Today, we also have been given
the choice to choose between living according to the desires of the flesh, the
nature of the first Adam, the product of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, which are the works of the devil. Or the choice to live according to the
spirit, the nature of the Last Adam, the Spirit man from heaven, who is the
tree or source of life.
We are admonished by the Apostle
Paul therefore saying, “Do not be deceived; evil company corrupts good habits.
Awake to righteousness and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of
God. I speak this to your shame” (1Corinthians15:33-34).
It is really a shame for most
people not to have known the reason why Jesus Christ took on the sinful nature
of man, lived a perfect sinless life in sinful flesh; paid the penalty of sin
which is death, for all mankind; resurrected from the dead and gave to all a
new life in the spirit, and not knowing the reason why Christ suffered all
these things; and what is expected of us.
How many times have we seen or
heard people who yield to the desires and passions of the flesh, and give the
flesh priority over the Word of God—Jesus Christ and say; God understand! When
the reason why Christ died and rose again, is for us to, “No longer live for
ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again.” It is for us to do away
with the body of sin (2Corinthians
5:15; Romans 6:6).
Conquering sin in the flesh is
not an automatic transformation which takes place at conversion. It is a
concerted effort by the individual, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, to whom
we can go boldly to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need,
and by the renewing of the mind in the knowledge of Jesus Christ who created us
(Romans
12:1-2; Colossians 3:10).
We are the ones who are to exert
the effort, according to our knowledge of Jesus Christ, with the help of God,
whom does not give aid to angels but does give aid to the seed of Abraham, to
put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust. Evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians3:5-9).
Jesus Christ came in the flesh to
set us a perfect example that we should follow His steps, “Who committed no sin
and no deceit was found in His mouth. He
was tempted in all points as we are being tempted,” yet He never sinned.
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions
with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was
heard because of His reverent submission.. Although He was a Son, He learned
obedience from what He suffered and once
made perfect, He became the source of Eternal salvation for all who obey Him
and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek” (1Peter 2:21-22;
Hebrews 4:15; 5: 7-10).
“God sent His own Son in the
likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful
man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in
us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the
things of the Spirit (Romans
8:3-5).
And, “Inasmuch as Christ suffered in His body, we also are to arm ourselves with the same mind, because he who has suffered in his flesh is done with sin: As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires (sin), but rather for the will of God” (1Peter 4: 1-2).
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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