Combat , the spirit v the flesh

amen to all of that this part

“I love the old phrase, "rotten at the core." It is so fitting for the root cause of all of our problems as human beings, individually and collectively.”

The great physician approaches the patients and

“But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:30-32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He examines and diagnoses the sickness

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭

a then pulls his scalpel from its sheath and goes to work
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭

“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”
‭‭John‬ ‭7:16-17‬ ‭

“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12:49-50‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

……Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

…..Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12, 31-32, 51‬ ‭KJV‬‬

if our hearts believes like this we could see the same things in this

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

and this

“And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,

and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:9, 16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

before the serpent spake man has been commanded freely to eat of all the trees but only clearly warned about one


Man is made to live by believing and following Gods word

The Scriptures are very clear on this topic. We cannot fulfill the lusts of the flesh and expect to inherit the Kingdom of God. When we are born again, we attend to the things of the Spirit; an unconverted person still attends to the things of the flesh. Merely professing Jesus' name does not save a person. You must be born again.

1 John 2
[3] And hereby we do know that we know him [Jesus], if we keep his commandments.
[4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
[6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The first thing we have to do is acknowledge our own sins and go through the repentance process until we can actually read someth g like the sermon on the Mount and walk away feeling like we’re perfect we need to really hear it and adjust our ways as Christ taught us

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9, 12-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

….And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:36-38, 46-49‬ ‭

the New Testament really challenges people who think they are finished and right because it’s doctrine just always is calling us to a higher and better place no matter how far we get or how good we think we’re doing there’s always much more we can adjust to and do better if we’re always looking at our own selves and not others in the light

I agree we need to be born again but I’d say to be born is one thing , to grow up and mature and be fruitful is another being born again isnt complex , growing and maturing is a long process and we do have grace to cover our shortcomings through confession and repentance In johns same epistle there he shows us the intent of what he’s saying but also reveals the safe guard

at his part seems to be contradictory to your wuote

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:6-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

about john explains what he’s saying

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. ( he’s like Paul and everyone teaching them sin is not our way anymore you can’t keep sinning but also he reminds us of the living and eternal propitiation )


And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:1-2‬ ‭

There are alot of babes born in Christ who haven’t yet grown up they belong to him every bit as much a a mature Christian elder without his patience towards each of us no one has a chance

being born again is easy following the spirit and growing up spiritually truly finding repentance in tangible form those things take a lifetime but he’s for the ones who believe truly and don’t reject his word his shed blood and suffering his grace towards us his patience with us should never ever be forgotten just as repentance and living upright lives should never be excluded or forgotten

Grace and truth total salvstion and eternal life

Hi.. what you said is not what 1st John 2 was talking about. Question can you believe in Christ and not know Him? It was not until years past before Christ told them "if you love me keep my words/commands". We do tend to toss out "obey or be gone!" lol sorry. I am not saved because I don't lust after the flesh or never sin I should say. I am saved I am righteous aka righteousness because I simply believe in trust in cling to Jesus/Yeshua Christ. Its what He did not what I do or don't do. With in me now is a battel where once I was a slave to sin but today I still have every desire this flesh had before He found me. Oh but not the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. That is who I am its no longer I that sin but sin that is in me "As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out". As in another thread ..this also is meat.

Great post Pilgrimshope.. blessed me thank you.

Hi there. Being born again means that you no longer pursue or fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Also, your understanding of Romans 7 is common among Christians, however, it isn't what the Apostle is trying to convey. Here's a great teaching that delves into this issue:

yes the truth well spoken. Welcome 070707

Blessings!

Ok Pilgrim, just remember you started this thread about the Holy Spirit, one of my favorite topics in the Bible!

Let's go back to the beginning of this chapter...

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Gen1:2).

It is astounding that our all-powerful Creator is also an intimate God who moves upon "the face of" His creation. It's like that beautiful dove that hovers over their dwelling and nest, eager to bring new life into existence.


2 Timothy 1:6-7

New King James Version

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Stirring up the Spirit of God within us can yield extraordinary experiences!

amen to that !!!

We gotta keep our lights burning with the proper oil ! And preparedness

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:35-37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

we stir one another up sometimes it’s a gift
of the fellowship

Good morning Pilgrim...!

Another aspect of the Holy Spirit is truth. With His help, we are led out of deception and guided towards that which is true and honest:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

Notice how the Spirit will ..."guide [us] into all truth." it's not like once we receive the Holy Spirit, we are given some magical power to know the truth immediately. It is a discovery process where we are directed to learn and discover that truth with the Spirit as our tour guide during this short life.

And, the truth can hurt, especially when our deepest faults and sins are brought to the surface. I'm sure you are like me, though, where we desire the truth no matter how painful that process can be.

It's interesting to see all the different perspectives we have as Christians on non-salvation issues. I'm involved in a discussion thread about the potential for a 3rd temple being built in Jerusalem prior to Jesus' return. Both sides of the argument are solid, and it's gotten a little heated, but I can see both sides of the theory with scripture being my primary reference. I think the key is we need to stay united on those issues that really matter to us as God's children and exercise that fruit of "meekness" when we disagree on marginal issues associated with our faith.

SF

Yep agree with what you say here.

i think the key is knowing who the truth is and who came into the world to speak the truth. It’s all true in scripture but there is “ the truth “

usually things like this when Jesus says then has alot of biblical roots in prophecy this one is a constant theme from ot to new the messiahs word

“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18:37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Believing the truth of the gospel is what saves

John 6:63

“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, Cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭80:17-19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Hebrews 4:12

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path. I am afflicted very much: Quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me thy judgments.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:103-105, 107-108‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭36:9‬ ‭

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1, 4, 9‬ ‭

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:18-21‬ ‭

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:5-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬


When we begin hearing Jesus word and judgements it shines into all our darkness and reproved our sins but if we live sin we won’t come o to that type of light we recognize it will take our sins away and we’re not ready to let them go yet

The light is the best disinfectant the truth the best answer to deception the spirit of life the solution for death

John 8:12 + John 12:46

Oh that’s a nice one !!

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wow--you two really got on a roll today!

Pilgrimshope has also inspired quite a few of my panels with the Scripture verses he posts... .

Accepting the Holy Spirit into my life in my early 20s is when my real life actually began. And, stirring up that Spirit through studying the Bible (the Word of God), praying, fellowshipping, and serving are the true foundations that all other aspects of my life rest upon.

Without that foundation in Jesus Christ, "...the flesh profits nothing" sums it up very well.