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Never Both!


WordSword

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When Scripture admonishes the believer concerning the lifestyle of a Christian, the intention is to reveal what can identify one who is reborn. It’s not like the admonitions are as though one who is reborn and indwelt by God’s Spirit would ever desire to “live after the flesh,” considering this is exactly what God guards against in those who His (Phil 2:13), but it’s to reveal the manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19).

Jesus spoke and demonstrated what redemption meant and of what was to be expected from one who is redeemed so that it could be known of what it was to be a Christian. After the Lord’s ascension the Apostles were inspired by God’s Spirit to know and wright of what the Christian life involves, and from then on they and others would know what lifestyle is expected from one who is born-again.

Thus, all through the time the Bible was being written, Christians were beginning to learn how the Spirit was applying God’s Word to their lives. For example Romans 8 contrasts the life of a believer and an unbeliever, neither from which can come both a lifestyle of evil and good. The Lord Jesus declared that nobody can be good and evil simultaneously (Mat 7:16-20). James hyperbolically wrote, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter . . . so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh” (Jam 3:11, 12).

Romans 8 is probably the best description of this principle:

Verses 1, 4 refer to those “who walk after the flesh” and those “who walk after the Spirit”; neither can do both.

Verse 5 states that those who “are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit”; again, it’s only one or the other.

Verse 6 shows you are either “carnally minded” or “spiritually minded”; the believer cannot be carnally minded because it would involve “death” (“second death,” e.g. “lake of fire”).

Verse 7 states that “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” This is not to be confused with being “carnal.” Paul in 1Cor 3:1 stated that there were those who were in Christ, but were still carnal and at the maturity level of spiritual “babes” (v 1), who were just learning.

Verse 9 states that Christians “are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,” thus—nobody can do both! It may at times seem that way but it’s just the trial-and-error learning period that gives a temporary appearance as so. Therefore it’s just a matter of time until maturity manifests itself via the new life of the Lord Jesus which is within the saint (Col 4:3).

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 your post establishes that the believers can be both, depends the state they were when they believe. 

Jesus is not both, as he may have said that for himself, (been acussed of having evil, by the way he kept company with tax collector and or the things he said were perceived as blasphemy, or doing healings on the Sabbath. 

Encouraging the believers to be less of one and more of the other. 

If they were only one, why would he gives them exables to follow. 

Jesus found the Gentiles in their own culture, he accepted them as they were and guided them into the new . 

 

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Scripture says the Lord watches over our coming in and going out.........and that a time is coming when He comes that we will "go no more out", but be forever with Him.  Even Paul sometimes wrote in the spirit and sometimes "as a man".  So it does seem that there is an aspect of sometimes being in the Spirit and sometimes not.

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33 minutes ago, Heleadethme said:

Scripture says the Lord watches over our coming in and going out.........and that a time is coming when He comes that we will "go no more out", but be forever with Him.  Even Paul sometimes wrote in the spirit and sometimes "as a man".  So it does seem that there is an aspect of sometimes being in the Spirit and sometimes not.

They call this discerning, you can distinguish the difference, even the words of the blasphemous and unbelievers is the bible, even the devils, even the disciples as they were still immersed in the way they grew up, even as they were growing in the faith. 

If not someone can say Jesus said: I have come to the Jews only, and believe that Jesus does not accept his faith unless he becomes a Jew first, meaning to him , going to the Jewish synagogue first.......

We need to connect to the times and the contex.

Some even denyed that the Heavens have not change. 

But to Steven just before his death the wittness was given that we have new Heavens. 

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1 hour ago, Butero said:

All Christians are told to walk in the Spirit.  We can recognize when we do so because we will bear good fruit.  When we walk after the flesh, we sin.  The Bible gives examples of the kind of sins a person walking according to the flesh will commit, and those sinners shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Your contex in your post  is good guidance, Encouraging believers in doing good works, been involved with the good, discerning the good and the bad to avoid. 

This is a general guidance, and could be specific to those who can see themselves intancle, in some of the things they need to distance themselfs from. 

