Morning Moments

I am a strong proponent of Pauline Theology, which is to say that Paul, who wrote at least thirteen books of the twenty seven in the New Testament (exclude the Gospels (biographical) and Acts (historical) and Revelation (prophetical), and you have at least thirteen of the twenty remaining, must have something very important to say to the Church, which is the Body of Christ, for HE alone was The Apostle to the Gentiles, but understood that the "Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile).

Don't misunderstand my statement, for "All Scripture is inspired of God..." But must be "rightly divided".  In other words, Paul was given "the mystery concerning the Church," so Church Doctrine (teaching) comes primarily, though not exclusively from his writings.  THIS is very important in many ways, but particularly regarding this matter of THE FLESH!

A word study of the flesh will reveal that his use of the term is both literal and spiritual, which is to say that it can mean the body or that fallen nature, the nature of Adam in us all which is corrupt and can only be crucified (spiritually or positionally) through our spiritual union and identification with Christ in His literal death and resurrection.  This is a mystery "hid in ages past".

In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul uses the illustration or analogy of a marriage relationship to help us understand.  Remember a very important point - the Bible uses many figures of speech to convey spiritual truths, and those who take the Bible literally must allow for those things.  Hence, it is imperative for us to "STUDY to show ourselves approved unto God..."

Maybe it will help to think of it this way:  What happens when flesh (physical) dies and rots?  Obviously many things but the most important to our illustration is that it STINKS!  With that nauseating thought in mind, that is precisely what happened to us spiritually simply because we are of the seed of Adam.  Hence, "ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God".  Extending our analogy, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we receive from God, by grace, a new nature, "...created in righteousness and holiness - after THE IMAGE OF GOD".  So within the believer are two natures, Adam's and Christ's.  the old nature doesn't go away any more than the law of gravity goes away when we fly in a plane, BUT a higher law is imposed through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, whose "HIGHER NATURE" now is in control.  Remember, you can have a plane that is new and filled with fuel, but not fly.  Someone has to take control and start the engine, take off and soar.  So, the Holy Spirit now flies my plane (my life), so that the law (a governing principle) of sin and death (independence and separation) NO LONGER pulls me down as gravity would the plane.  There is now a higher law which Paul calls the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" that FREES me from the lower law of independence and separation.

The saddest thing I know is that far too many Christians are still being controlled by the lower principle - the principle that governs the flesh, and though they are living FOR Christ, they are not living IN Christ, which is the new life with the new nature, allowing us to fly spiritually.  We lust and have not, get mad as hell, destroy people with our cruel words and a thousand other things, all the time confessing Christ as our Savior, but FAILING to surrender to HIS LORDSHIP.  We can be "decent people" or flip the coin and be as mean as the devil himself because someone has said something we don't like, agree with, or whatever.

The Corinthians had all the gifts but were CARNAL because having been CONDEMNATION, they continued with their fleshy ways.  THAT is why we have divisions among us, divorce among us, debauchery among us, and all kinds of devilish stuff that STINKS as dead flesh, because that is just what it is - insecurity, envy, contentions, strife...and all the time we may be racing the engine of our lives but we are NOT FLYING!  

THINK ABOUT IT!