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Fulfilling the New Covenant

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Building Bridges between God and Man

The Battle for the Body

Bonnie Morris

A True Struggle of a 12 Year Old

“I’m 12 years old now. I was 8 when my daddy died. I loved him so much. He was a wonderful man. Since my father hasn’t been here for a few years, God and I have gotten really close. God is so good to me. My mom has married again and at first I thought I was gonna get another daddy, but it isn’t turning out that way. They’ve only been married a little while and I am already seeing him for what he is. I don’t know if mom even sees it. She works all the time to make a living for us. He is just lazy and doesn’t do anything. I have a lot of problems with him. I never tell anyone about it, but inside I’m going nuts! I know God tells me to honor him, but I don’t know what to do with that commandment. I believe it and want to obey it, but this man is just no good. I don’t want to hate him. I think I am gonna go to hell. I wonder if there is anyone, anywhere that can help me.”

Not unlike many who find themselves in a situation where they would like to obey the word of God but don’t seem to find the strength, this little girl lacked the understanding given us in God’s word to deal with her situation.

We would like to say at the onset of this teaching that we believe many are trapped by the same fallacy as our little friend. They are not walking in the freedom they could be enjoying because of the humanism that has crept into the teaching of the gospel. They accept Christ and yet walk in defeat. For the most part, the statistics of people of the world look no different than those of believers. One tries to overcome, diligently setting his/her mind to it, but more often than not wind up discouraged and depressed.

Let’s change this today, OK?

We don’t think that what we have to say on this subject takes any great swelling of words, so let’s just get right to the meat of the nut. Paul expressed it very well in Romans 7:25b KJV: With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Amplified: Indeed I of myself, with the mind and heart serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin! If you will check several other versions of the Bible, you will find that they put a spin on these scriptures and make it sound as if the body is uniquely separate from the carnal mind. Our position is that in this context, it is not; they are both a part of the human fallen nature and cannot truly be separated. This has hurt a lot of people, as it has turned this principle into a mind game instead of helping us become free of the physical lusts of the body. It has heaped condemnation upon the believers instead of bringing deliverance, as we shall explain.

Flesh ... Strong’s #4561 sarx Noun: flesh, body, the soft tissue of a creature, often in contrast to bone, ligament, or sinew; by extension human, humankind, with a focus on the fallen human nature, which is frail and corrupt in contrast to immaterial (spiritual) things, thus the NIV translation “sinful nature” – flesh carnal, carnally, fleshly

Paul also wrote that to a natural man the things of the Spirit are foolishness, but a spiritual man has the mind of Christ. We need to believe this. We have the mind of Christ. This is why Paul could pen that we serve God with our mind and heart. The little girl loved God and her desire from within her mind and heart was to do the right thing. But there was a war going on in her body (fallen nature); a war in her members that warred against the law of her mind. We know the word member here is speaking of the physical body because, in context, we understand what Paul was addressing. He stated in Romans 6:19b Yield your members servants of righteousness unto holiness. If we would just stop and think for a moment, we will realize that indeed, the body has a voice. When we are sick, is our mind in agreement with the sickness? NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO! This is why we sometimes seek professional help, so we can get well! Even sinners do this! It is not a big leap to apply this to the body, screaming in its’ natural lusts for satisfaction of its need. If we are serving God, our new mind is not in agreement with the lusts of the flesh, but our body is. This makes us different than sinners. There has been a work done in our hearts and we no longer like it when the voice of the body says “LUST”!

As Paul, we need to separate our body from ourselves. He said: Romans 8:15-17 For I do not understand my own actions...I am baffled, bewildered. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe. If I do what is contrary to my desire, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin which is at home in me and has possession of me. Paul also said: Romans 7:18b - The choice is easy for me to make, but to do it is difficult for me.

If our little girl had understood that God would help her based on her desire (the desire of her mind and heart), she would not have come under condemnation, thinking it was her, and she would not have been afraid she would go to hell. Instead, she would have been able to receive the love of God, run into His arms and find help. After all, isn’t this where we receive deliverance?!!!

Do not listen to the voice of your body. It is a DEAD word! If you hear it, do not listen to it. Instead, thank God that He does not condemn you for you are separate from it, run to Him and receive your help!

Romans 6:3-7 Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we too might habitually live and behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His we shall also share His resurrection by a new life lived for God. We know that our old self (sinful nature/mind and body) was nailed to the cross with Him in order that our body which is the instrument of sin, might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. For when a man dies he is free, loosed, delivered, from the power of sin among men.

Overcoming the body, possessing our land, is the essential calling of this hour. We are hoping this will help those who can admit their need for something more, towards that goal. We talk about renewing the mind... This is the renewing...to know that it is! There is a human, fallen nature out there that battles against this truth. Do not believe it!

BE FREE, SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY!
TO KNOW IS GOOD; TO EXPERIENCE, EVEN BETTER!