CRUCIFY THE FLESH, WALK IN THE SPIRIT

 

  1. Introduction: Recently we’ve been talking about the fact that Almighty God wants sons and daughters who are Christlike—who are like Jesus in character and behavior.  And, we have more to say tonight.
  2. As Christians, we are called to imitate Jesus, or seek to be like Him. Jesus, in His humanity is the pattern for God’s family of sons and daughters (Rom 8:29).  (Remember, Jesus is God become fully man without ceasing to be fully God—John 1:1; John 1:14.)
    1. Jesus, in His humanity, is the standard for Christian character, morality, and behavior. I John 2:6 —He who says he abides in Him (Christ) ought himself also to walk just as he walked (NKJV).
    2. Character is the sum total of the features and traits that form an individual. Your character is governed by your standard of morality (right and wrong) and expressed through your behavior.
    3. Almighty God created human beings in His image, to be His imagers (Gen 1:26). God made humans with the capacity to receive Him (His Spirit and uncreated, eternal life) into our being, and then express His beauty (His love, peace, joy, holiness, righteousness) to the world around us.
  3. Sin has cut us off from God and from our created purpose as sons and daughters who image and reflect our Creator and Father. Jesus came into this world to die as a sacrifice for sin and open the way for us to be restored to Almighty God and our destiny. Heb 2:14; I Pet 3:18; etc.
  4. The most important thing you can do with your life is to seek to become increasingly like Jesus in your character and your behavior. This is your destiny, your calling, and your purpose.
  5. Since we have flaws, to become like Jesus in character and behavior seems like an impossibility. But I’d rather shoot for the stars and get halfway there than aim for the lamp post and hit it.
  6. When Jesus was on earth, He said that His followers must learn to be meek and humble, like He is. (Matt 11:28-30), and we must learn to live as servants of God and servants of men (John 13:12-17).
  7. A servant of God gives the Lord the respect and reverence that belongs to Him because He is Almighty God. A servant obeys the Lord’s commands (His moral Law as revealed in the Scriptures).  And a servant recognizes his or her complete dependence on Almighty God.
  8. A servant of man is humble and does not see himself or herself as better than other people. A servant of man is meek or gentle.  And he or she is able to control his or her reactions to people.
  9. We serve God and men through love. To love God means to obey His moral Law (His standard of right and wrong).  To serve men means to treat people as you wish to be treated, and as God has treated with you.  God has been kind, merciful, and forgiving to you.
  10. This love is not a feeling. It is an action that thinks:  How would I want to be treated if I were the other person?  If Jesus was here, would I keep treating or speaking to this person the way I am now?  This love then acts accordingly. Phil 2:4; Matt 7:12; Luke 6:35-36; etc.
  11. Humility and meekness aren’t automatic. And kindness, mercy, and forgiveness don’t naturally bubble up in us when someone annoys or hurts us.  We must be intentional about it.
  12. Christlike character has to be developed. We have to put forth effort into developing certain traits.  It isn’t easy and takes effort.  We must take on these traits, or clothe ourselves in them.
  13. Col 3:12—Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, gentleness, and patience.
  14. Col 3:13-14—You must make allowances for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you so you must forgive others.  And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love (NLT).
  15. The Holy Spirit is in us to help us develop Christlike traits as we obey God’s command to treat others as we wish to be treated. A quick, but important side note about the Holy Spirit.
  16. The Bible reveals that God is Triune. He is one God who simultaneously manifests as three distinct, but not separate, Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They coinhere or share equally one Divine nature.  Each fully possesses the one Divine nature.  The Father is all God.  The Son is all God.  The Holy Spirit is all God.
  17. All three Person were and are involved in our creation and redemption. The Father planned it.  Jesus purchased (or provided) it through His sacrifice on the Cross.  And the Holy Spirit produces (or applies) the effects in us when we believe and acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
  18. They are co-equal and co-eternal. They have eternally existed in this unique relationship.  This is a mystery beyond our comprehension.  We simply accept it and marvel at it.
  19. When we commit our life to Jesus, we begin a new way of living. But this commitment doesn’t change our basic personality, nor does it automatically eliminate all of our unChristlike traits.
  20. Even though we are sincerely committed to Jesus, we soon find that people and things still annoy us. We still get angry and have many of the same (less that godly) desires, habits, and behaviors we had before we gave our lives to Jesus.  Why is this and what can be done about it?
  21. People talk about how we have to die to self, crucify the flesh, and walk in the Spirit—and those are Bible phrases. But what do they mean and how do we do it?  Let’s begin to talk about it.

