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. We remember that 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 we Walk by the Spirit. That should be fairly obvious, and yet it wasn’t to me during all my years of being ensnared in impurity.
For instance, when I would go on layovers to hotels and couldn’t wait to get into my room to gorge on pornography, I was simply being actuated by my flesh. When I would turn to women other than my wife and have sex with them, that was because I was being empowered by my flesh. When I would gratify my flesh in private while watching pornography, that was the flesh driving me toward self-gratification.
Anyone who is participating in any form of illicit and lustful activities, or sex that is forbidden by God but approved and applauded by our culture, 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 impurity of any kind.
Now consider this:
- 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 the weakness of our own flesh because there is no worldly wisdom that will impart 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 actually find freedom from our flesh?
Freedom from our Flesh
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16 (NIV)
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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