BIBLE STUDY: WALKING IN THE SPIRIT; WEEK # 3 10/30/15

Galatians 5:16-23

Prayer:

Father, in the name of Jesus, We thank You for calling us to be fellow workmen, joint prayer partners together. We commit to pray and not to give up. Jesus, You are the Son of God, and we will never stop trusting You. You are our High Priest, and You understand our weaknesses. We come to You boldly before the throne of grace. There we receive mercy and find grace all the time, especially during our prayer time. We have learn that warring in the Spirit includes praying in the Spirit. We submit to Your leadership Holy Spirit, and we thank You for interceding through us and for us too. Thank You for searching our hearts and knowing the mind of the Spirit, because You intercede for the all believers in accordance with God's will for our lives. This we know that with God being a partner in our labor in prayer, all things work together and are fitting into a plan for our good. We thank You that when the enemy comes in like a flood, Your Spirit always lift up a standard against him on our behalf. The Word tells us to pray always in all things, warring against the enemy through our prayers to You, Father. We desire to be God-inside minded in all things. Teach us through this lesson how to war in the Spirit. Bless us to establish a war room in our lives and our homes, This we pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Study 3            Warring in the Spirit:

Let's Walk……………………..

Scripture Reading:     (2 Corinthians 10:4) (Ephesians 6:10-18)

 SETTING OUR MINDS:

In addition to having faith in and acting on the truth of the Word, we must take a stand with the Holy Spirit against the use of our old or fleshly minds. The Word tells us that the Holy Spirit is zealous to resist our old nature. "For the flesh sets its desire against [strongly opposes] the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh...so that [the old] you may not do the things that you please" (Galatians 5:17). If we will stand with the Holy Spirit, He will render inoperable the "old," thereby allowing the "new"—the mind of Christ—to rush in and fill the void. But we must agree to having the "old" confined by the Holy Spirit, as a prisoner is on death row—without reprieve. We are to learn to "take every thought captive and make it obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5, Good News Bible). By this means, all our words and acts will witness to His character.

We need to realize that living above in Christ is the normal Christian life—the only life we have at this stage. Anything else is subnormal and unreal. It is not a goal that only the most saintly aspire to. It is the gift of God to all believers who will seek it. It is simply to abide where we have been placed in Christ. Often we have been so conditioned by our former life that we think if we "set our minds on things above," we will be evading earthly responsibilities—something akin to "sticking our heads in the sand." Nothing is further from the truth. Living above in Christ while we still walk and work on earth is "the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14, NASB). The foundation of this highest calling for every believer is to "keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1). The ability to set one's mind on things above comes from a heart that "is fixed," or steadfast, on God, as David's was. "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise" (Psalm 57:7, KJV). David also said, "I have set the Lord always before me" (Psalm 16:8). The word "set" means to put someone in a particular place. To set the mind means to cause it to pass into a given state or condition and remain there.

HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST: 

 How can we know if our minds are "set"? Here are some of the signs that the mind of Christ is operating in our lives: Singing to God. A joyful heart prompts the mind to sing or make melodies to God whenever the mind is not required to speak to others or concentrate on some task. During much of every day we are doing routine things that leave our minds and voices (when we are alone) free to sing thanks and praise for all things. We begin to speak less to people and sing more to God. Pulling away from the world, the world system that exalts the human loses its attraction, and we let the passing panorama of Earth go its way. Simplicity, life on earth becomes simpler and our needs fewer. Love, love and peace are in us not only for all the saints but also for lost humanity because we see the lost as potential saints in Christ. Change in focus. There is less need to call attention to ourselves or claim any good as our own. There is less prayer for self, and there are more petitions for Christ to be exalted in everything. Cessation of striving, there is a lack of striving, worry, or haste because we are doing all in God's presence and for His sake. Avoidance of sin, sin becomes more and more unthinkable and painful. There is a holy fear of dishonoring or profaning God's character (name). Quiet spirit, a gentle quietness is in our spirits as we rest continually in Christ. Acknowledging God, we place less emphasis on how much we are doing and more emphasis on who is doing it--acknowledging God in all things. The unseen becomes more real than the seen. Abandonment, we entrust the whole of our earthly existence into God's hands so that Christ is glorified through us. Focus on God. Some of our deepest pain comes from realizing at day's end how much time went by during the day when we were not thinking of, praising or thanking God.

