Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul

Peter in speaking of "fleshly lusts" uses the words, sarkikos (fleshly) and epithumia (lusts).   Sarkikos describes the impulses, cravings, and desires of the carnal flesh.  Epithumia is a compound word.  Epi (over) and thumos (passion). Hence, epithumia describes a person so overcome by some passionate desire that he completely gives himself over to it.  

Interpreted, this means that your flesh is never content until it has completely taken you over and consumed you.  It is impossible to freely participate in only a little taste of sin and then walk free of it.  Once the flesh has been allowed to indulge in that sin, the cry of the carnal nature to indulge in sin once more will become stronger and stronger, ferociously working against you in its attempt to pull you deeper & deeper into sin until you are completely conquered by it.  

If you have one temptation that you have to constantly fight more than others, how did that fight begin?  Did you look at something or allow your flesh permission to do something that you knew was wrong?  Did you open the door to this attack yourself by not saying no to the flesh at a critical moment in your life?  What are you going to do now to shut the door to the devil and drive this battle out of your head and flesh?

It is a whole lot easier to avoid fleshly temptations that it is to uproot them once they get deeply rooted in your mind, will and emotions.  So if the world around you is crying out for you to participate in its sinful activities, remind yourself that you are just a temporary traveler in this world with no rights to participate in such activities.  

Make the choice to refrain from the works of the flesh.

By making this decision, thru the power of God's Holy Spirit, you can avoid horrific battles that others fight every day in their minds because they didn't say no to temptations that were offered to them.

This post was adapted from Sparkling Gems from the Greek.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Each Christian must be prepared for conflict.  Paul calls this wrestling with wicked spirits (Eph 6:10-20).   No Christian can hope to enter the warfare of the ages without first learning to sit with Christ and rest in what He has done, and then, thru the power of the Holy Spirit within, to follow Him in a practical , holy life here on earth.  If the Christian is deficient in either of these, he will find that all the talk about spiritual warfare remains only talk; he will never know its reality. We sat and rested with Christ and are learning how to walk with Him before the world but how are we to conduct ourselves in the presence of God's adversary (and ours)?  

God's word is STAND.  Put on the whole armor of God that may be able to STAND against the schemes of the devil.  The Greek verb STAND with its following preposition AGAINST really means HOLD YOUR GROUND.

This is a truth found in God's Word.  It is not a command to invade a foreign territory.  Warfare would imply a command to march.  Armies march into other countries to occupy and to subdue.  However, God has not told us to do this.  

We are not to march but STAND.  

The word STAND implies that the ground disputed by the enemy is really God's and therefore ours.  We need not struggle to gain a foothold of it.  Jesus' victory on the cross was offensive.  He won us back from satan.  That mean's our warfare is, in essence, defensive.  We war against satan only to maintain and consolidate the victory which Jesus has already gained. 

In Christ, we are more than conquerors.  

In Jesus, we STAND.  Thus, we do not fight for victory; we fight from victory.

We must not ask the LORD to enable us to overcome the enemy, nor even look to Him to overcome, but praise Him because He has already done so.  


He is Victor.  

It is all a matter of faith in Him.  If we believe the LORD, we shall not pray so much but rather we shall praise Him more.  The simpler and clearer our faith in Him, the less we shall pray in such situations and the more we shall praise.  In Christ, we are already conquerors.

Do you see what it means to STAND?  We do not try to gain ground; we merely stand on the ground which the Lord Jesus has gained for us, and resolutely refuse to be moved from it.  

The Christian life then, consists of sitting with Christ, walking by Him and standing in Him.  We begin our spiritual life by resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus.  That rest is the source of our strength for a consistent and unfaltering walk in this world.  And at the end of a grueling warfare with the hosts of darkness we are found standing with Him at last in triumphant possession of the field.

This post is adapted from the book, SIT, WALK, STAND by Watchman Nee.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight...

What is it that keeps you from living a life of obedience to God?  Do you struggle with a particular sin, habit or attitude?  

Every now and then, we all tolerate things in our lives that makes it difficult for us to please God.  And when we know we're not pleasing God, we typically  aren't happy with ourselves either.  This is one reason that Hebrews 12:1 tell us to "...lay aside every weight..."

