Following Christ- Not an Easy, Fun Ride- but Carrying a Daily Cross.

'The more spiritual a child of God becomes the more he is conscious of the significance of walking  according to the spirit and the dangers of walking according to the flesh. But how is he actually to walk by the spirit?'

Excerpt - The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee

How?

'The answer given in Romans 8 is to mind the spirit and to possess a spiritual mind: “they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (vv. 5-6 ASV). '

Excerpt - The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee

Rom 8:5  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.
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (KJV)

Things of the flesh.
Things of the Spirit.

Yesterday we looked at a few Biblical verses about things of the flesh. Let's look at a few about things of the Spirit.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Rom 12:9  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Rom 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Rom 12:13  Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Rom 12:14  Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Rom 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Rom 12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Rom 12:17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Clearly we can comprehend that there is a difference between minding the things of the flesh and things of the Spirit.
If we CAN'T see the difference then we need to get on our knees and pray desperately for our eyes to be opened to truth!

Today the majority of people glorify things of the flesh- maybe it's been this way since sin entered the world. Wasn't Eve minding things of the flesh when she took the fruit and ate it? Satan tempted her with having her eyes opened, having her understanding be like God's. Not content to allow God to have the things of His own, believing He knows what's best, Eve wanted to glorify her own mind, her own comprehension.  And today mankind demands people glorify themselves and think them simple minded when they choose to allow God to be in control of their lives. People will twist things ups wickedly when you follow God and not man.

Does choosing to follow God mean a person is perfect in all they do? No.

People will say that the majority of Christians are hypocrites, not truly practicing what they preach, but picking and choosing which precepts they want to follow and not following all of God's truth.  And they will be right about the majority of Christians- even Christ says so. However, that doesn't mean there won't be true Christ followers, there will be and they will face intense persecution and not just from society but family as well. Taking a stand for Christ and committing to a spiritual life found only in Him, isn't jumping on the easy, care free, fun ride of life, but rather the picking up and carrying of a DAILY cross.

Please, Lord, please…. We would be Yours!

Do you know what is of the flesh?

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

10:35 PM

Flesh and Spirit.

What are some of the things of the flesh that we are to shun?

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions…

Envying, strife, divisions.

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. 

Things LIKE- idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revellings.

Mar_4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Luk_21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches, lusts of other things, surfeiting, drunkenness.

We KNOW what these things are. We know how vulnerable we are to these various things of the flesh. These THINGS of the flesh have become things we have accepted as a part of us, not something to necessarily be shunned. In the world we live in today so many lusts of 'other things' are encouraged. Strife, heresies, drunkenness…. These are a part of everyday life. Anger, jealousies, greed… so much is touted as acceptable though often renamed. Ambition, comfortable in life, a right to be heard, we call things by many different names and often it's to make them acceptable, to cover the truth of their nature as being of the flesh, as being evil, as being contrary to God, contrary to the Spirit, contrary to our Savior.

Truly this statement -

'The more spiritual a child of God becomes the more he is conscious of the significance of walking  according to the spirit and the dangers of walking according to the flesh. But how is he actually to walk by the spirit?'

-is something we need to study more in-depth. All by the grace and will of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Obeying the Flesh, or Obeying the Spirit.

'Mind, the Spirit, and a Spiritual Mind

The more spiritual a child of God becomes the more he is conscious of the significance of walking  according to the spirit and the dangers of walking according to the flesh. But how is he actually to walk by the spirit?

The answer given in Romans 8 is to mind the spirit and to possess a spiritual mind: “they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (vv. 5-6 ASV).

Rom 8:5  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. 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

To walk after the spirit means to have the mind set on the things of the spirit; it also means to have the spirit rule the mind. Those who act according to the spirit are none other than those who are occupied with the things of the inner man and whose mind is therefore spiritual. Walking by the spirit simply denotes that a mind under the control of the spirit sets itself on the things of the spirit. This implies that our mentality has been renewed and has become spirit-controlled and thus qualified to detect every movement and silence of the spirit.

Here we see once more the relationship between these two component parts—“they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit.” Man’s head is able to mind the flesh as well as the spirit. Our mental faculty (soul) stands between the spirit and the flesh (specifically here, the body).

Whatever the mind sets itself on is what the man walks after. If it occupies itself with the flesh, we walk after that; conversely, if it sets itself upon the spirit, we follow after it. It is therefore unnecessary to ask whether or not we are walking after the spirit. We need only inquire if we are minding the spirit, that is, noticing the movement or silence therein.