Our new lives in Christ bring with them a whole new way of living. Much of what we learned in our "old" lives becomes obsolete as we take our positions in heavenly places and begin to operate with the mind of Christ.

Wise Thoughts:  Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 12:5; Psalm 48:9; Romans 12:3; Psalm 119:59

Spiritual Mind: Romans 8:6; I Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5

What led us the wrong way?

Evil Thoughts:  Psalm 94:11, 15:26, 24:9; Isaiah 66:18; Jeremiah 4:14; Matthew 9:4, 15:19.

Evil Heart brings evil characteristics such as stubbornness (Ecclesiastes 8:11), Madness (Ecclesiastes 9:4), Depravity (Jeremiah 17:9), Source of unbelief and covetousness (Hebrews 3:12; 2 Peter 2:14). The fountain-head of all evil (Mark 7:21-23). Extortion and excess, (Matthew23:25).

As we walk in the Spirit we will have warfare in the spirit-realm, and we must fight in the spirit-realm.

Spiritual Warfare:

There are two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare—over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people; other times He healed people with no mention of the demonic. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and warns us to oppose the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10–18).

Ephesians 6:10–12 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This text teaches some crucial truths: we can only stand strong in the Lord's power, it is God's armor that protects us, and our battle is ultimately against spiritual forces of evil in the world.

Ephesians 6:13–18 is a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit. What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent in spiritual warfare? We are to know the truth, believe the truth, and speak the truth. We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ's sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we face. We are not to waver in our faith, trusting God's promises no matter how strongly we are attacked. Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have of our salvation, an assurance that no spiritual force can take away. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. And we are to pray in the power and will of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is our ultimate example of resisting temptation in spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). Each temptation was combatted with the words "it is written." The Word of the living God is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11).

A word of caution concerning spiritual warfare is in order. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to cast out demons or even to speak to them. The name of Jesus is not a magic incantation that causes demons to flee from before us. The seven sons of Sceva are an example of what can happen when people presume an authority they have not been given (Acts 19:13–16). Even Michael the archangel did not rebuke Satan in his own power but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9). When we start talking to the devil, we run the risk of being led astray as Eve was (Genesis 3:1–7). Our focus should be on God, not demons; we speak to Him, not them.

In summary, what are the keys to success in spiritual warfare? We rely on God's power, not our own. We put on the whole armor of God. We draw on the power of Scripture—the Word of God is the Spirit's sword. We pray in perseverance and holiness, making our appeal to God. We stand firm (Ephesians 6:13–14); we submit to God; we resist the devil's work (James 4: 7), knowing that the Lord of hosts is our protector. "Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken" (Psalm 62:2). We wrestler not against flesh and blood, but we walk in the Spirit, and we must remember these four (4) keys to guarantee victory in spiritual warfare:

 1. The enemy's been defeated Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15;

2. The devil is looking for someone to devour "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:13";

3. Your only job is to believe ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5;

4. You're not called to fight, you're called to stand ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (Ephesians 6:10-17 Part of our armor and ability to battle our flesh is to learn how to walk in the spirit.

Let's recap our study on prayer for a minute, because prayer is a weapon of warfare, amen.

FIVE BASIC TYPES OF PRAYER:         (Read them)

1.      Adoration, Praise, Thanksgiving and Worship:

Psalms 100:1-5; 22:3; 50:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Hebrews 13:15

2.      Confession and Repentance:

Psalms 6:8; 139:23-24; 24:3-5; 51:6-10; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; Matthew 5:23; 6:14

3.      Petition/Supplication:

John 15:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 4:15-16

4.      Intercession/Warfare:

Ezekiel 22:30; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-17

5.      Meditative Listening:

Psalms 1:2; 63:6; 77:12; 143:5; Jeremiah 29:13; 1 John 5:14-15

If you consistently neglect any of the five types of prayer, your relationship with God will be limited, and it is very difficult to walk in the Spirit. Very Difficult!!!

