holy Spirit is like a periscope to a fish. It allows us to “see” from two different perspectives. On the one hand, the fish still swims in the water. On the other hand, it can “see” what the world is like above the water.
Paul’s letters are written to people who know Jesus Christ. They understand the difference between life in the flesh and life in the spirit. Be patient with those who do not yet know Jesus. If they do not understand what the “flesh” is, it is because that is all they know.
Application: Thank God for Jesus, for life in the spirit, and for his Holy Spirit.
Food for Thought: How has being “born again” changed how you see the world of the flesh?
How has being “born again” changed how you see the world of the flesh?
John 3:3, Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
1 John 3:1, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Philippians 3:20, But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
All are born in physical bodies of flesh which are focused on taking. Babies are very self-centered little beings, very vocal about making their desires known, and in time develop their individual techniques for getting what they want. In our natural state, this satisfying “self” becomes a way of life and many develop smooth techniques for getting others to make sacrifices to satisfy our desires.
Being born again is a complete turnaround as Christ in maturing believers gives each the power and desires to seek the well being of others over ourselves as we share what we have.
I recall, years ago, in great fear, asking God to give my faith to my parents, and I would try to find Him again. Of course He would not do this and I spent many years praying for their salvation which they refused to seek.
Matthew 22:14, Many are called but few are chosen.
In Jesus Christ we have been born again. We have been given life in the Spirit and we find ourselves empowered and filled with this great desire to share this precious gift from God with all those He brings into our sphere of influence. We are excited when they come and filled with joy as Jesus Christ speaks to them, through us. Grateful to God when they receive Jesus and saddened when they reject truth.
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus teaches, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When we by choose to give “His will being done through us” priority in our lives, we will begin life in His Power, and everything required to maintain our physical lives will come.
Thank you, Ron!
I love how you describe being “born again” as a “complete turnaround!” Well said!
How has being “born again” changed how you see the world of the flesh?
I must be discerning about my own thoughts. I find myself asking whether my thoughts and actions are catering to my own flesh or following the Spirit. Not in a confused “I don’t know what to do” kind of way, but rather is “this” a step toward kindness, mercy, love, walking in step with the Spirit, or ultimately a step toward self?
Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
I must be deliberate with my walk with the Lord. My walk is not something that “magically” happens. I must endeavor to walk in the Spirit. The flesh tends to deceive me, tells me “everything will work out” on one hand while leading toward destruction with the other.
Romans 8:5 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.
I must decide my destination. The flesh leads one to the grave, but the Spirit leads one to life beyond the grave. Sowing to the flesh is like putting a new sail on a sinking boat. When we sow to the Spirit, He asks us to get out of the boat and walk toward Him.
Galatians 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Thanks, Chris!
“Sowing to the flesh is like putting a new sail on a sinking boat. When we sow to the Spirit, He asks us to get out of the boat and walk toward Him.”
What an incredible visual image! Thank you! 🙂
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Good stuff R2T2.
I get the impression from recent blogs that the definition of the flesh is our physical bodies. The physical is bad but the spiritual is good. The definition is important to answering the question. I see our human bodies as originally created good, but tainted by sin – which is a spiritual problem.
So my answer comes from that perspective. I am simply defining my terminology here for clarity.
The world of the flesh is one in which we are spiritually dead and in rebellion against God. When we come to Christ we are saved by grace through faith and enter into new life in which our spirit responds to God and we receive the mind of Christ. Now we see things very different from those who are not born again in Christ. We see this clash of worldviews all around us. As believers we can still rebel. Every time I intentionally sin I am believing the lie of my old fleshly nature battling against my new life in Christ. The answer to this problem is submitting to Christ and dying to myself every minute of every day. When I fail, then repentance and pursuing Christ afresh is the right response while I let the old sinful nature (a spiritual battle) die.
Ephesians 2: 1 – 10And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
John 1: 12 – 13: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Romans 7: 14 – 25: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature d a slave to the law of sin.
1 Corinthians 2: 10b – 16: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature d a slave to the law of sin.
Brother Rich,
Thank you for your comment today! What you point to is a subtle but very important point.
You write, “The definition is important to answering the question. I see our human bodies as originally created good, but tainted by sin – which is a spiritual problem.”
Would it surprise you to know that I agree with this 100%?
It is, I think, the best part about this forum when we can put our heads together and clarify what we mean. As you say, definitions are important, and I completely agree.
The only part I would want to clarify is where you say, “The physical is bad but the spiritual is good.” I do not agree with this statement, but the clarification is probably going to end up being more like a whole blog post, so that is what I think I will do. 🙂
More tomorrow!
Thanks brother for the clarification. I was really only defining terms to qualify my answer. I was not trying to be offensive and I was hoping it didn’t come off that way. Sounds like we are on the same page with this anyway.
All great comments.
How has being “born again” changed how you see the world of the flesh
In short my eyes have been open to seeing things from a different prospective instead of just my prospective.