Lesson 8 Hearing the Message of the Cross
Questions 1 and 2
Greetings, friend, and welcome back! So great to be studying, praying, and seeking the Lord for freedom together.
Review
Question 1. The first foundational principle of freedom is Washing at the cross. What is the second principle?
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As Christians, we either live by the flesh or walk by the Spirit. This truth should be obvious, and yet it wasn’t to me during all my years of being trapped in sin.
For instance, when I would go on layovers to hotels and couldn’t wait to get into my room to drink and gorge on pornography, I was being actuated by my flesh. When I would turn to drugs and cigarettes, when I would sleep with women other than my wife, all of that was because I was being empowered by my flesh. Anyone who is participating in any form of substance abuse is simply following the dictates of their flesh.
Granted, the devil stirs up these desires within us with his fiery darts of temptation. He is very sneaky and tricky, and he knows the chinks in our armor and how and when to attack us.
But ultimately, it is simply a lifestyle of being energized and activated by our flesh (in cooperation with the devil) that drives us to turn to substances rather than our Savior.
Now consider the following with me:
- We can establish rules and laws related to our behavior and require ourselves to obey them, yet we will discover that our flesh is weak and unable to obey the laws (Romans 8:3).
- We can make vows and promises to try harder and do better, yet find that our flesh is still prompting and empowering us toward self-gratification so aggressively that when tempted, we forget all about our promises. (Matthew 26:41)
- We can go the worldly route and learn all about "addictions'' and "triggers" and learn "avoidance tools" and practical tips to stop "acting out." But in doing this, we demonstrate that we have misunderstood both the power of our enemy and our own flesh's weakness because there is no worldly wisdom that will provide the spiritual power to change our hearts. (Colossians 2:21-23)
So, if laws, vows, promises, and worldly wisdom are not enough to set us free, how do we find freedom from our flesh?
Freedom from Our Flesh
Fortunately, Scripture gives us a very clear answer. Here it is:
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16
Here is the key to being done with living by the power of our flesh; it is Walking by the Spirit. To resist the flesh, we must be actuated by the Spirit, energized or empowered by the Spirit, enabled and directed by the Spirit of God.
Question 2. What do you think it would look like, in your own life, to be empowered by the Spirit of God rather than the flesh? Please be specific:
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Karen writes:
"Peacefulness would abound. My thoughts would be on the Lord and His abundant provisions He has established for me in His Victory. The calls of my flesh, would be like the insistence of a dead corpse on my Back demanding I help it fulfill its former ways as if still alive. My spiritual senses would be alert to any snares or temptations coming from Satan. My response would be, “sorry, you have no authority over me”.