Questions:

1).        What is warring in the Spirit?           

2).        How do we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ?

3).        Where do the ability to set one's mind on things above come from?  

4).        What Scripture tells us to have the mind of Christ?

5).        How can we know if our minds are set?

6).        How do we gain a quiet gentle spirit within us?       

7).        What are wise thoughts?

8).        What is a spiritual mind?

9).        What led us the wrong way?

10).      What are evil thoughts?

11).      Explain your personal spiritual warfare.

12).      Explain the new/old life.

13).      Describe the spiritual armor of God.

14).      Why should we put on the whole/full armor of God?                      

15).      What is our offensive weapon?

16).      How did Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan?

17).      What are the keys to success in spiritual warfare?               

18).      You are not called to fight, you are called to stand, Explain.

19).      What do each of these prayer types mean to you?   

20).      Which type is the most important in developing a powerful prayer life?

21).      Why would we consistently need to practice all five different prayer types in order to have a balanced prayer life?

22).      What are the five basic types of prayer?

23).        What have you learn from reading Romans 8-15)?

Exercise:         Week # 3         Walking in the Spirit today:

What did you do to know you were walking in the Spirit today?

Extra: Peace

I choose peace . . .I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live. I choose peace.

Personal Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for taking care of me. Thank You for supplying all of my needs.  Thank You for caring about the things that matter to me.  Thank You for wanting my burdens so that I don't have to carry the load.  Lord, I can't carry the load any longer.  Please take the burden of (fill in the blank). I just give it to You.  I trust You with it.  Thanks You for loving me enough to take this burden from me.  I choose to cast my cares on You! I choose to walk the road of peace. I choose to allow You to cultivate the fruit of peace in my heart and life. Praise Your Holy Name!  In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen  

Weekly Reading:        Week # 3         (Romans 16- Galatians 6) Monday through Sunday

BIBLE STUDY: EXERCISE WEEK # 2

Walking in the Spirit today:

What did you do to know you were walking in the Spirit today?

I woke up this morning with a situation on my heart. I asked God to help me discern right from wrong, so I could choose the right to bring glory to Him and not my flesh. When we are willing to bring glory to God and not our flesh, I believe we are walking in the Spirit. This situation caused me to look beyond my flesh and see love. I realized after reading a daily devotion that work can be worship too. With God, our work matters as much as our worship, (Colossians 3:17).  My work was to love and not judge. I desire to worship God through my work for Him. I am working on walking by faith each and every day.

BIBLE STUDY: WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: WEEK # 2

Answers to Questions:

1).        What is man's carnal nature?

The word 'carnal' means – 'fleshly.' When applied to a Christian, it means someone, who although they are born-again, they are still allowing their flesh to control much of the way they live and think. Paul called the believers at Corinth 'carnal' because they were still acting spiritually immature. Rather than bearing the Spirit's fruit of – love, joy and peace; these believers were yielding to old fleshly emotions such as: envy, strife and division.

2).        What do mortify means?

It means to kill or subdue the flesh;" Originally it means "to kill," then "to destroy." In a biblical context, to mortify is to subdue the body (or its needs and desires) through self-denial and discipline ( mortification of sin / the flesh).

3).        How do discipline and self-denial work?

Self-discipline is the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.  Self-denial means the denial of one's own interests and needs; self-sacrifice. In order to have discipline you must denial self first.

4).        Explain Romans 8:13

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."  Putting to death the deeds of the body is a continual process that the believer must engage in on a daily basis. The point is that one of the marks of a true believer is that he is daily putting to death the deeds of the body. This person, the one who puts to death, or mortifies, the deeds of the body and its sinful nature will live. Again, this is a reference to eternal life, or heaven.

5).        How do we mortify the deeds of the flesh?

