Summary

Passage: Gal 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The sin nature will work in cahoots with me.

It will work gladly with me.

-It will not fight me if I want to make my flesh do great things for God

- It will not stop me from striving to make my flesh please God.

Rom 7:18 (ESV) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

Rom 8:8 (ESV) Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:3 (ESV) For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

Rom 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

I do not to presume to understand fully who I am.

- Other than that I am a new creation in Christ.

- That I am a Child of the most High God

- That I am covered in the life giving work

- That Christ did in my stead.

- And that I am fully pleasing and loved by God

- Because of my Lord Jesus Christ.

- And that I am now hidden in Christ Jesus

Gal 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gal 5:24 (ESV) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Eph 6:12 (ESV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Watchmen Nee - In the book - The Spiritual man.

“The hazard for young believers is to stop short of the putting to death of the power of the flesh in doing good by only knowing what the cross does for the sinful side of the flesh. In so doing they retreat again into the sins of the flesh.” Pg. 116 Watchmen Nee – The Spiritual Man.

Luk 11:13 (ESV) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

This evil is the sin nature

- It will work beside us hand in hand

- So we may do great things for God

- In a flesh

- That cannot please God

- And in the end will only produce wood, hay and straw

- When Jesus returns

- Because the flesh is incapable of pleasing God

It’s not that God is angry

- At all of our works in and thru the flesh

- But rather the only payment

-He can give us

- For something worthless

- Is wood hay and straw

- Why?

- Because the flesh is incapable of pleasing God

Watchmen Nee again:

“Whether good acts or evil, all are but the expression of the same flesh. If the flesh is not furnished opportunity to sin, it is willing to do good; and if once the opportunity to perform good is provided, the flesh will soon revert to sin. Here satan deceives God’s children. If believers would habitually maintain the attitude of the flesh being crucified satan would have no chance; for the flesh is satan’s work shop.” P. 117 Watchmen Nee – The Spiritual man.

If you have come to know God

- By Faith in Jesus Christ

- Jesus made you God’s Child

- This was an act of God’s Spirit

- With no help from your or my flesh.

- We did not receive this gift

- By striving in the flesh to do the right thing.

But after our rebirth

- That had nothing to do with us

- We go back to striving with the flesh to please God

- A flesh that we are made dead to.

- A flesh that cannot please God.

Paul speaking to the Galatians:

Gal 3:2-3 (ESV) Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Watchmen Nee again

“Who can fathom the deceitfulness and vitality of this self. The flesh opposes the spirit not just in sinning against God, but now even in the matter of serving and pleasing Him. It opposes and quenches the Holy Spirit by leaning upon it’s own strength without wholly relying upon God’s grace and simply being led by the Spirit.” Pg. 109 Watchmen nee – the spiritual man

God would like you to know

- That not only could you not save yourself

He want’s you also to know

- That you are also incapable of doing anything for His Glory.

You and I started this Journey in the Spirit

- Now we must live in the Spirit.

A spiritual presence that changes everything.

A presence that when we are filled

- Makes our sin nature cower. A presence that when we are filled with

- We will be filled with the Joy of the Lord

- that will become our strength A presence that when we are filled with

- We will be filled with a peace

- that passes all understanding

A presence that when we are filled with

- Fills us with His Love

- A love that surpasses knowledge (Eph 3:19)

- A love that overflows to everyone around you and I

- A love that will control us (2 Cor 5:14)

Works that produce Gold, Silver, and precious stones.

- Works that just as our salvation

- we did not do

- But Christ did them thru us

- As we strive to get closer to Him

The only Work in our life that God will accept

- Is the work done by Jesus Christ

- And by His Holy Spirit Because only by seeking God

- And being at His feet

- And letting His presence fill us

- Will we start to change This is not an act of the flesh It is an act of His Spirit

Jesus, I’m so grateful that there was no formula – no secret way to regain my peace. No amount of Bible reading or forced prayer time (on my part) brought this state on. But you in answer to the desperate crying out of my heart came and rescued me from the bondage of works and self spirituality. “No Compromise – Pg. 276 – 2000 edition”

If you don’t know Jesus

-The greatest works of your flesh will never be good enough for God.

-Coming to Jesus is the only way for our salvation.

- Jesus’ work is the only work God will accept

- Because no other work will be adequate for this Holy God.

If you know Jesus as your Savior The greatest works of your flesh will never be good enough for God.

- God sent His only Son

- Not so we can do good works

- But so we can come to Him and really Know Him

- He will fill us with His presence

- And He will do good works thru us

The Holy Spirit’s work is the only work God will accept

- Because no other work will be adequate for this Holy God.

Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son…

Rom 7:25 … but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Paul’s sin nature is not the new Paul

- The sin nature is condemned in the flesh

- Paul’s flesh is not Paul

- Paul was crucifed to it

So as with Paul

- Let us press on for the goal

- The goal Paul explains in Phil 3

- To know Christ more

- Paul’s life’s ambition.

Php 2:12 (ESV)Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Php 2:13 (ESV)for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Because, the only work that God will accept

- Is the work done by God the Father

- The work done by God the Son

- And the work done by God the Holy Spirit.

See God knew something that I didn’t That His presence changes everything.