The words "lay aside" are taken from the Greek work, apotithimi, a compound of the words apo and tithimi.  Apo means away and the word tithimi means to place or lay something down.  These two words when compounded gives a picture of someone who is laying something down while at the same time he is pushing it far away from himself.

Removing sin from our lives will not occur accidentally.  We must decide to change - to remove, to lay aside, to put away attitudes and actions that don't please God and adversely affect our walk of faith.

Also, this verse refers to these incorrect attitudes and actions as "weights."  The word "weight" is from the Greek word ogkos - a word that describes a burden or something so heavy and cumbersome that it impedes a runner from running the race as he should.

What if an athlete tries to run the race with loads of extra weight?  S/he certainly would not be able to run very far!  That is exactly what sinful attitudes and actions do to your walk with the LORD.  If you don't remove them, they will eventually weigh you down and knock you out of the race of faith!

The Holy Spirit is urging you and me to take a good look at our lives and then remove everything that weighs us down and keeps us from a life of obedience.  We must be honest with ourselves and with God.

Do you have a habit, attitude, action or sin that binds you?  Are you plagued by a fear that weighs you down and keeps you from fulfilling your potential in Christ?  Make a rock-solid, quality decision today to grab hold of those unnecessary burdens and remove, lay aside, and permanently put them away from your life.

Once you make that decision, you'll find yourself running your race of faith with much more ease as you press on to victory!

This post was adapted from Sparkling Gems from the Greek

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN

A recent television series called MY STRANGE ADDICTION features tortured folks with varied compulsions such as bathing in bleach, collecting dead things, or ingesting chalk.  Each episode gives curious viewers a glimpse into the lives of those with unusual habits.  Sadly, these addictions are not habits that give people a full, rich, healthy life.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul details the human conflict between living according to the temptations of our sinful nature.  Far from casting stones at the sins of others, Paul said, "So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."  The Greek word sarx,  which Paul uses for sinful nature, is also the word translated elsewhere as "the flesh."  Paul is contrasting the life controlled by a mind set on the flesh with one controlled by a mind set on the Spirit.  Paul recognizes that a life driven by the carnal yearnings -- whether bodily for pleasure, food, or sex, or emotionally for status, power, or control -- contradicts God's law.

Pitting body against spirit was typical of ancient Greek thinking.  Sadly, centuries later many Christians are still tempted to view the body itself as bad.  But that's not what Scripture is saying.  In fact, as part of Paul's argument he reminds his audience that God's own Son was in the "likeness" of sinful flesh in order to be a sin offering on our behalf.  It's not the body that is bad, but rather it is the life that is controlled by the desires of the body that kills.  To be "obligated" to the flesh, Paul says, is to die.  To live a life driven by the Spirit is to live!

This  post is taken from Today in the Word.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:  Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.   We've  discussed adultery and uncleanness.  Today, we conclude this three part series on Galatians 5:19 with a look at lasciviousness.  This strange word, comes from the Greek word aselgeia.  This word describes excess, but it primarily refers to the excessive consumption of food or wild, undisciplined living that is especially marked by unbridled sex.  The word aslegeia is listed as the principal sin of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the reason that God destroyed them.  

It must be noted again that the word aselgeia also refers to the excessive consumption of food.  This means that in God's mind, it is just as perverted to overindulge in food as it is to engage in sinful sexual activities!  So how does that make you feel about overeating?

All of the works of the flesh can be forgiven -- but before forgiveness comes, sin must be acknowledged.  That is why we must understand what adultery, uncleanness and lasciviousness mean.  Once sin is comprehended, it can then be repented and confessed.  This is God's requirement.

If you have fallen into any of these sins, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see these sins as He sees them.  Once you get a revelation of His perspective, you won't want to be the same!  You'll understand the grossness of sin in God's sight, and you will want to be changed!

Once you confess your sin, God will forgive you and you can move on with your life.  If your actions have violated your spouse or someone else, pray for God's mighty grace to be upon them to forgive you.  Then begin to take whatever steps are necessary to make that relationship healthier than ever before.

This study is taken from Sparkling Gems from the Greek

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:  Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.   

