Gal 5:24 'And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
It is amazing how many believers want to be a Christian their way and not according to the way of the cross. They are followers of Christ until the cross starts to crucify their flesh and then they back off. Some even try to spiritualize the cross and say that it's not what God wants for them. For example; God has convicted some and told them to go to Bible School or Bible College to train themselves up in the things of God, but they rationalized or were talked out of it and went to a secular college or did nothing. That is disobedience and they will not enjoy the fruit of God's will until they obey. Many love the fact that God has forgiven them of all sin but don't want the plan of God that is designed to crucify their flesh and get them into the will of God through obedience to the Spirit (1Pt 1:2). DON'T STOP NOW, READ ON!
The scriptures teach that all things are of God (2Cor 5:18) and all things are for our sake (2Cor 4:15). Our flesh is what has responded to our old sin nature and is very comfortable doing it. The only way God can stop us from responding in the flesh is to crucify our flesh by ordaining details in our life that crucify us. Sometimes God has a problem doing this because there are those that interfere with what God is doing. They are teaching, preaching or advising others about sin or some dumb thing of the flesh and they are not discerning the plan of God that is dealing with the person's flesh through a cross. You can't talk somebody out of the flesh, it has to be crucified.
The flesh has affections and lusts. Affections (pathema) is a disposition, impulse, propensity and passion to the things of the flesh. Lusts (epithumos) a desire, a craving, a longing for the things of the flesh. When you get saved these two things of the flesh just don't disappear. For God to form Christ in us (Gal 4:19), he does it through a plan, little by little, and it lasts the rest of our life or until we receive the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23). Isn't that the work of God that (Phil 1:6) teaches?
If a believer will take up their cross, deny themselves and follow hard after the Christ (Matt 16:24), then God will be able to transform that believer to mind the things of the Spirit instead of minding the things of the flesh (Rom 8:5). (Look at the verses of scripture and see what they have to say)
The cross is one thing that you can never deny, because it always represents one thing, DEATH! Death to self and everything that goes with it, death to Adam and original sin, death to the old man, death to the sin nature, death to our sins and death to the affections and lusts of the FLESH. No one likes having their flesh crucified but it must take place if Christ is going to be revealed. The resurrection life of Christ, that is in us, can only come forth out of death. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone, but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24). The effective power and fruit of the gospel that we preach to others, will only be effective and as fruitful according to the same measure of death that has been worked in us through the cross (2Cor 4:12).
2Co 4:11 'For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh'.
It is amazing how many believers want to be a Christian their way and not according to the way of the cross. They are followers of Christ until the cross starts to crucify their flesh and then they back off. Some even try to spiritualize the cross and say that it's not what God wants for them. For example; God has convicted some and told them to go to Bible School or Bible College to train themselves up in the things of God, but they rationalized or were talked out of it and went to a secular college or did nothing. That is disobedience and they will not enjoy the fruit of God's will until they obey. Many love the fact that God has forgiven them of all sin but don't want the plan of God that is designed to crucify their flesh and get them into the will of God through obedience to the Spirit (1Pt 1:2). DON'T STOP NOW, READ ON!
The scriptures teach that all things are of God (2Cor 5:18) and all things are for our sake (2Cor 4:15). Our flesh is what has responded to our old sin nature and is very comfortable doing it. The only way God can stop us from responding in the flesh is to crucify our flesh by ordaining details in our life that crucify us. Sometimes God has a problem doing this because there are those that interfere with what God is doing. They are teaching, preaching or advising others about sin or some dumb thing of the flesh and they are not discerning the plan of God that is dealing with the person's flesh through a cross. You can't talk somebody out of the flesh, it has to be crucified.
The flesh has affections and lusts. Affections (pathema) is a disposition, impulse, propensity and passion to the things of the flesh. Lusts (epithumos) a desire, a craving, a longing for the things of the flesh. When you get saved these two things of the flesh just don't disappear. For God to form Christ in us (Gal 4:19), he does it through a plan, little by little, and it lasts the rest of our life or until we receive the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23). Isn't that the work of God that (Phil 1:6) teaches?
If a believer will take up their cross, deny themselves and follow hard after the Christ (Matt 16:24), then God will be able to transform that believer to mind the things of the Spirit instead of minding the things of the flesh (Rom 8:5). (Look at the verses of scripture and see what they have to say)
The cross is one thing that you can never deny, because it always represents one thing, DEATH! Death to self and everything that goes with it, death to Adam and original sin, death to the old man, death to the sin nature, death to our sins and death to the affections and lusts of the FLESH. No one likes having their flesh crucified but it must take place if Christ is going to be revealed. The resurrection life of Christ, that is in us, can only come forth out of death. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone, but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24). The effective power and fruit of the gospel that we preach to others, will only be effective and as fruitful according to the same measure of death that has been worked in us through the cross (2Cor 4:12).
2Co 4:11 'For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh'.