Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
09/03/2013, by John Kincaid

Lesson 25: Fight to the Death
 

Our “old man” (our flesh) was crucified:
 
Rom.6:6 our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
 
Our flesh no longer rules over us. When Christ returns, He will destroy the flesh forever.
 
Every drop of poison is poison. Indwelling sin is always sin. The very last molecule of flesh that remains in a believer is still hostility against God.
 
But the moment we were saved, God changed our nature:
 
2 Cor.5:17 in Christ we are a new creation
 
Salvation conquers the flesh, wounds it & weakens it, but doesn’t change the nature of flesh.
 
Sin will never agree to a truce, much less an end to the war. Sin will fight to the death. We cannot expect to have any rest from our flesh unless we put it to death.
 
We think the flesh is our enemy; but it only hates us because God is in us. Sin hates God.
 
A believer may go through the motions of religion, without truly worshiping God. Someone may go to church mostly because they like the music or fellowship.
 
But you will feel the hostility of the flesh any time you sincerely approach God. The flesh hates everything about God. There is no possibility of finding common ground.

About This Series

- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.