The Flesh
Today’s Verse:
And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp. ~Leviticus 9:11
One of our more modern-day sayings that we use is the phrase “flesh it out.” This basically means to make something fuller; to give substance to something so that it might be more complete. In the Christian life, we engage in a daily battle between our flesh and the Spirit. The flesh represents our carnal, selfish, and sinful desires, ambitions, and appetite. The work of the flesh is aptly described in Galatians 5:19-21. On the other hand, a complete and victorious spiritual life is not in the fulfillment of the flesh but in the life of the Spirit. Only by living in the Spirit can we attain the success and victory that God wants us to have. This morning, we want to see why it is important that the flesh is taken out.
There is the menace of the flesh.
The flesh is our spiritual enemy. Our flesh fights with us every day. Its agenda is to bring you and me captive to its power. When the flesh is in control of us, we have the propensity of committing some very heinous sins. To the extreme, the sins of the flesh can result in behavior that is immoral, injurious, and insubordinate. It does not like being brought under any other power. It is similar to a wild horse that has never been broken. It despises holiness, harmony, and happiness. It delights itself in aberrant lifestyles that are defiling, demoralizing, and destructive. The flesh is destructive to normal relationships, normal thinking, and normal desires. When the flesh is in control, the life of the individual is out of control and like a disabled airplane on a downward descent to destruction. The flesh is a menace to every Christian!
There must be the mortifying of the flesh.
Our only victory over the flesh is a daily crucifying. Paul said in Galatians 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.” The flesh must be impaled. The flesh must be restrained. The flesh must die daily. When the flesh is mortified, we are putting to death anger, bitterness, covetousness, envy, jealousy, lust, lying, pride, and unforgiveness. The flesh must not be given any opportunity to escape. We are to put no confidence in the flesh. The flesh of a bullock was taken out of the camp because it represented defilement and interference to fellowship with God. The mortifying of the flesh demands that we take the flesh outside of the camp.
There is the milestone with the flesh.
When the flesh is taken out, then the Spirit life can thrive! When the flesh is out of the way, there are no personal agendas, self-seeking desires, secret lusts, or sinful bondage. When the flesh is out of the way, our prayers are answered. When the flesh is out of the way, spiritual growth is evident. When the flesh is out of the way, our faith is strong. When the flesh is out of the way, our fellowship with the Lord is sweet and wonderful. When the flesh is out of the way, we have fruit that abounds to the glory of God.
In every home, we need to take the garbage out so that it is clean, free of disease, and fragrant. In our spiritual life, we need to take the flesh out of the camp: far away from where its contamination will ruin us. Do yourself a great service this morning: take the flesh far out from you!
Have a sanctified God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Thessalonians 1-3