Wednesday, November 10, 2010

"What Is Fleshliness?"

What does it mean to be 'fleshly'? We hear that term often and yet no one seems to know what it really is. It is very difficult to get fleshly people to recognize they are fleshly. Why? That's the power of fleshliness! Too many in Christ believe they are spiritual but they act fleshly. They base their idea of spiritual on their activity as a Christian or knowledge of God's word. People can be very active for the Lord and be fleshly. Fleshly brethren are those who follow their thinking or react to situations on their personal desires. In the moment, they have little regard for the will of God. When someone feels like saying something, they say it without any submission to what God needs. A spiritual person would consider God and what is needed for the moment. I knew of a man who once wanted to teach a Bible class because he had personally gone through some difficulties and those difficulties was where he based his decision on being able to help others. He was allowed to teach and it was all rooted in self! This thought, this feeling, this idea that others were doing and every once in a while throw in a verse to make it look spiritual. He had become so steeped in fleshliness he could not discern the difference. What was worse is some of those in the class thought it was great they had someone to identify with which revealed their standing in fleshliness.
The Corinthians were "still" fleshly after the years Paul had spent with them teaching them (I Cor. 3:1-4) How did Paul know they were fleshly? There was jealousy and strife among them! Those are two elements of fleshliness. We have seen it. Someone is jealous of anothers good fortune and they want to put that person down! There are people who constantly battle one another, have a bad attitude toward another which is strife. It doesn't lead anyone into anything good. Outbursts of anger, resentments, loose tongues are all part of fleshliness. Using the philosophy of the world as a standard to live by, that's fleshliness. Trying to control another or get people to do what you want, that's fleshly. What do we see in common with all this? SELF! It's all rooted in self feelings and desires.
How do you overcome fleshliness? Surrender to the Lord with all your heart. You have to give up yourself! That's what Jesus said about following Him. The first thing that must go is the denial of self and self interests (Matt. 16:24). You must allow the word of God to mold your thinking so we can become transformed and be led away from us. We need to become more spiritual minded and less thinking like us and the world around us.

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