The Trickery of the Flesh

[Vine Abider]

Two realizations I've had in the last couple weeks about the flesh that I thought to convey:

1) Here locally we've been going through Romans, and we're now looking closely at chapters 6-8.  Last week I had a realization about a verse that had often bothered me in 1st Corinthians 15:56, "The power of sin is the law."  This didn't quite fit my concept, because in Romans 7:12 it says "the law is holy, righteous and good."  So how could the law be the power of sin?

Romans 5:20 says "the law came that the offence might abound."  So if it's true that "The power of sin is the law" then it seems these two verses go together.  And Romans 7 tells us sin resides in the flesh.  Therefore, when the flesh is presented with the law, sin abounds!  In my wondering why something good (the law) would cause me to sin, this was my realization - rebelliousness!

The devil brought sin to our first parents and we(in them) ate the fruit of the forbidden tree.  This was rebelliousness that got into us, into our bodies, making it the corrupted flesh.  Whenever the flesh is presented with the law, it can't help but to rebel (just like it's father & "the adversary" did).

2)  The other realization is from yesterday, when a brother gave a message about the middle part of Romans 8. He made a statement that caused me to realize something else about the flesh (paraphrased): "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear."

WOW!  I won't elaborate on that now, but think of that statement as it relates to Romans chapter 7!

[Mr. M]

44 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Two realizations I've had in the last couple weeks about the flesh that I thought to convey:

1) Here locally we've been going through Romans, and we're now looking closely at chapters 6-8.  Last week I had a realization about a verse that had often bothered me in 1st Corinthians 15:56, "The power of sin is the law."  This didn't quite fit my concept, because in Romans 7:12 it says "the law is holy, righteous and good."  So how could the law be the power of sin?

Romans 5:20 says "the law came that the offence might abound."  So if it's true that "The power of sin is the law" then it seems these two verses go together.  And Romans 7 tells us sin resides in the flesh.  Therefore, when the flesh is presented with the law, sin abounds!  In my wondering why something good (the law) would cause me to sin, this was my realization - rebelliousness!

The devil brought sin to our first parents and (in them) we ate the fruit of the forbidden tree.  This was rebelliousness that got into us, into our bodies, making it the flesh.  Whenever the flesh is presented with the law, it can't help but to rebel (just like it's father & "the adversary" did).

2)  The other realization is from yesterday, when a brother gave a message about the middle part of Romans 8. He made a statement that caused me to realize something else about the flesh (paraphrased): "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear."

WOW!  I won't elaborate on that now, but think of that statement as it relates to Romans chapter 7!

Yes, and here is where the immutable law of sowing and reaping  abounds.

Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,

but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

If sowing and reaping pertains to everlasting life, it would seem that there 

is a "quality of life" issue that stems directly from how we live ours.

[AdHoc]

4 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Two realizations I've had in the last couple weeks about the flesh that I thought to convey:

1) Here locally we've been going through Romans, and we're now looking closely at chapters 6-8.  Last week I had a realization about a verse that had often bothered me in 1st Corinthians 15:56, "The power of sin is the law."  This didn't quite fit my concept, because in Romans 7:12 it says "the law is holy, righteous and good."  So how could the law be the power of sin?

Romans 5:20 says "the law came that the offence might abound."  So if it's true that "The power of sin is the law" then it seems these two verses go together.  And Romans 7 tells us sin resides in the flesh.  Therefore, when the flesh is presented with the law, sin abounds!  In my wondering why something good (the law) would cause me to sin, this was my realization - rebelliousness!

The devil brought sin to our first parents and we(in them) ate the fruit of the forbidden tree.  This was rebelliousness that got into us, into our bodies, making it the corrupted flesh.  Whenever the flesh is presented with the law, it can't help but to rebel (just like it's father & "the adversary" did).

2)  The other realization is from yesterday, when a brother gave a message about the middle part of Romans 8. He made a statement that caused me to realize something else about the flesh (paraphrased): "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear."

WOW!  I won't elaborate on that now, but think of that statement as it relates to Romans chapter 7!

Nice title and theme.

I hope somebody addresses Eve. God gave very few Laws in Eden, and Eve did not have the sin nature. Yet God's commandments led to sin. I think your title is going to show that Commandments address the flesh, and the only medicine against this is having the life of Christ dwelling in us. The antidote for the power of the Law is the Tree of Life - which of course, Adam and Eve did not eat of. We cannot blame the sin-nature for this as Adam and Eve were not inherently disobedient. I think that their problem, and its solution, lies in the sequence of the Offerings. The sin-Offering is only number 4 of five main Offerings. The first id the Burnt Offering. And until Law was given the prevailing Offering was the burnt Offering - a picture of Christ FULLY DEVOTED to God. Eve was sinless, but she wasn't fully for God. All three things found in the world ultimately address the flesh;
1. The lust of the flesh
2.The lust of the eye
3. The pride of life

Eve failed and Jesus didn't. The difference ...? The Tree of Life. Eve refused it. Jesus was conceived and born by it.

It is also interesting that in our Lord's discussion with Nicodemus, He brought in the "sin-Offering" and the Tree upon which He was lifted up. This shows that the flesh was the culprit, and that the solution was not more discipline of the flesh. the solution was a "wind" which entered man. The Greek for "wind" and "spirit" are the same.