 

  1. To help us answer these questions we need to review some facts about how and why God created us. And we need to review some facts about human nature.
  2. God created us to be dependent creatures, beings who live in dependence on Him for everything. The first man, Adam, chose independence from God through sin.
  3. Adam disobeyed a direct command from the Lord. God told Adam:  Don’t eat from the tree of good and evil “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17 ESV).
  4. Adam was supposed to eat from another tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life, as a voluntary expression of his dependence on God. By doing so, Adam would have been united to eternal life, the uncreated life in God.  He would have been united to the Spirit of God.
  5. Don’t get caught up in the details (what kinds of trees were they) and miss the point for us— choosing independence from God brings death, but choosing dependence on God brings life.
  6. When Adam sinned (chose independence from God through disobedience), he acted contrary to his created nature, and his choice corrupted (degraded, spoiled) his original condition (his nature).
  7. Adam was created to be God-centered, to be focused on and dependent on God. But Adam became self-centered and self-focused, and his choice affected the human race within him.
  8. Because of Adam’s sin, all human beings are born with an inclination to put self above God and other people. We born self-centered rather than God-centered.
  9. When we act this way, we are acting contrary to our created nature. Human nature is what we are by birth.  The word nature comes from a Latin word that means to be born.
  10. We are human beings by nature or by birth. Your nature is everything that makes you human.  Your nature doesn’t need to be removed.  You need to be purified and restored.
  11. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God, by His Spirit and life, comes into us to restore us to all that He created and intends us to be (not replace us).
  12. Salvation is the purification and restoration of human nature (all that makes you you) by the power of God the Holy Spirit, on the basis of Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins.
  13. The Bible uses many word pictures to describe how God, who is Transcendent (completely other than us and above us), has chosen to interact with finite beings (us). All the word pictures fall short, but together, they give us insight into the living, vital relationship that God wants to have with us.
  14. Jesus used word pictures. For example, He referred to Himself as the Vine and believers in Him as branches:  John 15:5—I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me (Good News Bible).
  15. When we repent and believe in Jesus, God indwells us by His Spirit and uncreated, eternal life, and we are united with the Vine, joined to the “tree” that we were created to depend on for life.
  16. A branch is dependent on the vine for its life. A branch cannot bear fruit without the vine.  Fruit is outward evidence of the life within.  Life comes from to us through faith in Jesus.
  17. God the Holy Spirit (the Spirit Life) is now in us to restore us and help us develop Christlike character traits as we cooperate with Him. The fruits of the Spirit are character traits.
  18. Gal 5:22-23—But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit, [the work which His presence within us accomplishes]—is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness; (meekness, humility), gentleness, self-control (self-restraint, continence) (Amp).
  19. Human nature (a branch) can have life or death working in it. An apple tree branch cut off from the tree is cut off from the life in the tree.  The branch begins to wither, deteriorate, and decay.
  20. The nature of the branch is still the same. It’s still an apple tree branch, but it’s cut off from life and never produces apples.  It produces fruit unto death—selfish, sinful fruit. Rom 7:5
  21. The issue is, what is the branch connected to or disconnected from. If it is connected to the tree, it has life in it to bring forth fruit.  If you are united to the Vine (to Christ) through faith in Him, you have life in you and can bring forth (produce) fruit (Christlike character traits).
  22. Last week we read a passage that Paul the apostle wrote. We used it to illustrate the point that we’ve been called to serve each other through love.  Let’s reread it, add a verse, and get the context.
  23. Gal 5:13-14—For you brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom (in Christ); only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. For the whole Law (of God) [concerning human relationships] can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Amp).
  24. Paul was writing to communities of believers that he had established in a region called Galatia. After Paul left the area, these new believers were influenced by the idea that Gentiles (non-Jews) had to be circumcised to be saved.  They were in strife, arguing with each other over this issue.
  25. Paul wrote the epistle to help settle the question and stop the fighting. He told them that we’re free from the ritual regulations of the Old Covenant (or Law of Moses) such as circumcision.
  26. Gal 5:6—When we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not. What is important is faith (in Jesus) expressing itself in love (NLT).
  27. Paul went on to say: Gal 5:15—But instead of showing love among yourselves, you are always biting and devouring one another (NLT).
  28. Then Paul made a statement that gives us insight into the process of growing in Christlikeness: This I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16, NKJV).
  29. He next went into an explanation about the conflict between what Holy Spirit us wants us to do and what corrupted human nature (which is inclined toward selfishness) wants to do.
  30. Gal 5:16—So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit (NLT); If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires (CEV).
  31. Gal 5:17—For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do (Good News Bible).
  32. The word enemy means lies opposite. You (by nature, by birth) are self-focused or opposite what you were created to be.  You don’t naturally want to do what God wants.
  33. The word flesh is sometimes used to mean just the body, but it is also used for human nature, with all its frailties (moral and physical) and passions. That’s the idea here.
  34. Then Paul notes the contrast: For what human nature does is quite plain.  It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions (drunkenness, jealousy, anger, fighting, etc.) …but the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (Gal 5:19-23, Good News Bible).
  35. Paul ends: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature, with all its passions and desires.  The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives.  We must not be proud, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another (Gal 5:24-26, Good News Bible).
  36. Put to death human nature does not mean kill yourself. We try to “die to self”, but it can’t be don’t.  Jesus didn’t die to kill you or replace you.  He died to restore you.
  37. Paul is using a word picture to stress to them (and us) that we must bring an end to sinful, selfish, non-God honoring behaviors. We can’t behave the way we used to anymore.
  38. Paul was telling them you can’t live the way you used to live any more, fighting, arguing. You must to imitate Jesus who has indwelled us and leads us by the Holy Spirit.
  39. The Holy Spirit leads us through the written Word of God (the Bible), and He empowers us through His indwelling presence when we ask for His help.
  40. From the Scriptures we see what Jesus (the Perfect Son) was and is like in character. And we find instructions on how we are to behave.  We recognize behavior, attitudes and motives that need to go.  We begin to die to self, deny self, crucify the flesh (or say no to these attitudes and behaviors) and look to God the Holy Spirit to help us follow through.
  41. All of these phrases—die to self, crucify the flesh, walk in the Spirit—are different ways of stating that I must say no to myself and yes to God when what I want to do conflicts with what He wants.
  42. The problem is not that I have a nature in me that must be destroyed or removed. The problem is, I have inherited a corruption from Adam that inclines me to put myself above God and others.
  43. As soon as I reach the age of knowing right from wrong, I choose independence from God through sin (I set my own moral standard), and become guilty before God.
  44. Jesus died as a sacrifice for my sin to cleanse me (remove the guilty of my sin) when I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. He then indwells me by the Holy Spirit and begins the process of restoring me to what He created me to be—a son or daughter who is fully pleasing to God.
  45. Developing Christlike character isn’t automatic. We must put forth effort to say no to ourselves,

