Flesh of Man Vs.

The Spirit of Man: In Contrast

By Dwight Haas (8/28/13)

Here are most of the scriptures that have to do with the flesh and how it affects our salvation. The bible has less of a problem approaching the flesh than we do. Also in most of the scriptures the spirit is held in sharp contrast to the flesh, Spirit life and peace, Flesh evil, weak and full of passions and desires. So is the flesh sinful? If you cut off a chunk of flesh and put it on the counter is it sinning? No! Are we sinful from the womb? No! Is it genetics? I dont thinks so, but then again I am not a geneticist. And yet the terminology of sinful flesh is used and used often. It would be easier to swallow if we see where the flesh is good and the spirit is better, but there is that nagging scriptural contrast. There must be some strong tie to the flesh that affects man and his relationship to God. So if it is not the flesh itself that is sinful, then what is it? Perhaps it is the relationship, the connection, the close association that becomes an indelible influence on our lives. Rom. 8:6 seems to make this connection For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. If we are led away by the flesh, the sinful passions and desires, the weakness of the flesh, then what can bring us back? Heb.9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. How can we reconcile that Jesus came in the flesh or likeness of sinful flesh and yet was not sinful? Well, this is what the Bible says happened. This can only mean that while he was in the flesh he wasnt subordinate to it, he endured the same temptations Adam did and yet Heb.2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Carnal def.: 15th century. < ecclesiastical Latin carnalis< Latin carn- "flesh" Flesh vs. Spirit Romans 6:11-13 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:18-20 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Romans 7:4-6 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to anotherto Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:13-25 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was

producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 8:1-9 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 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, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Romans 8:11-13 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtorsnot to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 13:13-14 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (bring the body in to subjection vs subject to the body) Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Romans 6:5-7 (new body of the resurrection vs old body of sin) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Galatians 4:21-31 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagarfor this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her childrenbut the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: Rejoice, O barren,You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children, Than she who has a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. Galatians 5:16-26 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians 2:14-16 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 2 Peter 2:9-11 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. Fleshly Wisdom, Fleshly Mind, etc. 2 Corinthians 1:11-13 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more

abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end. Colossians 2:17-19 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Hebrews 7:15-16 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. Hebrews 9-9-11 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscienceconcerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 1 Peter 2:11-12 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Corrupted vs. Incorruption 1 Corinthians 15:41-43 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 1 Corinthians 15:49-51 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed Jesus Tempted as we are A Sympathizing Victor Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Paul confronts his and the problem of all men: Rom.7: 17-18 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. And Rom.7:22-25 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. And Rom. 8:4-6 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Paul makes the point that the one who lives after the flesh is different than the one who lives after the Spirit, but he makes a strong case for our attraction to the flesh as well. If this attraction isnt so strong, then why is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life not featured so prominently in the Bible? Adam and Eve fell to it and Jesus was tempted by Satan with these three things. They all appealed to the flesh of man, because man likes the appeal of the flesh. Paul also made it a point that while others were teaching the forsaking of certain things in abstinence that this act of abstinence was in itself being subject to the things, Col.2:14-23. I think Paul was trying to make the point that if we do without then we have not exercised control over the desire, we have simply put the object of our desire beyond our immediate grasp! Paul on the whole taught control or rather self-control, also called temperance. I Cor.9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. What does Paul want us to have mastery over? I Cor.9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. The Flesh!!!! Going back to Romans 8, Paul states, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So, Paul basically says, that the way to not do the things of the flesh is to do the things of the Spirit. Allowing the Spirit to dominate in our thinking allows us to control our desires of the flesh. We do not have to deny the desires or practice abstinence of the things that we desire, but we must control the desires, lest they control us. Jesus was tempted with all of the things that He had already done and was capable of. He had eaten bread when hungry, he had demonstrated His power to heal and He was already over all of the Earth. Satan simply tested Jesus when Jesus had said, No! to all of these things for a time that Jesus had decided upon. He practiced self-control over His fleshly nature by keeping the Spiritual Godly nature in the front. After that Jesus again did miracles and ate bread and went to sit at the right hand of God.

In Conclusion: The whole point of this study was to Biblically look at what we have to face on daily basis and we wear it and take it with us all of the timeour flesh. It is present and it is powerful, because it fulfills our sense of desire to fulfill the flesh. We have a job set out for us and it isnt easy. We must practice control over our fleshly desires and place the Spiritual ahead in our thinking. We must keep our eyes on God and not on the things that tempt us to wrestle the control from us. Should we fast every now and then? Possibly, if just to get a sense of control and realization that we dont need the things as bad as we want them? But we most of all must walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit and bow to the Spirit.