Paul told the believers in Colosse  (Colossians 3:7-10) to "put off" anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication (v. 8), in short, to put off the Old Man with his deeds(v.9). Instead, we are told to "put on" the New Man (v. 10). The way the language is used here, the "putting on" alludes to the putting on of clothes. We are told that we have changed outfits, so to speak, and are now wearing a brand new set of clothing.      

6).        Explain the flesh and the spirit.

The flesh is what we live in and the spirit is our spirit that has been born-again by God's Spirit; the both are at war with one another. The flesh only desire the things that displeasing to God (Galatians 5:19-21),  but the spirit is peace and righteousness (Galatians 5:22-23).

7).        Name some scriptures that instruct us to mortify the deeds of the flesh.

Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5, Romans 13:14, Galatians 5:16; 24, I Peter 2:11; 4:2

8).        In detail describe the sin nature we had before we knew God.

The Bible explains the reason for the trouble. Humanity is sinful, not just in theory or in practice but by nature. Sin is part of the very fiber of our being; the stain runs deep—it's in the warp and woof of our souls. The Bible speaks of "sinful flesh" in Romans 8:3. It's our "earthly nature" that produces the list of sins in Colossians 3:5. And Romans 6:6 speaks of "the body ruled by sin." The flesh-and-blood existence we lead on this earth is shaped by our sinful, corrupt nature.

9).        Spiritually speaking, who provide our new clothes we put on?

It is the Holy Spirit Who provides the new clothes that we are to put on and walk in, yet it is up to us whether or not we choose to wear them.

10).      Who is responsible for putting on these new clothes?

We are called to put to death, to lay aside, to put away the sinful deeds that we practiced before we came to Christ and commit them no more.

11).      Explain our works.

Our faith is works, so we must release our faith with our words. When we believe the Word, it becomes real. "That's our works!"

12).      After reading the scriptures on spiritual service, explain spiritual service.

Spiritual service is spiritual work unto God to glorify Him and only Him, to live a life of faith and righteousness, and to fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20

 13).      Explain walking in the Spirit.

Those who walk in the Spirit have crucified the flesh and do not submit themselves to the desires of the flesh, and those who have the Spirit of God produce fruits that reveal whether they are a child of God or not.  If there are no Spiritual fruits, such as the Fruit of the Spirit, then God is not their Father.

 14).      Explain walking in the flesh.

Those who walk in the flesh produce the fruits of the flesh like sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. Those who do not mortify the flesh  walk in the flesh.

15).      What have you learn from reading Romans chapters 1-7?

Romans, more than any other epistle talks about the plan of salvation, which is justification by faith and sanctification through the Holy Spirit of God. This book instructs us concerning the universal guilt of mankind. It talks about the Gentiles and Jews under the condemnation of the law, and all are sinners who must be born-again by the Spirit of God to walk in the Spirit. Paul demonstrates that there is a struggle with sinful nature, and the tendencies of the fleshly lusts. Paul witness that this struggle was in his own life before and after his conversion! This struggle is in the heart of man, chapter 7:7-24.

BIBLE STUDY: WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: READING

I have finished the weekly reading of Romans 1-7

BIBLE STUDY: WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: READING

Galatians 5:16-23  King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

BIBLE STUDY: WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: WEEK # 2 10/23/15

Prayer:

Father God, You are our Creator. You have fashioned us after Your own-self. Your Word teaches us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to do the work according to Your pleasing.  Lord, sometimes the flesh want allow us to do this, so we come to You in humble hearts asking You to help us walk in the Spirit, so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We desire to learn more about the flesh and the Spirit, so we can work a good work for Your glory. Help us to do this work in the Spirit so others will see our good works and turn to Jesus. Help us to do the work of an evangelist for the up-building of Your Kingdom. Bless us to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit in Jesus' name, AMEN.

 

Let's Walk……………………..

