THEME: Understanding Salvation: Inheriting Incorruptible Nature
LESSON: Six
TOPIC: The Usefulness of Salvation (Using The New Man To Live) – Part 3
TEXT: Galatians 5:16-25; Matthew 7:16-20; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:10; Galatians 2:16
MEMORY TRACK:
In our last lesson, we learned by the grace of God that one of the greatest weapons of our warfare is to use the fruit of the Spirit—especially love—to deal with all the works of the flesh. We walk in the Spirit when we use the fruit of the Spirit to fight the flesh and its works (Galatians 5:16, Galatians 5:22-25). Using the fruit of the Spirit mortifies the old man and his deeds. This fruit develops with use.
The Walk of Faith; The Lasting Solution to The Works of The Flesh (Especially Sexual/Immoral Sins/Habits): (Galatians 5:16-25)
We live in a generation where many saints, God’s People, are barren of ‘faith works/good works/Christ works/characters of the life of Christ’; hence the saying in some quarters that some Christians are not truly/genuinely born again. This is made so much more obvious by the overwhelming and prevalent works of the flesh that are in abundance in the world, even amongst us God’s People, especially sexual sins.
If there is one class of habits that are plagues and that are plaguing many in the Churches all over the world, they are sexual sins (in all their shades and expressions). In many cases, it has come to be agreed that such sins/habits/struggles cannot be overcome and should just be lived with, and many across the body agree with this as the norm. But it is not true. It is not so! It is not true! It is verily not true!
The Flesh/Old Man/Corrupt Tree/ and its Works/Fruits/Habits (The principle of a tree and its fruits);
The Scriptures have always provided the solution to every work of the flesh, even the sexual/immoral works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-22). In many cases, we try to use our minds, might, and abilities to break free from these habits, and fail. But the Scriptures teach, particularly the New Testament writings of the Apostles, that to be truly free from any and every work of the flesh, FLESH itself must be addressed.
To want to break free from works of the flesh (whatever kind of works that it may be) without dealing with the flesh the way the Lord Jesus prescribed through the Scriptures will be to want to STOP A TREE FROM FRUITING ITS FRUITS BY PURGING IT (harvesting its fruits), and expecting it not to bring forth more fruits. With every purging/harvesting/removing of the present fruits, there is a positioning for that same tree to bear more fruits (John 15:2).
To break free from works of the flesh, FLESH has to be given its proper, scriptural, and Holy Ghost-dictated attention, which is to cut it down/put it off/disobey it by yielding to and obeying the leadings of the Holy Spirit while holding the doctrine of Christ.
The Gospel of Christ, The Answers to Every Work of The Flesh, Even Sexual/Immoral Works of The Flesh; (Galatians 5:16-22)
The gospel of Christ (not just a good message/sermon that brings help to saints from the Scriptures) is the only gospel/doctrine that commits the Holy Spirit to lead a Saint in the direction of them breaking free from the hold of the flesh/Old Man/law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2), and while this is being done, a saint is best positioned to get rid of the flesh and its deceitful works/fruits.
In conclusion, dealing with the old man is another way of saying, A SOUL SHOULD GROW UP TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST/PUTTING ON CHRIST (Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:14-15).