The Truth... What is it?





 The Essence of "Flesh" is the Focus on "Self"

 
Inspired by Dr. Charles Stanley's 3/8/99 devotional in "In Touch" magazine:

 

What is "Flesh"?

For our period of eternity on earth, we need to be saved from self-absorption & self-centeredness. Dr. Scott Peck (now-deceased psychiatrist), in his book, The Road Less Traveled, indicates that laziness is the fundamental flaw behind the downslide or backslide of "flesh" (see below". I feel that laziness is a general manifestation of self-centeredness (laziness being a weakness that sets us up for the fact of money being the root of all evil). In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul uses the term "flesh" [definition] to describe the part of our lives that stands in sinful opposition to God. In his book, The People of the Lie, he attempts to give a picture of the definition of evil people (such people are surprisingly numerous). Three helpful identifiers are (1) extreme self-centerredness (narcissistic), unusual resistance to ever admitting that they are wrong, and a con artists approach to others.

Remember that, by definition, all sin is Satan-derived and is first & foremost against God...no matter what it is: there is no such thing as private sin! It has to do with the basic, "fallen" nature of mankind. It has to do with, "I want to do what I want to do!" Speaking of "I", it is interesting that the middle/central letter in both words, SIN and PRIDE, is "I"! Pride is at the root of all sin because pride's focus is all on "self" and not on God. There is a clock, and it is ticking...winding down on your life. Will you decide to turn from sin...from "flesh control"...from "self"?

What Results From Selfish "Flesh" Action?


Fruits of sin...Satan...and "the world":

  •   immorality...(whether relative to absolute or personal values)
      
  • impurity.........relationship dissensions.............factions
      
  • sensuality......................idolatry...............sorcery
      
  • enmities ........................strife................jealousy
      
  • outbursts of anger....................................disputes
      
  • envying........................drunkenness............carousing

What Results From Jesus-motivated, Holy-Spirit-enabled Obedience to God?

Fruits of the Holy Spirit and "The Way":
  

  • love................................joy................................peace
      
  • patience...............................................................kindness
      
  • goodness..............................................................faithfulness
      
  • gentleness.............................................................self-control

With "Flesh", a person's Focus is on Self:

  • SELF-ASSERTIVE.....................SELF-WILLED........................SELF-LOVE
     
  • SELF-INDULGENT.....................SELF-PITY..........................SELF-RELIANCE
     
  • SELF-SATISFIED.....................SELF-CENTERED...................SELF-RIGHTEOUS
     
  • SELF-CONSCIOUS....................SELF-MADE.........................SELF-PROMOTING
     
  • SELF-ACTUALIZED...................SELF-ACCLAIMED...................SELF-INFLATED
     
  • SELF-DESERVING.....................SELF-SERVING.....................SELF-DEPENDENT
     
  • SELF-ISH..............................SELF-VIGILANT...................SELF-PROTECTIVE
     
  • SELF-MOTIVATED....................SELF-ABSORBED..................SELF-INDULGENT
     
  • SELF-INTEREST......................SELF-GRATIFICATION..........SELF-REGARDING
     
  • SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT............SELF-REALIZATION............SELF-PREOCCUPATION
     
  • SELF-WORSHIP........................SELF-AFFIRMATION...........SELF-ESTEEM
     
  • SELF-OBSESSED...NARCISSISTIC.

What does our politically-correct, psychologist-oriented culture worship?...looking out for "self", standing up for "self", and being "self comfortable"...and this has even crept into our Christian churches. One truly absorbed in himself and his sensations (believing in no generalized moral or religious principles and in nothing transcendental [going beyond "self"]) is a nihilist. Though all humans have a God-shaped vacuum in their spiritual hearts, the humans focused so strongly on "self" have little or no time, interest, or energy to consider "meaning" in life. There is no thought effort that might let them think about things that might transcend their own narrow & selfish self-interests. Remarkably, most of us are even so selfish as to think that each day is "our" 24 hours and experience irritation when any of "our" time is infringed upon! Crime profilers assure us that sniper murderers and others are so focused on themselves that they actually become evil! Is there any wonder that our society is in trouble?!

How could anyone meditate on the fruit (outcome/consequences) of sin...any sin (see above)...and claim that there are private sins which hurt no one else!? A subtle but foundational message in the Bible is that pure self-interest (the all-inclusive generic for all of the above "self" things) is, in the end, self-destructive. Most of the "self" things are competitive...someone else must become "less" so that the selfish one can become "more". The cure to this self-destructive mindset is death...death to "self".

The spiritual battle is over Jesus-inspired self-denial versus an obstinate Satan-instigated maintaining of the position, "I will not give up my right to myself!"

So, how does the Jesus believer win this "self war"? The cure is self-examination in order that one might commit to self-denial so that one might open one's inner doors to Jesus...through ONE'S OWN self-expenditure...to pour out "living waters", to scatter "salt" and spread "light" through that person to others in a life-fulfilling way. Only Jesus can bring a person from "flesh" control to "Spirit" control, see below. Jesus does it with love...the instilling of an expanding ability to love within relationships. Dr. Peck declares that it is love that is the antidote to the poison of laziness (and therefore the antidote to "self"). Love, being other-directed & cooperative, it is the opposite of the competitive "self" stuff.

A further & potentially disastrous extension of this "self" issue is the central place that it subtly occupies in the culture war within western civilization. Secular progressives vs. traditionalists. The post-modernists (the secular progressives) want to change the social order (1) so that all social norms are deleted or redefined to suit them (2) so that they are free from guilt for the things that they love to do which are proscribed in the Bible (and in the tenets of most religions...they'd basically like to do away with the God religions which all restrain base impulses). Traditionalists want to maintain society's sense of right & wrong attached to Judeo-Christian biblical roots (see "covenantal form of representative democracy") and are the alert ones within the great majority of people who like "the old ways" but are swept along in the new. The "new" tends to define what activities are "politically correct" and are not the least disturbed if their notions are executed arbitrarily & hypocritically. Such is what "self focus" will do.


With "The Spirit", a person's Focus is on JESUS & thru Him to Others


Happily, however, and through the grace of God, the true Jesus believer does not have to serve...is not a slave to...the desires of "the flesh". As saved persons, believing/trusting in the finished work of Jesus...children of God...we have been given the power through that indwelling of the Holy Spirit to say "no!" to our old way of living and thinking. Are you having any on-going "fleshly" struggles? Ask the Lord to reveal any evidence of "flesh" in your life. Be willing to allow Him to strip away all that does not please and glorify Him! When you pray, ALSO stay away from "I" and "me" self-centered prayer toward a result that makes you strut & be proud of your sacrifice & results: "Father, I know that I have a problem with ___, please delete that from me so that I can focus better and sell more and have the means to send my children to a Christian school." Rather, "Father, I know that I have a problem with ____, I first ask that Your will be done as I then request that You please change whatever needs changing in order that I become what You want." Belief in Jesus opens the door to changing a person's "thirsts", "appetites", and "want to"; changes which are part of being "born again" into a new creation through this personal work (sanctification) of Jesus Christ...a creation able to love. Your interests can now be "other-directed". Instead of spending so much time and energy focused on "making a living", consider the change...to Jesus...that will have you focused beyond that and onto "making a life"!

Final Summary:


You get your life when, by divine empowerment, you give it away.
Right relationships (righteousness) through love is the key! And,

Beware of any belief or belief system that makes you self-indulgent!

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(posted 9 March 1999; latest addition 4 February 2015)