Never can it be that we set ourselves on the things of the flesh and yet walk after the spirit. On whatever the mind sets itself, that do we follow. This is an unchangeable law.

What does our mind think and notice in our daily experience?

What do we obey?

Are we heeding the inner man or do we obey the flesh?

Being occupied with the affairs of the spirit will make us spiritual men, whereas occupying ourselves with the affairs of the flesh will turn us into fleshly people. If our mind is not governed by the spirit,

it must be governed by the flesh; if not guided by heaven, it must be guided by earth; if not regulated from above, it must be regulated from beneath.

Following the spirit produces life and peace, while following the flesh results in death. From God’s point of view, nothing arising from the flesh contains any spiritual value. A believer is capable of living in “death” though he still possesses life.  (Excerpt - The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee)

The Brain Sustained By the Spirit.

'We have observed in Ephesians 1 how the spirit aids the mind. Upon receiving revelation from God the believer’s spirit enlightens the intellect. The mind of a spiritual man does not rely upon natural life; it depends instead on the enlightening of the spirit’s light. It lapses into darkness otherwise. A renewed mentality needs to be directed by the light of the spirit. This explains why a person may find his thoughts confused and his whole being dissipated if his inner man is blocked by evil spirits. The brain of a spiritual man is sustained by the spirit. Should the latter fall under siege, its power cannot reach directly to the brain and so the mind immediately loses some control. The preservation of these two elements in their proper relationship requires an alertness lest our spirit be besieged by the evil spirits and cause our mind to relinquish its normal functioning.' Excerpt- The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 

Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 

Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Jesus.

Eyes of understanding enlightened.

We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit will give us in our spirit -the wisdom, the revelation, the knowledge we need of our Savior. We need this wisdom, this revelation, this knowledge to live our EVERYDAY lives. We need to live in the spirit always, never choosing to live without the Holy Spirit, never denying our spirit to allow our self to dominate. When we dominate we are not living in the wisdom of the Spirit. 

Spiritual Wisdom.

'“The eyes of your heart” points figuratively to the organ of our reasoning and understanding, that is, our mind. In this passage the word “know” or “knowledge”—used twice—serves to convey two distinctive notions: the first one is a knowing intuitively, the second is a knowing or understanding mentally. This spirit of revelation is located in the depth of our being. God reveals Himself to our spirit

that we may truly apprehend Him by our intuition. Thus far,  however, this is but intuitive knowledge; that is to say, the inner man knows while the outer man remains ignorant. The communication to

the outward man of what has been known by the inward man is an indispensable step, the lack of which prevents united action by the inner and outer man together. How then can there be this

communication? The Scripture informs us that our spirit will enlighten our mental faculty to make it understand the meaning of the revelation in the intuition. Since our outward man depends on the

mind in order to comprehend things, the spirit must convey what it knows intuitively to the mind so that the latter can deliver the message to the entire being and enable the child of God to walk

according to the spirit.'

Excerpt- The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

May the FATHER give us the SPIRIT of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of HIM.

The EYES of your UNDERSTANDING being enlightened, that you may KNOW what is the HOPE of HIS calling.

The eyes of our understanding, the eyes of our heart. 

Spirit of wisdom.

The eyes of our understanding- our mind.

The Spirit of wisdom- spiritual knowledge.

Two ways to learn- through our minds and through our spirit.

You can have all the book knowledge in the world and none of the Spirit.

You can have mind knowledge of God but none of the Spirit.

You can know of God, know of Salvation, know of the Spirit and you NOT have the Spirit knowledge. 

Knowing something but not experiencing in the Spirit is an important distinction.

You can know of love, but not experience love.

You can know of hate, but not experience hate.

You can know of many, many things but not have them as a reality, not have them as a heart knowledge, a spiritual knowledge.  We need Spiritual wisdom!

Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

Col 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness

Filled with ALL wisdom AND spiritual understanding.

We need to pray to be filled with all wisdom and with spiritual understanding.

By the grace of God may this be. He is our ONLY hope!

The Spirit Daily.

'If the Christian does not relentlessly oppose his traditional Way of thinking he shall unconsciously turn back to it. As he needs to deny the Work of the flesh and daily follow the spirit, so he must resist the old mental Way and daily think according to the renewed mind. Such vigilance is absolutely essential; otherwise he Will return to his old state.

Retrogression is all too possible in spiritual life. Unless a child of God is watchful following his mental renewal, he can still believe in the enemy’s lie and once again through passivity give him ground. In order that he may maintain his mind continually in the renewed
state, it being renewed day by day, he needs to appropriate its laws.'