and it takes effort to recognize and break lifelong habits of behavior.  But God will help us.

  1. Remember also that the will (the desire) to be Christlike comes before the performance and that purpose (intent, motive) is as important as performance.

 

  1. Conclusion: I’ll close with an example of crucifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit from my life.
  2. Someone I was close to did something that caused great harm to someone else very important to me. I felt betrayed, and the effects of their actions altered the course of the other person’s life.
  3. I had a very difficult time with it. I couldn’t forgive them and I hoped they’d be publicly exposed for what they had done.  Although they were gone from my life, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
  4. One day I read this passage in Scripture: I Pet 3:8-9—Be…compassionate and courteous—tenderhearted and humble-minded.  Never return evil for evil or insult for insult—scolding, tongue-lashing, berating; but on the contrary blessing—praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them (Amp).
  5. That last phrase jumped out at me and I knew I needed to obey it. So I began to pray for them.  I didn’t mean it or feel it.  It was simply an act of obedience (or dying to myself).  At first, I even couldn’t get the part about loving and pitying them out of my mouth.
  6. Over several months, I began to experience relief from the relentless tormenting thoughts I’d been having since it happened got to the point where I could pray the last part and mean it.
  7. Sometime later I saw this person as a big church conference (they didn’t see me). I had a little battle within myself because I knew I had to greet them with kindness.  I sat down in the nearest seat and prayed:  Not my will but yours.  I got up to greet them, but they had disappeared into the crowd.  But I knew that I was finally free from something ugly in me.  More next week!