3st Spirit, Soul, Body (10)
2005-01-23 | Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee | 1 John 2:24-25
Today, we will take a detailed look at the process of entering the flesh and what we must do in order to take off the flesh and transform into the soul and body that belong to the spirit.
1. The process of getting flesh
Until the last time, I have talked about things about the flesh, such as “the body, the flesh, the works of the flesh, the flesh, the works of the flesh” and “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These things are all corrupt and ugly things of the flesh, and only when we put off this flesh will we be transformed into people of the spirit.
Then how did this flesh get into man? When man was first created, it was said that he belonged to a spirit that had no flesh at all. However, as they were deceived by the serpent and committed the sin of disobedience, they changed into fleshly people. From this point on, communication with God was cut off, and as the enemy devil and Satan took control of man, he planted more fleshly things in his heart. It is like putting dirty stains on blank paper, so these fleshly things such as hatred, envy, blood, greed, pride, and adultery, such as sinful nature, were planted in the heart of a person who was a spirit.
A person’s sinful nature is passed on to their children and descendants. The constitution, character, and all dispositions of parents are contained in the sperm and egg, the seed of life that God has given, and passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, all descendants of Adam inherit the sinful nature from birth and belong to sinners, which is called “original sin.”
In this way, not only are people born with a sinful nature, but as they grow up, they accept and plant many things of the flesh. Just as a magnet absorbs iron, the fleshly people need the fleshly things, and the fleshly things are considered sweet, so they keep getting drunk. So, more and more, they are stained with flesh and people of untruth.
Little children can be seen as they grow up and accept the flesh one by one. For example, even a child who didn’t hit or curse at first sees what other people are doing and follows it.
In the eyes of those who forsake the flesh and enter into the spirit, sin is so dirty and ugly that they hate it even if they are told to sin on purpose. However, carnal people have an unclean sin in their heart and commit sins through their actions, but because they are already stained with sins, they do not realize that they are sinners, nor do they feel that their sins are dirty or ugly.
Just as farmers always touch and treat manure made from excrement, and don’t pay much attention to it, when they live in sin, they commit a very ugly and evil sin, yet they do not even know that it is evil. However, in the light of God’s Word, it becomes clear what sin is and how dirty it is.
Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart… All things are exposed as naked before the eyes of those who have dealings with us.” As God said, when the light shines through the word of God, all untruths and sins of man are discovered and understood.
2. In order to put off the flesh and become a man of spirit
1) We must cut off the lust of the eyes and cut off the work of the flesh and the work of the flesh
In order to cast off the flesh, you have to pull out one by one what has been planted in the world in the past when you come into contact with the fleshly things. The first thing to do is to block the lust of the eyes. That is, the things of untruth are not seen or heard, and are no longer accepted into the heart. If you do not block the lust of the eyes, you will still be able to see, hear, and accept the things of the flesh.
So, first we have to cut off the lust of the eyes, and then we must cut off the works of the flesh, that is, the things that we have sinned by doing. A thief should not steal, a liar should give up lying, and a person who cursed and beat others should change into a person who does not. However, what God wants is not only to throw away deed sins, but also to throw away the sins of the heart, that is, the things of the flesh.
As 1 John 3:15 says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life in him.” It is evil when you see it.
When a person commits a sin by doing the works of the flesh, the enemy devil brings trials and tribulations with various calamities. A person who commits the works of the flesh commits a marked and obvious evil and belongs to the darkness, so God cannot protect him when the enemy devil is accusing him of it.
However, when the works of the flesh remain, disasters do not come from trials and tribulations like the works of the flesh, but we see that God allows refinement so that we can cast away even the sinful nature of our hearts. For example, let’s say that a person is severely harassing, such as being rude and openly ignoring them. As a result, your self-esteem is severely damaged, the other person is not understood too well, and you continue to be upset by that person.
If you have no hatred and no blood, embrace your enemies, and seek the interests of others, this will not happen. No matter how the other person behaves, he looks lovely, so there is no need to suffer because of it. He always embraces the other person and seeks his or her interests. In the end, God controls even the hearts of evil people so that they can achieve peace. However, because there is still evil in them and they are uncomfortable, God puts a fleshly man by his side and grants them refinement. So, when you are undergoing a certain kind of trial, you are wise if you look back on yourself and change with joy and gratitude and pass quickly.
