(Romans 8:8) “Those
who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
When we are newly saved many questions arise that
we need to find answers for and without the correct teaching the possibilities
of our lives spiralling out of control is very real. We need sound teaching in
order to be established correctly upon the Word of God.
For many years I ask myself and others a question;
if I am a new creature in Christ why do I still have so many rebellious
inclinations against God’s Law? Why did my lust not disappear altogether? Some
of my habitual tendencies left me for a while without any effort on my part. It
was miraculous in its nature, God had stepped in and given me a new heart, a
mind bent on his character. Obvious sinful habits that once dominated my life
had miraculously left me with no effort on my behalf. But as I began to grow up
as a Christian I found some of those lures once again beginning to sparkle and
my understanding on certain truths concerning scripture was now being tested.
Hence the fight between the flesh and the Spirit became an obsession; the
struggle between my lusts as a young man and the call of God’s holiness upon my
life. I was confused by the conflict and looked for answers but I never seemed
to find contentment with what I was being sold concerning my obvious struggle.
If I was a new creature in Christ and old things had all become new like I had
experienced as a new born again believer why was I now not finding the same
success? Through much toil and struggle I have looked for the answer and can
now state that I finally understand the workings of that struggle a lot
clearer.
After some time I stray from the call of a life of
holiness towards my old nature with depravity once again ruling my life and in
hindsight all that type of behaviour produces is outright rebellion against
God? If we find ourselves in a similar place, we must take the blame and we
must own it. It is not something that we are entitled to explain away, excusing
ourselves. I was told I must change but as far as walking in the flesh I was
right, it is impossible to change with the wrong application attached to our
efforts. We are naturally bent towards sin because we are born as sinners. Can
a leopard change its spots? Obviously not! I was right as far as the old man
goes. But there where those who propagated that a man could change; hear me
clearly, as men in the flesh it is impossible to change. We will only ever
change when we understand what it means to walk in the Spirit. Let me be
precise with what I am saying, as new born believers we change but do not
understand the workings behind that change and often make the mistake of
accrediting ourselves with a pat on the back. It is a tendency that a babe in
Christ is afforded, but when we mature as Christians we need to understand the
work of the Spirit in our lives to remain humble, for we know that “God
resist the proud and gives grace to the humble”. To believe that as new
creatures in Christ we should never have to war against our old sinful natures
is false. We are new creatures in Christ but the old still lives and looks to
trip us up. Our flesh still needs to be suppressed; it hasn’t totally been put
to death. On the truth of what Christ did for me on Calvary I am now perfect in
God’s eyes because of His salvation work and nothing else; “Jesus in my
place”. Without God establishing that truth in a believer’s life we
wouldn’t be able to approach Him because we have been tainted by our own sin.
However our spirits are house in fleshly bodies that instinctively rebel
against God. We now have the Spirit of God living within us. After salvation
our flesh remains the same but we have the Spirit as a help to combat our
natural tendencies. Once that connection is made it will help us understand the
called placed upon our lives. Here is a verse that should help cement my point;
“Not that I have already obtained this or
am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ
Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians
3:12) –
This verse needs more time and space which I am not afforded in this post;
suffice to say that we have our old natures that are at war with our new minds,
the mind of Christ, the Spirit of God which now guides the believer and we
should not be surprized by the conflict. When something is understood it helps
us with our intent and our application to the call placed upon that
demand.
The reason for me straying as a Christian is simple
but it wasn’t always easy to answer and the reason for it was that I was not
taught correctly to begin with, or I simply had ears dull of hearing. Satan
approached Eve and all he needed to do was twist what God had commanded. He
succeeded! But he also tried it with the Lord Jesus and failed.
Praise God for that! To understand sound doctrine correctly is the pivot of
putting on the mind of Christ. When we put on old armour; when we are driven by
our human natures, we will always be bent towards sin. Every time, even when we
believe we are doing a charitable deed like giving to the poor. It is all about
what I am doing to make myself feel good about myself. I am fulfilling a need
that needs to be appreciated which lies within my own soul. A theologian put it
like this which will help us understand my point with clarity; anything we do or any intent we may have minus God
equals the flesh. Not will God be happy with my sacrifice but
rather is my understanding of what and why I am doing something triggered by
the Spirit or by my flesh. If it is the latter it will always remain dead
before God and it won’t be accredited to my account as a good work.
When I act in a way that does not put the will of
God first, I am then walking in the flesh and when I am driven by that
ordinance it proves that I am still acting out with my carnal nature; which
results in this truth without any wiggle room so forget trying to look for it;
“those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Signing off
Tyrone
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