(((My thoughts-  DAILY.  There are several things we do daily- every single day - some with rare exceptions. Every day we eat- unless we are fasting for person, religious reasons or through illness or other deliberate reasons.  Every day our bodies demand we do various things, they follow the physical law of our existence. Every day we drink, again very rarely do we not drink some sort of liquid every day. Then there are things we choose to do daily through being taught as part of our upbringing- such as bathe, or wash up, brush teeth, comb hair, put clothing on, you understand what I mean. We form routines. Some people in this electronic, information technology, internet world have to do various things online every single day- they've become habits.  None of this is to say that there are exceptions to these things. The majority of people have DAILY habits of living, there are very few people whose day to day life doesn't contain anything repetitive.

DAILY- prayer, study.  DAILY- choice making.

We have to choose purposefully to commit our actions. We choose whether or not to eat on any particular day. We choose what we will do every day. Will we work? Will we shop? Will we walk, run, dance? Will we go to school?  Our existence is FILLED with choice making.

Why do we for a single moment believe that we don't have to make choices daily in our spiritual life?

How could Jesus pray this prayer-

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.

- if we weren't to pray daily?

Spirituality is much more than a daily prayer.  Spirituality is a way of life, the life of having hope, having faith in a better land, not of this world.  Having a REAL hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!  Spirituality is cognitively thought about all the time, not once in a while.))))

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding (((HEART)))) being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

'“The eyes of your heart” points figuratively to the organ of our reasoning and understanding, that is, our mind. In this passage the word “know” or “knowledge”—used twice—serves to convey two distinctive notions: the first one is a knowing intuitively, the second is a knowing or understanding mentally.

This spirit of revelation is located in the depth of our being. God reveals Himself to our spirit that we may truly apprehend Him by our intuition.

Thus far,  however, this is but intuitive knowledge; that is to say, the inner man knows while the outer man remains ignorant. The communication to the outward man of what has been known by the inward man is an indispensable step, the lack of which prevents united action by the inner and outer man together. How then can there be this communication?

The Scripture informs us that our spirit will enlighten our mental faculty to make it understand the meaning of the revelation in the intuition. Since our outward man depends on the mind in order to comprehend things, the spirit must convey what it knows intuitively to the mind so that the latter can deliver the message to the entire being and enable the child of God to walk according to the spirit.'

More on that tomorrow, by the GRACE and WILL of our Savior, Jesus Christ now and forever!

His Will, His Path, His Way.

Psa 25:4  Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 

Psa 25:5  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding

Filled with the KNOWLEDGE of HIS WILL in ALL WISDOM and SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING.

Truly this is our desire, isn't it? As Christ followers we desire to have the knowledge of our Savior's will.  So often we manipulate our lives by telling ourselves we are following God's will, when in fact we have exerted our own will over and over and pretended that it's God's.

Col 4:12  …, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 

Here we have one laboring in prayer for another- the prayer being that one stands perfect and complete in ALL THE WILL OF GOD.

Psa 143:10  Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 

Taught to do the WILL of God. We need this teaching!

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

The will of God is a TRANSFORMED RENEWING of our MINDS- not a mind conformed to this world.

Why can't our mind be conformed to this world? Because our Savior came preaching what? A new world! Our Savior came preaching SALVATION! Salvation from our unrenewed minds filled with living in the present world, unconcerned for the future, the eternal future. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph all these lived with the hope for a future, they did not live with the hope of this world. They knew this world would not give them the things of God, their hope was in the promise afar off. When Jesus came He made that afar off promise a triumphant reality so ALL human beings regardless of birthright would have hope in eternal salvation, hope in that heavenly kingdom to come. Our minds need transforming from conformity to this world! We need the will of God in our lives as a reality, not as an offhanded belief tucked away that we pull out from time to time to think about, meanwhile we conform to the world.  We need the REALITY of SALVATION in our lives! The will of God- good, acceptable, perfect, we need this!

Eph 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

Eph 6:6  Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 

Eph 6:7  With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Do we realize how important it is to do the will of God?!

Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

1Pe 2:15  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 

1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 

1Pe 2:17  Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 

1Pe 2:18  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 

1Pe 2:19  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 

1Pe 2:20  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 

1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 

1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Psa 25:8  Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 

Psa 25:9  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 

Psa 25:10  All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 

Psa 119:5  O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 

Psa 119:6  Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. 

Psa 119:7  I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.