LucieLoo12
Well-Known Member
Hey ladies! God has been dealing with me on those inward things. The things that people can't see. I dont want to be one content that I dont drink, curse, or fight, but I want those inward things to be revealed in me as well, so I can get them right. I want to post this article, but it was very helpful in me examining myself. It may help you all as well.
Overcoming the Works of the Flesh
Each Christian wages a war against carnality. Understanding each element of your carnal nature will help you fight this lifelong battle.
By Kevin D. Denee
Looking at himself in the mirror, the old man had come to understand his deeds and what he truly was. He understood that he was corrupt and carnal, and that he was cut off from God without access to His Holy Spirit. Even more, this old man understood that he had to repent of his past sins, to which he had been enslaved his entire life. If the old man died, he knew that he would be free from sin.
This old man was crucified for his sins.
But, this man lived again and became a new man, through his Savior. He now had to put on righteousness and true holiness. He was required to mortify—destroy—those things within him that were part of his carnal nature, and in turn, build true character.
Do you recognize this person? This person—the old man who became a new man—is every Christian! This old man is specifically mentioned in three separate places in the New Testament. (See Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9. Note the context surrounding each scripture.)
While this man was replaced by a new man at baptism, each of these passages explains a process of mortifying—putting to death—aspects of our nature such as “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness…” (Col. 3:5). They also speak of putting off “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication (Col. 3:8) and also “the former conversation [way of life]…which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22).
The apostle Paul understood the battle against our old carnal self. Even as a great servant of God, he struggled against his flesh. Read his statements in Romans 7:14-23.
Paul, like every Christian today, was battling carnality—warring after the flesh. Our entire Christian lives deal with battling three enemies: Satan, ourselves and society. In this article, we will focus on one-third of that battle—the battle against ourselves.
After baptism, we were still 99.9 percent carnal. The rest of that carnality does not disappear in a week, month, or year. Throughout our physical lives, we must overcome—get rid of—our carnal nature and replace it with true, godly character.
It has been said that terrorism is a very difficult war to wage because it is hard to figure out who the enemy is. You cannot win a war without knowing who you are fighting. Similarly, in order to battle against carnality, we must understand who and what we are up against. God does not leave us hanging—He does not require us to fight and overcome our carnal nature without showing us exactly what we have to fight.
Carnality
At baptism, we were required to prove that God exists, that His Word—the Bible—carries authority, and the location of His Church. Also, during counseling, we went through a list of scriptures that contained term after term for the many elements of carnal nature.
Notice: Adultery, an evil eye, anger, backbiter, blasphemer, boaster, covenant breaker, covetous, debater, deceiver, despiser of those that are good, despiteful, disobedient, disobedient to parents, drunks, emulations, envious, evil concupiscence, evil thoughts, false accuser, fierce, filthy communication, foolish, fornications, hater of God, hating one another, heady, heresies, highminded, idolaters, implacable, incontinent, inordinate affection, inventors of evil things, lasciviousness, lovers of pleasures, lovers of their own selves, maliciousness, malignity, murder, proud, revellings, seditions, serving various lusts and pleasures, sorcerers, strife, thefts, traitors, trucebreakers, unclean, unholy, unmerciful, unrighteousness, unthankful, variance, whisperers, wickedness, witchcraft, without natural affection, without understanding, and finally, wrath.
If you look at all the scriptures combined (Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 1:29-31; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-8), there are a great many words that describe carnal, human nature.
When was the last time you truly studied these scriptures? Are they just for those who are not yet baptized? Certainly, not! Ironically, when we read these scriptures containing lists of carnal nature, our own human nature often causes us to just breeze right through them, because we have “heard it all before.”
But we continually battle carnal nature. Christianity is an all-out war. We are required to fight the good fight and battle the flesh.
How many times have we looked at these lists in the Bible and asked ourselves which of these carnal elements are still alive and well, and working within us?
Recall when Christ magnified and fulfilled the Law, at the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:17). He took the time to expand the commandments “Thou shall not kill” (vs. 21-22) and “Thou shall not commit adultery” (vs. 27-28). We should be able to follow Christ's example and apply it to every work of the flesh. Do not just look at the word “adultery” and tell yourself that you certainly are not doing it. Rather, ask yourself, “How, in the slightest form, might this work of the flesh still be present within me?”
This article will only serve as a brief overview of most of the works of the flesh. Each one could form its own article. You can use this overview as a foundation for a more thorough Bible study on self-examination prior to the Passover season.