[Sower]

8 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

The devil brought sin to our first parents and we(in them) ate the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Actually, God gave the opportunity for sin when he said do not eat thereof.

I have yet to hear anyone show me how the devil made somebody sin.
The devil temps and deceives, but did not force Adam and Eve to eat the apple.
They chose, they, Adam and Eve,  brought sin into the world. Not the devil.
We, ourselves, choose every day to sin/obey. The world-flesh-devil influences our decisions.

Neat post, thanks VA...

 

[Marilyn C]

10 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Two realizations I've had in the last couple weeks about the flesh that I thought to convey:

1) Here locally we've been going through Romans, and we're now looking closely at chapters 6-8.  Last week I had a realization about a verse that had often bothered me in 1st Corinthians 15:56, "The power of sin is the law."  This didn't quite fit my concept, because in Romans 7:12 it says "the law is holy, righteous and good."  So how could the law be the power of sin?

Romans 5:20 says "the law came that the offence might abound."  So if it's true that "The power of sin is the law" then it seems these two verses go together.  And Romans 7 tells us sin resides in the flesh.  Therefore, when the flesh is presented with the law, sin abounds!  In my wondering why something good (the law) would cause me to sin, this was my realization - rebelliousness!

The devil brought sin to our first parents and we(in them) ate the fruit of the forbidden tree.  This was rebelliousness that got into us, into our bodies, making it the corrupted flesh.  Whenever the flesh is presented with the law, it can't help but to rebel (just like it's father & "the adversary" did).

2)  The other realization is from yesterday, when a brother gave a message about the middle part of Romans 8. He made a statement that caused me to realize something else about the flesh (paraphrased): "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear."

WOW!  I won't elaborate on that now, but think of that statement as it relates to Romans chapter 7!

Great post VA,

And the flesh (carnal mind) wants to rule us, thus we need to walk by the Holy Spirit so that our spirit rules over our soul (personality) and flesh. 

[Starise]

5 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

And the flesh (carnal mind) wants to rule us, thus we need to walk by the Holy Spirit so that our spirit rules over our soul (personality) and flesh. 

So in effect we are using a power outside ourselves, even though such power is internal to every believer ( The Holy Spirit) since nothing is intrinsic within us to be able to carry this out. 

Part of "walking by the Spirit" involves staying close to the things the Spirit uses, like the word and the Lord's people.

[Vine Abider]

11 hours ago, Sower said:

Actually, God gave the opportunity for sin when he said do not eat thereof.

I have yet to hear anyone show me how the devil made somebody sin.
The devil temps and deceives, but did not force Adam and Eve to eat the apple.
They chose, they, Adam and Eve,  brought sin into the world. Not the devil.
We, ourselves, choose every day to sin/obey. The world-flesh-devil influences our decisions.

Neat post, thanks VA...

 

Yup!  Entirely on them for accepting the deception! 

And if Adam hadn't gone along with Eve, what would have happened?

[Mr. M]

10 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Yup!  Entirely on them for accepting the deception! 

Romans 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Romans 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

We overcome "the trickery of the flesh" in the fellowship of the Saints in Christ, for we have been so warned.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good habits.

[Vine Abider]

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

2)  The other realization is from yesterday, when a brother gave a message about the middle part of Romans 8. He made a statement that caused me to realize something else about the flesh (paraphrased): "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear."

WOW!  I won't elaborate on that now, but think of that statement as it relates to Romans chapter 7!

Nice conversation going about the ol' flesh!  It's one part of the unholy triad - the world, the flesh and the devil, and the one we're most intimate with . . .

So what do you guys think about #2 above?

It does go along with what my view of the enemy is - always wanting to slander the Father to us and keep us from knowing His love and provision for us.  The Lord Jesus came to make the Father's name known to us and demonstrate God's love for us.  The new covenant of the Spirit is inaugurated in His blood, and the free gift of grace to us in Christ is unsurpassed!  But the world, flesh and devil all do their best to suppress this truth, and cause people to think God is like a stern taskmaster who is ready to whack them for the smallest infraction.

This deception also goes into the belief that people just need to be good to please God, and that if they are in fact at least pretty good, He will welcome them in the afterlife. This idea is all works based and means that someone just needs to keep the law to gain His favor, or at least try their best to do so - not much loving Father/son relationship there!

So considering the above statement the brother made:  "Sin in our flesh wants to trick us into living in a relationship with our Father based upon the law and fear"  I think this is true, that the flesh wants to draw us away from the new relationship we have with God in Christ, back into one of legalism and therefore fear.  Looking at Romans 7, this legal relationship with God is quite frustrating, to say the least!  And chapter 6 and the first part of 7 tells us that the part of us that relates to God through the law has died . . . so that we may be married to another - CHRIST!  And Christ does not have a legal relationship with our Father, but rather a liberating relationship of life and love between a Father and His Son!  "It is of Him that you are in Christ Jesus." (1 Cor 1:30)

[Sower]

4 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Yup!  Entirely on them for accepting the deception! 

And if Adam hadn't gone along with Eve, what would have happened?

Eve, the woman, would have wore the pants in the original first family......