6. The power of the flesh is a real actuality. Suppose we found the godliest person who walked with God. There is no doubt that the best fall into sin, transgression and iniquity. The Bible says that Noah walked with God and there is no doubt about this; however, when we read the written Word of God we see that even righteous men fall into sin and wickedness and corruption. David was a man after God's own heart but he fell into adultery and murder. Noah was a man who walked with God but he became drunk and nude. The flesh is the enemy within us. It is our very corruption and wretchedness. I suggest to you that the sinful nature of man has created false religion; however, there is no doubt that Satan is also behind this evil controversy. I heard a philosopher say that all world religions are different and that invalidates biblical Christianity, because one cannot tell which religion is credible, believable or reliable. I suggest to you that the fundamental flaw of this philosopher's understanding is that if a world religion is contrary to the written Scriptures of the OT and NT alone, it has no spiritual credibility for spiritual belief. The written Scriptures of biblical Christianity is the religious, theological, spiritual, historical and philosopher basis for our Christians beliefs and practice and devotion! I suggest to you that it is the flesh that is an abomination and desperately wicked and who can comprehend it? The diversity of world religion is based on the sinful nature of mere man, and Satan is solely concerned about the "interests of men" and not of God. If you belong to Christ this day, you will realize the power of the flesh because you have been awakened out of spiritual death. We are not unaware of Satan's schemes because he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour! However, we must comprehend the nature of the flesh. If we understand the nature of the flesh, we will beware of its attacks against the Spirit within us. There is no doubt that the flesh is a parasite. The flesh seeks to accomplish diabolical schemes of serving its former master. The flesh seeks after spiritual ruin and destruction. The flesh is elusive and lurking and trickery. The flesh is at work to cause you to reject the God-appointed means of spiritual redemption. The flesh is the cause of the mess of the difference of the practices and beliefs of world religion under the leadership of Satan. I suggest to you that if there is a cause for good in this world, why wouldn't there be a cause of evil also? The gospel delivers us from the penalty and power of evil and sin and disobedience! We ought to never sin all we want to have remission of sin. This is called lawlessness! At the Day of Judgement Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior condemns the lawless ones and accepts the obedient ones. Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ we are to "follow Him." We are saved by grace alone and obedience does not merit heaven, but we ought to never neglect demonstrating our Christian faith in a dark world. We ought to repent and obey the written Word of God, because it alone is infallible and inerrant and inspired. The Word of God can radical change us. It is the Word and the Spirit that changes our hearts in sovereign regeneration. There is no other way to have our hearts changed but by God's way of doing things! I suggest to you that world religions add to the gospel because they justify sin and an abandonment to radical corruption. The flesh feels right but according to God's written Word it is not right at all. The flesh excuses responsibility or accountability. The flesh loves disobedience and hates the rightful obedience of God's written Word. The flesh is the basis for ignorance. It wants to keep you naive. However, with divine knowledge and wisdom of the written Word of God we can be "sold-out" for our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ! We should not be "sold-out" to wickedness and destruction. We ought to be "sold-out" for Jesus Christ and obedience to His written Word. If we do not understand His Word, we cannot do what is pleasing to Him. We ought to always do the things that are pleasing to Him alone. The flesh loves to obey the world because the world is of sin. Jesus did not pray for the world but for His people. We ought to always cherish the prayers of Jesus for us. He intercedes for us in heaven to the Father through His prayers for us. We gain the cosmic victory through our Lord and Defender and Friend Jesus Christ!
7. We ought to spiritually understand that the flesh or sinful nature has no difficulty with outward forms of religion. That is why you see the mess of the difference of views in world religions today. That is, they do not below to Jesus Christ but they serve their own bellies. The flesh seeks to avoid fellowship, Sunday worship and weekly devotion. The flesh seeks to have you fail at every godly thing you undertake. We should surrender to God and what He demands in His written Word. It is only when we do this by His grace and Spirit and Word that we will have victory over the flesh. It is no doubt a cosmic warfare. It is no doubt an enemy from hell. We ought to surrender by His design and plan our whole selves to His way: mind, will, spirit and soul. We ought to never live in our own way and do it our way. The way of the flesh will perish but the way of Jesus is everlasting life. The flesh also promises a false hope, a false peace, a false comfort, a false belief and a false forgiveness. Beware of the sinful nature of man! The flesh wants to think that everything is "okay" while it is falling to pieces right before your eyes but the problem is, the flesh prohibits you to see it. True peace is from Jesus but the flesh has a false peace. Many have this false peace. Peace comes from the reading of the written Word of God. The peace of the flesh is a counterfeit peace. People of world religion "feel" they are right with God; however, no one is right with God but through our only Savior in explicit faith in His name and Cross! We ought to never serve our "own marching orders." We are to serve the divine orders of King Jesus alone. We belong to Jesus and we are not our own! Some would use the Bible to corrupt our beliefs, because they do not handle it correctly. The flesh is a master at wrong interpretations of the sacred pages of the divine Word. The flesh even promotes itself over the divine majesty of God every time you sin it is a cosmic act of idolatry! The flesh brings us away from King Jesus as our Lord Christ. I suggest to you that no mere man can master the flesh except by the Word and Spirit alone! We see in the beginning pages of ancient history the first recorded murder by Cain. He could not master his sin or rule over it, because he lacked the Spirit and the Word. Search yourselves and see! Do you indeed have God's Spirit? That is, do you know that you belong to God through His eternally begotten Son by His Holy Ghost? May God help you conquer your sinful nature through His Word and Spirit! Amen.
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