Also, there are untruths in the deep nature of man that he himself does not know. Even a person who does not commit crimes in his deeds or thoughts and lives according to goodness cannot discover and cast away the sinful nature that is hidden deep in his heart. Therefore, God also grants special refinement so that it can be revealed, and that it can be discovered and thrown away.
Just as in order to remove weeds, not only the leaves and stems must be plucked, but also the roots must be completely uprooted. is. However, throwing off the sinful nature does not come by human ability.
2) You must have the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace and power of God along with your own efforts
There are people who can stop doing physical work with strong will, and there are people who take off some of the work of the flesh and restrain themselves by their own strength. However, the untruth and sinful nature in our nature cannot be discovered and thrown away by ourselves, and the original sin cannot be forgiven on our own. In order to completely cast off our sinful nature, we must have God’s grace and power and the help of the Holy Spirit in addition to human effort.
In order to receive such grace, power, and help, you must do what you are trying to do. Indeed, when we devote ourselves to prayer, fasting, and earnestly clinging to God to forsake our sins, God gives grace and power and the Holy Spirit helps us. Only when these four things work together will we be able to cast away the flesh.
The most fundamental reason that a person can have their sins forgiven is because the way of salvation through the forgiveness of sins has been opened through faith through the blood of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, looking at the world, even those who do not believe in the Lord can control their hearts through practice and say that they have cut off their greed for the world. However, even if there are people who can control their hearts and do not sin in their own will, they are already born with original sin and have sin in their nature, so they still have no choice but to be carnal. Also, because the sins committed in the past remain unresolved, they are still sinners. However, those who believe in the Lord are justified by faith and receive forgiveness of original sins as well as all their sins. Also, only in the heart of a person whose sins are forgiven can the Holy Spirit dwell in them and help them to cast away their sins one by one and finally become sanctified.
3) Specific examples of forsaking sins
Let’s say you heard the word “peace” in the sermon on the nine fruits of the Spirit. Peace is a heart that can be at peace with all people. If you are in the truth, you do not insist on your own will, and you can feel that you are subject to this and that. Even if his own method is more correct, he said that he can adapt to the beliefs and circumstances of others and does not reveal himself.
If you remember these words and pray before God one by one, the Holy Spirit will enlighten you so that you can discover yourself. At some point, you will remember that you were unable to pursue peace with someone, and tell them what kind of heart you had. “I have had such pride, and my wickedness and self-righteousness have hardened my brother.” This is what makes it so delicately discoverable.
In this way, if you realize yourself and repent with the help of the Holy Spirit, that is the grace of God, and if you realize it, you must seek the power with the contents. “God, let me put away all these things, my pride, my righteousness, and my loneliness that do not make peace in me, so that I can make peace with anyone next time.” and cry out one by one and pray. As much as that kind of heart is earnest, we pray, or we pray all night, fast, and cling to each other.
When we pray and strive with the heart of our hearts, God’s power comes from above and our hearts are changed. Just as dirt is washed away by clear water, the sinful nature of the heart is cast off and the heart is transformed into a pure heart. Even if you are in a situation where you would have said something hurtful to the other person for a moment in your self-righteousness, this time the Holy Spirit reminded you, “Don’t do that,” so you will think again and speak with an expression of grace and virtue to the other person.
In this way, as a month ago, today and tomorrow change, the fruits of peace are bearing beautifully as the days go by, and in the end, peace can always be achieved without any momentary fluctuations. After the fruit of peace has been borne in this way, it is very happy and enjoyable in itself that we can be at peace even if it is not in our own interests and our claims are not accepted.
Blood, greed, stubbornness, and pride that destroy peace hate these fleshly things. The same goes for other sins. If you receive the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace and power of God while you are working hard, you will eventually be able to cast off all your sins and realize your heart of spirit.
Dear saints,
When you look in the mirror, you will comb your hair if it gets tangled and wipe it off if anything gets on your face. If you just say, “What is buried?” and turn around and forget, nothing has changed even if you look in the mirror. The same is true spiritually. You do not become a person of the spirit by earnestly wishing for it or receiving a lot of grace and awakening yourself. It will be beneficial to you only if you reflect on the word you hear and realize it, use that realization as your own, and throw away the flesh.
Therefore, I am not like a person who looks in the mirror and forgets his own image, but by hearing the word and keeping in mind what he has realized, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will be transformed into a more beautiful and holy image every day in the power of God and become all of you who belong to the spirit.