Scripture Reading:     (Mark 16: 20) (I Corinthians 2:14-15)

Study 2            Working in the Spirit:

 

First let's look at the works of the flesh:        Read……………

I           Man's Carnal Nature:

(Roman7:18; 25; 8:8; 13, Galatians 5:17; 6:18, I John2:16)

II         Mortify the flesh by subduing fleshly lust:

(Matthew 5:29, Romans 6:6; 13:14, Galatians 5:16, Colossians 3:5, I Peter 2:11; 4:2)

III        Self-Denial:

(Matthew 16:24, Luke 14:26; 27, Romans 8:13; 15:1, Galatians 5:24)

 

Walking in the Spirit you must mortify the deeds of the flesh. Fasting is a good way to bring the flesh under subjection to the Holy Spirit and be led by Him, so you can be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will warn you concerning these deeds that are operating in your flesh. The Holy Spirit will guide you to walk in the fruits of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-26)

(Romans 8:13). For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die—in the sense of (Romans 6:21), but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live—in the sense of (Romans 6:22). The apostle is not satisfied with assuring them that they are under no obligation and he uses the word "mortify" (put to death) as a kind of play upon the word "die" just before. "If ye do not kill sin, it will kill you." But he tempers this by the bright alternative that if they do, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, such a course will infallibly terminate in "life" everlasting. And this leads the apostle into a new line of thought, opening into his final subject, the "glory" awaiting the justified believer.

Note, (1) "There can be no safety, no holiness, no happiness, to those who are out of Christ: No "safety," because all such are under the condemnation of the law (Romans 8:1); no holiness, because such only as are united to Christ have the spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9); no happiness, because to be "carnally minded is death" (Romans 8:6)."  (2) The sanctification of believers, as it has its whole foundation in the atoning death, so it has its living spring in the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:2-4). (3) "The bent of the thoughts, affections, and pursuits, is the only decisive test of character (Romans 8:5)."  (4) No human refinement of the carnal mind will make it spiritual, or compensate for the absence of spirituality. "Flesh" and "spirit" are essentially and unchangeably opposed; nor can the carnal mind, as such, be brought into real subjection to the law of God (Romans 8:5-7). Hence (5) the estrangement of God and the sinner is mutual. For as the sinner's state of mind is "enmity against God" (Romans 8:7), so in this state he "cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). (6) Since the Holy Ghost is, in the same breath, called indiscriminately "the Spirit of God," "the Spirit of Christ," and "Christ" Himself (as an indwelling life in believers), the essential unity and yet Personal distinctness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, m the one adorable Godhead must be believed, as the only consistent explanation of such language (Romans 8:9-11). (7) The consciousness of spiritual life in our renewed souls is a glorious assurance of resurrection life in the body also, in virtue of the same quickening Spirit whose inhabitation we already enjoy (Romans8:11). (8) Whatever professions of spiritual life men may make, it remains eternally true that "if we live after the flesh we shall die," and only "if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we shall live" (Romans 8:13, and compare Ga 6:7, 8; Ephesians 5:6; Philippians 3:18, 19; 1John 3:7, 8).

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Romans 8:12-13)

 

In Romans 8:13, we come to one of those seemingly paradoxical statements in Scripture. Right at the tail end of a passage informing us of what the Spirit of God can do through us, we are instructed to mortify the deeds of the body. How can this be? The Apostle Paul has already lamented in the last chapter over the ongoing struggle between the believer's New Nature, with its desire to obey God and do that which is good, and the Old Nature that remains within us, with its animosity toward the things of God and inclination to gratify its own lusts. We have already been shown that self-effort is utterly worthless in bringing our flesh into subjection so that we might fully obey the Lord. Yet now we are being admonished to mortify the deeds of the flesh? Herein lies the element of co-operation in the ongoing process of Sanctification. Sanctification, like Salvation, is wholly the work of God in us; but unlike Salvation, Sanctification requires a certain amount of effort on our part. No, it is not our effort which accomplishes Sanctification (we can in no way make ourselves holy), but we are called to mortify, literally to put to death, the sin that we practice. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).  In a similar passage, Paul again describes the mortifying of sin which we lived and walked in before we knew God (Col. 3:7). He implores the believers in Colosse to "put off" anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication (v. 8), in short, to put off the Old Man with his deeds (v.9). Instead, we are told to "put on" the New Man (v. 10). The way the language is used here, the "putting on" alludes to the putting on of clothes. We are told that we have changed outfits, so to speak, and are now wearing a brand new set of clothing.