Many crimes are committed by" good and charitable people", using good works as a frond, to deceive many. 

But if we look into specific examples, someone who is devoted to doing good , selfless, humble, moral and he hears a word similar to " that having good works, caring , moral....

This person maybe perceived by others that he is guided by the spirit of God. 

This is an example that works can deceive , the person in the example is a non-believer. 

 

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On 4/17/2018 at 9:05 PM, Your closest friendnt said:

 your post establishes that the believers can be both, depends the state they were when they believe. 

Hi YCF - My reference to "both" has to do with one desiring to live after the sinful nature and after the Spirit of God. Though the believer's walk will never be perfect, due to the continued indwelling of the sinful nature, their desire will always be for doing God's pleasure and not that of our sinful nature. Hence the differentiation between "carnally minded" and "spiritually minded" (Rom 8:6). The term "minded" refers to that which one desires. God "works" in believers to always "desire" and "do of His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). Therefore if this is not present, then rebirth has yet to occur.

We please God in our walk because He knows we always desire to do His pleasures! 

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17 minutes ago, WordSword said:

Hi YCF - My reference to "both" has to do with one desiring to live after the sinful nature and after the Spirit of God. Though the believer's walk will never be perfect, due to the continued indwelling of the sinful nature, their desire will always be for doing God's pleasure and not that of our sinful nature. Hence the differentiation between "carnally minded" and "spiritually minded" (Rom 8:6). The term "minded" refers to that which one desires. God "works" in believers to always "desire" and "do of His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). Therefore if this is not present, then rebirth has yet to occur.

We please God in our walk because He knows we always desire to do His pleasures! 

It's more clear now, simply you are asking a believer to consider repentance and pursue to live in repentance, 

Then you must agree more of one less of the other.  This is not the born from above or anew Jesus is talking with Nicodemus. 

Nicodemus was a high moral person, a holy living person. 

Jesus is telling him to believe in him after he see him on the Cross. 

Then he will be born from the spirit of God, the Spirit of Life, having an inheritance above. 

We must distinguish one from the other. 

Jesus an example of the wind, thats how is someone born from above, when they believe. 

To change the way of life is another matter , 

This is an ever ending process, two steps forwards one step backwards situation . 

And this is not by desire alone, if not we will may end up blaming Jesus, for not taking this or that away, that too some time, 

We need to do our part, what ever it is, resisting is one of them, praying at that time is another way.......giving time , in due time, we will harvest the fruit of our repentance, we will be established in some new character, a less sinfull one, we will mind more the things of God.

God bless

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"When Scripture admonishes the believer concerning the lifestyle of a Christian, the intention is to reveal what can identify one who is reborn. "

We must pray and make positive changes that can be seen by ourselves and everybody around us.

However....

There must be a fixed measurment or law or compass giving directions. You have to recieve the gift of knowing and being able to determine with belief, faith and surety which way is up from down. 

"Are we singing from the same hymn"

Cause and effect, determined by our free will to make choices and decisions gives us either...

A: Positives (security, benefits etc and gives life a clear path to grow and multiply).

B: Negatives (failiure, spiritual degradation, poor health/death curses and punishments etc).

Everyone has to be in agreement as to what the "fixed" LAW is (or how to calibrate the compass so to speak) this is why it must be fixed (in our hearts) and written down for future posterity.

Knowledge to what the effects, become self evident or the consequences (fruits) of these decisions brings us either closer to Jesus and God and a greater appreciation of what real love is... Or seperates us from God.

 

 

Edited by Dan_79
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12 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

It's more clear now, simply you are asking a believer to consider repentance and pursue to live in repentance  . . .

YCF, I appreciate your replies but either I don't understand them enough to reply or we are discussing separate issues. But I'll keep viewing them and trying!

Blessings!

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11 hours ago, Dan_79 said:

We must pray and make positive changes that can be seen by ourselves and everybody around us However....

Dan, I also thank you for your reply but having difficulty understanding your meaning and will keep trying. 

Blessings!

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