Monday, February 21, 2011

"Fleshly vs. Spiritual"

A quick lesson to help us better understand the difference between spiritual and fleshly. Fleshliness is our natural nature. Fleshliness is centered on us and takes us into ourselves. When God looked at Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, with Cain's attitude it made him angry that God would reject his offering. How dare God do such!! That's what fleshliness does. It consumes our attitudes and thought process. But then God asks a great question: "Why are you angry?" (Gen. 4:6) Cain needs to answer that but he didn't. From this point, God gives Cain the choice, change your attitude and do what is right or sin is going to take you down. We know what Cain chose. After the verdict was pronounced, Cain was all about Cain and his fleshliness took completely over. "Am I my brother's keeper?" "My punishment is to great to bear!" "Whoever finds me will kill me." These were the statements made by Cain. That's the way the flesh operates. The flesh avoids God and makes things about themselves.
Things haven't changed since then. Today, people are fleshly and I am speaking about those in the church. How does one recognize fleshliness? Here's one way: "because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so." (Rom. 8:7) Have you ever had someone spiritual call your hand? If your mind was set on the flesh what flares instantly? You try to turn the table and become hostile and you don't want to deal with what is right. The issues become about you and the one doing right must be taken down. Fleshly people try to destroy and speak evil and anyone that is being spiritual! That's the fact. There is no relationship between the flesh and Spirit. That's why we are warned that those who continue to follow their self-flesh desires, they aren't going to make it to heaven because God is not where their heart is set (Gal. 5:21). Sounds like the devil doesn't it?

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