True. Good point again. You are distinguishing between skin flesh, and sinful 'flesh'. Scripture distinguishes between sinful flesh and natural flesh. And, men walking in the flesh, vs sinners walking after the flesh.
1Jo 4:2
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
Gal 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
2Co 10:3
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not walk after the flesh:
The error of natural theology is to make all flesh in Scripture the same, without making difference between the natural flesh and
the doctrine of the flesh.
As you say, the 'skin' flesh is not sinful in itself, but rather lusting after the flesh is sinful. Which also
includes the very thoughts and intents of our hearts:
2Co 1:12
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
Jas 3:15
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
The natural theologians would falsely call it an evil brain, but Jesus calls it an evil heart within the man:
Mat 15:18
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man:
Evil thoughts are not flesh and blood, and so the doctrine of sinful 'flesh' is not the skin tissues. Sinful flesh, fleshly, and earthly only apply to the sinful heart and soul within the body, not the body itself.
God does not judge the natural body for the works of the flesh, but only the
sinful, fleshly and earthly soul of the man:
Ezek 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Correct. The error is of the soul and spirit, not of the body. The spirit of a man is not responsible for
natural errors of the body, such as deformity, blindness, and lame. Nor is the whole, lame, or blind body in error for evil doing, but only the soul and spirit within.
Mat 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Jas 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The sin nature is spiritual, not physical. The nature of sin is lust of heart for the flesh, not the skin and bones lusting for sin.
Sinful flesh is a lusting fleshly heart, not sinful skin tissues and blood pump.
Mat 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Jesus judges the act of adultery, by the lusting of the heart alone, even without doing so with the body. The body is nothing, it's the spirit that does the work.
Jas 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Faith Alone without works, is the body alone without the spirit. Faith Alone is
not the spirit alone without the works of the body.
