The flesh wars against the spirit

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

We discussed yesterday a bit about the filthiness of our flesh read more--

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Works of the flesh-- 

Adultery.

Fornication.

Uncleanness.

Lasciviousness.

Idolatry.

Witchcraft.

Hatred.

Variance.

Emulations.

Wrath.

Strife.

Seditions.

Heresies.

Envyings.

Murders.

Drunkenness.

Revellings.

And all that can be put into any of those categories. 

Do you SEE?!  The flesh rules us in so many ways. We want control of ourselves and yet that control we take is filled with the flesh.  We indulge ourselves, our flesh and we say we are allowed because we are in control. Yes, we've drawn lines and some of those lines are blurred. We say murder is going too far, but strife is fine. We say adultery and fornication are okay, but hatred is not. We say witchcraft is acceptable, but sedition is not. We pick and choose our flesh indulgences and we do that making it acceptable by telling ourselves that we …NOT GOD… are in control of ourselves.

The flesh wars against the spirit and it corrupts our spirit when we allow it to.

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Let us CLEANSE ourselves.    We have to be willing to be cleaned. We can't cling to the filth and expect to appear clean.  No one can hold onto their filth and expect to be clean. If we clench our fists, cover our filthy bodies, the cleansing water will NOT penetrate what we are refusing to expose. God will NOT force clean us, He will NOT put a power washer hose on us ripping into our filthy flesh, using the force of the water to abuse us into letting Him cleanse us.  We have to be WILLING to be cleaned. We need to desire cleansing. We need to comprehend that even while the flesh lusts will give us TEMPORARY pleasures that life - true life is so much more than TEMPORARY pleasure, temporary good times. How many of us lament good times in the past, even though we KNOW they are of the flesh, the filthy flesh? How many of us cling to the flesh pleasures over sacrifice? For some horrific reason we've got it drilled into our minds that we are entitled to good times- flesh filthy good times. And I'm not talking JUST about sex, but all the various flesh filth we've talked about, you don't have to be indulging in sexual activities to be covered in flesh filth. A pious, hate-filled, virginal prude is just as filthy as the worst fornicator. Indulging in anything ungodly is wrong. We must repent, we must seek forgiveness.

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

We must press towards the mark for the prize! We must NOT give up as sin surrounds us covering us in its filth trying to suffocate us into acceptance, drown us into submission.

Cleanse us LORD we would be cleaned by YOU!

Cleanse us.

By Your amazing, wondrous grace!

In the name of Jesus Christ our LORD, now and forever, AMEN.