The works of the flesh can be categorized as either attitudes or actions. Attitudes, of course, inevitably turn into actions.
Overcoming the Works of the Flesh
Each Christian wages a war against carnality. Understanding each element of your carnal nature will help you fight this lifelong battle.
By Kevin D. Denee
Looking at himself in the mirror, the old man had come to understand his deeds and what he truly was. He understood that he was corrupt and carnal, and that he was cut off from God without access to His Holy Spirit. Even more, this old man understood that he had to repent of his past sins, to which he had been enslaved his entire life. If the old man died, he knew that he would be free from sin.
This old man was crucified for his sins.
But, this man lived again and became a new man, through his Savior. He now had to put on righteousness and true holiness. He was required to mortify—destroy—those things within him that were part of his carnal nature, and in turn, build true character.
Do you recognize this person? This person—the old man who became a new man—is every Christian! This old man is specifically mentioned in three separate places in the New Testament. (See Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9. Note the context surrounding each scripture.)
While this man was replaced by a new man at baptism, each of these passages explains a process of mortifying—putting to death—aspects of our nature such as “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness…” (Col. 3:5). They also speak of putting off “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication (Col. 3:8) and also “the former conversation [way of life]…which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22).
The apostle Paul understood the battle against our old carnal self. Even as a great servant of God, he struggled against his flesh. Read his statements in Romans 7:14-23.
Paul, like every Christian today, was battling carnality—warring after the flesh. Our entire Christian lives deal with battling three enemies: Satan, ourselves and society. In this article, we will focus on one-third of that battle—the battle against ourselves.
After baptism, we were still 99.9 percent carnal. The rest of that carnality does not disappear in a week, month, or year. Throughout our physical lives, we must overcome—get rid of—our carnal nature and replace it with true, godly character.
It has been said that terrorism is a very difficult war to wage because it is hard to figure out who the enemy is. You cannot win a war without knowing who you are fighting. Similarly, in order to battle against carnality, we must understand who and what we are up against. God does not leave us hanging—He does not require us to fight and overcome our carnal nature without showing us exactly what we have to fight.
Carnality
At baptism, we were required to prove that God exists, that His Word—the Bible—carries authority, and the location of His Church. Also, during counseling, we went through a list of scriptures that contained term after term for the many elements of carnal nature.
Notice: Adultery, an evil eye, anger, backbiter, blasphemer, boaster, covenant breaker, covetous, debater, deceiver, despiser of those that are good, despiteful, disobedient, disobedient to parents, drunks, emulations, envious, evil concupiscence, evil thoughts, false accuser, fierce, filthy communication, foolish, fornications, hater of God, hating one another, heady, heresies, highminded, idolaters, implacable, incontinent, inordinate affection, inventors of evil things, lasciviousness, lovers of pleasures, lovers of their own selves, maliciousness, malignity, murder, proud, revellings, seditions, serving various lusts and pleasures, sorcerers, strife, thefts, traitors, trucebreakers, unclean, unholy, unmerciful, unrighteousness, unthankful, variance, whisperers, wickedness, witchcraft, without natural affection, without understanding, and finally, wrath.
If you look at all the scriptures combined (Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 1:29-31; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-8), there are a great many words that describe carnal, human nature.
When was the last time you truly studied these scriptures? Are they just for those who are not yet baptized? Certainly, not! Ironically, when we read these scriptures containing lists of carnal nature, our own human nature often causes us to just breeze right through them, because we have “heard it all before.”
But we continually battle carnal nature. Christianity is an all-out war. We are required to fight the good fight and battle the flesh.
How many times have we looked at these lists in the Bible and asked ourselves which of these carnal elements are still alive and well, and working within us?
Recall when Christ magnified and fulfilled the Law, at the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:17). He took the time to expand the commandments “Thou shall not kill” (vs. 21-22) and “Thou shall not commit adultery” (vs. 27-28). We should be able to follow Christ's example and apply it to every work of the flesh. Do not just look at the word “adultery” and tell yourself that you certainly are not doing it. Rather, ask yourself, “How, in the slightest form, might this work of the flesh still be present within me?”
This article will only serve as a brief overview of most of the works of the flesh. Each one could form its own article. You can use this overview as a foundation for a more thorough Bible study on self-examination prior to the Passover season.
The works of the flesh can be categorized as either attitudes or actions. Attitudes, of course, inevitably turn into actions.
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