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1 Corinthians 9:11
"If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it
too much if we should reap material things from you?"
Evangelism:
The Time
Is Now!
Forgiveness Tract:
Jesus
is The Answer
To Your Needs
Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
The
Bible talks about
Three kinds of people
Soulish, Spiritual and Fleshly
A
Soulish Man is a person who is motivated and controlled through their Soul: their intellect and feelings, and through their Flesh: their appetites and desires. This is a person without Christ and devoid of Spirit, our means of communicating with God. The Apostle Paul wrote about this person:"But a man who is motivated-and-controlled-through-his-soul does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are discerned through the spirit."
(1 Cor 2:14)1
"But he who is motivated-and-controlled-through-his-spirit discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."
(1 Cor 2:15-16)A
Fleshly Man is a Christian who because of ignorance or self-will has retaken control of his life. As a result, like the Soulish Man, he is again following the leading and motivation of his Soul: his intellect and feelings, and his Flesh: his appetites and desires. Concerning this person Paul wrote:2
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to men motivated-and-controlled-through-your-spirit, but as to men motivated-and-controlled-through-your-flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still motivated-and-controlled-through-your-flesh. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not motivated-and-controlled-through-your-flesh, and are you not walking like mere men?"
(1 Cor 3:1-3)What Is the Problem with the Fleshly Christian?
The problem with the fleshly Christian is that he is trying to live the Christian life in the power of the Flesh which means that he is trying to overcome his problems through the strength of the flesh. The Apostle Paul Himself tried to live the Christian life in this way.
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What was the end result? He wrote:
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish."
(Rom 7:18-19)Paul tells us that no matter how hard he tried to live the Christian life in his own strength, he failed; so much so that he screamed out in frustration: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24). Paul found that trying to live the Christian life in the strength of the flesh was not possible.
Why Can’t We Overcome
Through the Strength of the Flesh?
The Bible Teaches us that the flesh is "sold into bondage to sin" (Rom 7:14). When we try to overcome a problem in the strength of the flesh, we energize the flesh. Because the flesh is in bondage to sin, when we energize it we strengthen the flesh to sin. What does this mean? It means that even through temporarily you appear to be making progress in overcoming the problems of your flesh, in the end you will find your self in deeper bondage to those problems.
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Why is this true? The Apostle Paul tells us why, he wrote:
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 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; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
(Rom 8:6-7)Paul explains to us that to try and overcome our problems in the flesh will not work and will not please God. Why? Because God knows it will not lead to overcoming the problems of our flesh. It is a lost cause. God through Paul instructs us to give it up.
There Is No Life Changing Power in the Flesh
Another reason why we are not able to change ourselves or overcome our problems in the flesh is because the flesh has no life in itself to change itself. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who creates-life, the flesh profits nothing."
(John 6:63)5
How
Then Do We Overcome
The Problems of Our Flesh?
Not through our strength but through Jesus’ strength. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might." Jesus does not want us to try and overcome our problems in our strength but in His strength.
How We Draw Upon Jesus’ Strength
First, by recognizing that we all sin daily. The Apostle John and Solomon wrote,"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
(1 John 1:8)"Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins."
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)6
Jesus does not give us this truth in His word to encourage us to sin but so we will face ourselves realistically. No matter how long we know the Lord, whether we want to or not we are going to sin.
Second, by recognizing that Jesus forgives all sins confessed and repented of. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:9,
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
John tells us in this verse that the moment we confess our sins that Jesus’ forgiveness becomes an
automatic FACT! We must accept this by faith. By faith means we believe Jesus’ promise to forgive us when we confess and repent of our sins whether we feel forgiven or not. Feelings are an organ of the Soul not the Spirit. We are not to rely on our feelings but on Jesus’ promises recorded in the Bible. Jesus’ promises are absolute eternal truths.Repentance Involves: 1) Confessing our sins to God, 2) making right our wrongs confessed, 3) and then bringing forth fruit, continued changed behavior, in keeping with repentance.
(Matt 3:1-12, Luke 3:1-14)7
Once you have confessed and repented of your sins and accepted Jesus’ forgiveness by faith, the
third step is to then ask Him to refill you with His Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18:"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."
To be filled with the Holy Spirit simply means to allow Jesus to be Lord of your life. When Jesus is Lord of Your life, the Holy Spirit is in control of your life and thus you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith according to the promise of God's Word in 1 John 5:14-15. He wrote:
"And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.."
Jesus' Word promises us that He will answer any prayer that is according to His will and He states in his Word that it is his will that we be filled with the Holy Spirit.
8
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Would You like to pray right now and ask Jesus to refill you with His Holy Spirit and retake control of Your life? If you would, then pray the following prayer:
Jesus, I confess to you that I am a sinner and repent of my known sins. Thank You for forgiving me according to Your Promise in 1 John 1:9. I now ask You to refill me with Your Holy Spirit, to retake control of my life and to continue to lead me into your will and plan for my life. By faith thank You that it is done according to Your promise to answer any prayer that is according to Your will, in Your name, Jesus, amen.
No matter how many times in a day you sin, repeat this prayer and you will stay filled with the Holy Spirit and in communion and relationship with Jesus.
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| First, Gain Control Over Your Thought Life. Paul wrote, |
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Romans 13:14, Phil 4:8, Eph 5:15-17, Gal 5:16)
| Second, Read, Memorize & Meditate on God’s Word. King David wrote, |
"I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11)
| Third, Seek Fellowship with Christians. |
"And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
| Fourth, Ask God for the Power of the Holy Spirit to Not Sin. |
"Seek Yehovah and His strength; seek His face continually." (Psalm 105:4, Eph 6:10, Matt 26:41)
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-
yucikov" pertaining to the soul; motivated and controlled through the soul. Adjective: masculine, singular, nominative, no degree or a positive degree, 5591; from yuchv soul, 5590. 1 Cor 2:14.
-
pneumatikw'" That which pertains to the spirit through the aid of the Holy Spirit; motivated and controlled through the spirit. Adverb, 4153; from pneu'ma spirit, 4151. 1 Cor 2:15.
sarkikov" of the flesh, pertaining to the body, under the control of the flesh, motivated and controlled through the appetites and desires of the flesh. Adjective, 4559; from savrx flesh, 4561. 1 Cor 3:1.
zwopoievw to
create or make alive. Verb, 2227; from zw'on
alive, 2226, and poievw
to create or make, 4160. John 6:63.
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