It is the Holy Spirit Who provides the new clothes that we are to put on and walk in, yet it is up to us whether or not we choose to wear them. God has graciously provided that which we never possibly could in that He has not only saved us from the penalty of sin, but from the power of it. He has given us the ability to choose to obey Him and, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, overcome the temptations that ensnare us. He has given us the ability to choose, but choose we must. We are empowered to say no to sin's temptation, but never forced to do so. It is up to us which suit of clothes we are going to wear.  Therefore, we are called to put to death, to lay aside, to put away the sinful deeds that we practiced before we came to Christ and commit them no more. The Greek verb in Romans 8:13 translated mortify is written in the present tense. It is something that must be done continually, not something that is done once and for all. So often we get the idea that we can pray for deliverance from temptation occasionally and that should carry us through. We feel that the hour or two we spend in worship each Sunday morning will keep us sanctified all week long. But the decision as to which nature we are going to actually walk in is one that we must make daily, if not more often. Will we follow the Holy Spirit and obey Him, mortifying the deeds of the flesh and walking according to the New Nature? Or will we continue to live as debtors to the Old Nature, having come to faith in Jesus Christ yet living as if we hadn't? God has given every believer the power to obey, but we must continually choose to do so. Our faith is works, so we must release our faith with our words. When we believe the Word, it becomes real. "That's our works!"

 

Now let's look at Spiritual Service:   

Exodus 23:25

"And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

Deuteronomy 10:12

"And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Joshua 24:14

"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

I Chronicles 28:9

"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.

Psalm 2:11

"Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 100:2

"Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

I Corinthians 15:58

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Ephesians 6:7

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Hebrews 12:28

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Haggai 2:4-Working with God

"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

 

To sum it up we can see evidence of whether or not we are walking in the flesh or walking the Spirit as follows:

1          Those who have the Spirit of God produce fruits that reveal whether they are a child of God or not.  If there are no Spiritual fruits, then God is not their Father.

2          Those who walk in the Spirit have crucified the flesh and do not submit themselves to the desires of the flesh but those who don't walk in the Spirit grieve the Spirit and their works producing nothing more than the wages that they have earned and that is death (Rom 6:23).

3          Those who walk in the flesh live according to the flesh prove that they do by their works but those with the Spirit of God prove that they are Christ's by producing a Christ-like life.

4          Those who walk in the flesh produce the fruits of the flesh like sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these" (Gal 5:20-21a) but those who walk in the Spirit "will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Gal 5:16).

5          Those who "put to death the deeds of the body (or flesh)" (Rom 8:13) are truly walking in the Spirit but those who do not have the Spirit of Christ assuredly do "not belong to him" (Romans 8:9).

Questions:

1).        What is man's carnal nature?

2).        What do mortify means

3).        How do discipline and self-denial work?

4).        Explain Romans 8:13

5).        How do we mortify the deeds of the flesh?   

6).        Explain the flesh and the spirit.        

7).        Name some scriptures that instruct us to mortify the deeds of the flesh.

8).        In detail describe the sin nature we had before we knew God.

9).        Spiritually speaking, who provide our new clothes we put on?

10).      Who is responsible for putting on these new clothes?

11).      Explain our works.

12).      After reading the scriptures on spiritual service, explain spiritual service.

13).      Explain walking in the Spirit.

14).      Explain walking in the flesh.

15).      What have you learn from reading Romans chapters 1-8?

 

Exercise:         Week #2 Walking in the Spirit today:

What did you do to know you were walking in the Spirit today?

Extra: Joy

I choose Joy. . .I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. . .the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

Personal Prayer:

Lord, thank You for all You have given me. Thank You for the gift of the Salvation. Help me to see all the wonderful things in my life and not focus on the negative. Help me to have a positive attitude during difficult seasons in my life. Help me to develop joy in my life and to attract others to You through the joy that overflows from my heart. Thank You.  In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen.

 

Weekly Reading:        Week # 2         (Romans 8-15) Monday through Sunday.