Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Walking through Ephesians - Day 88

versebyverse | February 10, 2008 14:35

Thought:  To me, we need to realize the end-result of pursuing "the flesh."

Question:  Do I have, clearly, a "former deceitful way of life" that has been done away with?

Scripture:  Ephesians 4:22 (NIV):  "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;"

Among the true teachings which came with Jesus, which are in Jesus, is that "your old self" needs to be "put off."  The sensual way of living must be shunned.  Paul says we must "no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking,"  (verse 17).  Jesus taught us this not only by word, but by the revealing of the truth in Him and through His life.  We saw that He was not sensual; He approached life on a constant spiritual, eternally-oriented level.  So must we.

Why put off the old self?  If flesh exists, why do away with its influence?  Because God has said that the flesh wars against the spirit.  The flesh opposes God's way.  Apparently when Adam and Eve fell, they acquired the nature of flesh that would ever oppose God; they obtained the knowledge of good and evil--spiritual and sensual.  Through Christ only can we have the victory in this war, that is if we want victory over sensuality and carnality.  We have to find out what we want.  In a way we have to learn to want Christ, to hunger for spiritual things.  We have to grow weary and disatisfied with the emptiness of the flesh and its lies.  This takes time.  Processes of learning have to continually go on.  We have to learn first of all that the flesh is always corrupting, dying, and that the life it seems to offer is really a way down into death.  The desires of the flesh are "deceitful."  They call us to do this or that, but the call is a lie, the goal is a lie.  Satan told Eve she'd be like God.  She desired this vey much but it did not come true.

If we can grasp these ideas regarding the lying flesh, we will be quite ready to shun it next time it calls out to us.  We will want to "put off your old self" knowing it only ends in death.  That's all Adam and Eve got, wasn't it?  They lost their glorious immortality--they gained nothing.

As long as we indulge the flesh, it will increasingly corrupt.  The dying process will be aided more and more if we choose to follow carnality.  It will be an ongoing, downward, spiral as the "old self...is being corrupted" day after day.

Prayer:  Holy God, help me put off my "old self" entirely.  Show me plainly, Father, whenever it rears its ugly head and strengthen me to set it aside.  Amen. 

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Re: Walking through Ephesians - Day 88

Frank | 02/11/2008, 20:51

Hello, Yes, exactly right, the supremacy of the Holy Spirit, the Sovereignty of God in our lives. It is almost incredible to me how God works in me/you/us to not only DO His good pleasure but also works in us to desire to do His good pleasure, as Phillipians 2:13 says."For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure", and I, that is the old man, can still mess things up. I don't mean to take any of your time away from your study, but I wanted to let you know someone was reading your blog (I hate that word). I had found christianblogsites.com while googling for my own studies. Upon looking over some of the other blogs, I noticed there did not seem to be any interaction among the bloggers (those that were doing studies). At first I concluded that these are private studies in which the individual writes for their own edification...which is fine. But then I found yours, and you should share. So I wanted to let you know you were sharing with me. Thank you.

Re: your comment

Gayle Carlson | 02/11/2008, 19:53

Hello Frank, I really appreciate your input! I like getting feedback and knowing someone out there in cyberspace is actually reading my blog. As to your comment... I agree 100%. Paul expressed it well in Romans when he described his own inability to put aside the flesh. I believe it boils down to what we want most. If we desire the supremacy of the Holy Spirit more than the exercise of our own flesh we will EVENTUALLY see a growth, a progress, an improvement in our ability to decide against the flesh. Our will chooses to oppose our own flesh. This good process is enhanced by feeding on the Word, praying without ceasing, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit and practicing like, spiritual disciplines that bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, primarily in this context, self-control. Bit by bit we should "mature" to the full stature of a disciple of Christ. You'll notice I mentioned it was a process. I have learned that this is truly the case--and I do have a long way to go--but God has been very faithful to bring me along. I know I am growing. To me that's the important thing.

Eph. 4:22

Frank | 02/10/2008, 21:51

Yes! Very good words. I appreciate your thoughts very much. If I may though, I would only add that, with me, it takes more to shun the lying flesh than "grasping these ideas". What is missing? My will to put off the old man is not enough. "The good that I would, I do not; that which I would not, I do".
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