All Flesh Must be Crucified
All Flesh Must Be Crucified
The works of the Flesh are self righteousness as well as unrighteousness. The soul is between the spirit and the body. The duty of the soul is to intercede between the spirit and the body in perfect harmony. So that mankind may attain full spirituality.
When the soul yielded to temptation and fell, the soul released itself from authority of the spirit in the Garden of Eden and attached itself from the authority of the spirit and attached itself instead to the control of the body. Now the soul is attached to the flesh, it is directly opposed to, and fighting against the spirit.
The flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:8
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Galatians 5:17
17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would.
Soul is the life principle of man. Our soul is our very self, including all our mind, will, and emotions. The works of the soul center upon our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and our likes and dislikes.
The basic characteristic of independence, the flesh makes self the center and elevates self will above the will of God's will.
The flesh even opposes the spirit even in the matter of serving and pleasing God. The soul controlled by the flesh quenches and opposes the Holy Spirit by leaning on it's own strength. This hinders man's dependence on God's grace, and our being led by the Holy Spirit.
We as believers must learn to hate totally all our flesh being. We have been greatly deceived by our flesh, because the flesh not only produces sin, but the flesh also performs good works. But the flesh must be put to death totally. The righteous acts of the flesh and the work of the Holy Spirit are worlds apart.
Those in the flesh cannot please God. We as believers have erred in thinking only the evil of the flesh needed to be destroyed. We have not realized that the good of the flesh needs to be done away with as well. The righteousness of the flesh is as much a part of the flesh as the evil deeds of the flesh. The flesh remains flesh, no matter how good or how bad.
The impact of Christianity has been greatly reduced because of our ignorance, and our reluctance to face up to ridding ourselves of everything of the flesh, including the good. The good of the flesh is no more presentable than the evil.
The difference between the good of the flesh, and the good of the Christ controlled life through the spirit, is that the flesh always has self, at it's center. It is my self who can and does perform good works. There is no submission, or necessity of humbly waiting upon the Lord. This puffs people up and produces pride of self.
Any good of the flesh which revolves around self is an abomination in the sight of God. It does not proceed from the life of the Lord Jesus, but it is of self and glorifies self. Christ crucified is the wisdom of God. We tend to be self confident because of our abilities.
All our confidence depresses God's wisdom. We read the Bible and preach the Bible, we hear and we believe the word, but all of this is executed in the power of our soulish, carnal mind. We have no sense of submitting to, and depending on the power and instructions of the Holy Spirit.
Whatever does not come from waiting upon God and depending upon the Holy Spirit is directly from our flesh. Whatever we decide upon our own comes from the flesh regardless of whether it is evil and improper or good and godly. If what we do is not undertaken in a spirit of complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit, then the flesh is the total source.
Many times we begin well by totally submitting and depending upon the Holy Spirit. Then often a new truth is imparted by the Holy Spirit and after a while this truth turns into boasting of the flesh.
The matters of obedience, denial of self, and receiving power changes. As we turn God's grace into our own glory. We treat things of God as if they were our sole possession. We trust the flesh to make perfect what was begun in the spirit.
Our self desires lead the way we go, yet we pray and hope the Holy Spirit will come along side and help us. Our attempt to follow, and do the Lord's work, without denying our self will is the reason for our failures in spiritual matters.
When the Lord allows victory we fail to keep the victorious position because we try to propel the victory by works and determination.
Satan deceives us, he allow the sinful part of our flesh to be offered unto death, if he is able to keep the flesh alive. By deceiving us to keep our good works of the flesh alive, he still has a base to operate in recovering that side that is lost. Whenever the flesh is serving God, then the flesh's power of sin is also being strengthened.
If we, as believers would as a way of life maintain the attitude of the flesh being crucified, satan could have no entrance to us. The flesh is satans workshop.