Last Saturday we discussed adultery (porneia).  Today, we are going to talk about uncleanness and next Saturday, conclude this three part series on Galatians 5:19 with a look at lasciviousness.

The word uncleanness is the Greek word akatharsia, which is the word kathairo with prefix a added.  The word kathairo means cleansed or pure but when you add the prefix a, the condition is reversed, making the object dirty or unclean.  In the New Testatment, akatharsia refers to lewd or unclean thoughts that eventually produce lewd or unclean actions.  So, there is a strong suggestion that actions begin in the mind as unclean thoughts before they manifest as unclean deeds.

"And there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit..."  The Greek actually says that this man was "gripped by the control of an unclean spirit."  It seems that this man had pondered on lewd thoughts for so long that he had thrown open the door for these to seize and control him.  In this verse the word akatharsia is used.  It implies that a demon found entrance into this man's life because he had committed mental prostitution.  He allowed his mind to dwell on things that were forbidden.

"A man with an unclean spirit met him..."   Here akatharsia is used in describing the man possessed by a legion of demons.  In Mark chapter one and now in chapter five, we have two men who are in the grip of an unclean spirit.  It appears that their demon-possessed condition started with impure, lewd, dirty thoughts, since the Greek word akatharsia is used in both verses.  Did Satan lure them into the pornography of unclean ideas or into adultery, and then build a stronghold of uncleanness so robust in their minds that he was able to eventually cause unclean actions to be manifested in their lives and thus completely control them?

Whatever you give your mind to will eventually be your master.   

Next Saturday we will discuss the word lasciviousness.

This study is taken from Sparkling Gems from the Greek

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:  Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.    

Today and the next two Saturdays, we are trying to understand a bit better what this verse is talking about.  Paul, writing in the Greek has very specific concepts in mind.  Today, we are talking about adultery and fornication, which both have the same Greek word:  porneia.  This word includes all sexual activity outside of marriage.

When using the word porneia in reference to a woman, it means prostitute.  The woman has entered into the sin of prostitution by selling herself.  This word does not just include professional prostitutes but describes any woman who has committed adultery.  

When using the word porneia in reference to a man who has committed adultery, it depicts a man who has had sexual intercourse with a prostitute.  The word porneia simply means that he slept with a prostitute.  So, in reference to adultery, whenever a man has sexual relations with a woman who is not his wife, God says his action is equivalent to seeking a prostitute for a cheap and dirty thrill.  

Pornography comes from the same Greek word.  In fact pornos (the same greek word for porneia) and grapho which means to write.  Thus pornography refers to the writings or reflections about prostitution (adultery).  This means that when an individual meditates on the writings or the photography contained in pornography, it is the equivalent of committing mental prostitution.  Mental prostitution sheds light on what Jesus said, "Whoever looks on a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  

So, now you know the actual meaning of the Greek word adultery that is used throughout the New Testament. 

So how does this affect your view of someone who committed adultery?
How does this affect your view of pornography?
How does this affect your view of your own sexual sin?

Next week we will discuss the word unclean. 

This study is taken from Sparkling Gems from the Greek.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

"...I shall be anointed with fresh oil"   The word used for "anoint" in the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament comes from the Greek word chrio.  This word originally denoted the smearing or rubbing of oil or perfume upon an individual.  For example, if a patient came to see a physician because of sore muscles, the physician would pour oil upon his own hands; then he would begin to deeply rub that oil into the sore muscles of that patient.  That penetrating application of oil would be denoted by the Greek work chrio.  So technically speaking, the word "anoint" has to do with the rubbing or smearing of oil upon someone else.

When you read the word "anoint" in the Bible, think not only of the oil, but of the hands of the Anointer.  Oil was very expensive in Bible times; therefore, rather than tip the bottle of oil downward and freely pour it upon the recipient, a person would first pour the oil onto his hands and then apply it to the other person.  

Let's consider this concept in the context of God anointing our lives.  God Himself -- the Great Anointer -- filled His hands with the essence of His Spirit and then laid His mighty hands upon our lives, pressing the Spirit's power and anointing ever deeper into us.  So when we speak of a person who is anointed, we are actually acknowledging the the hand of God is on that person. 

If you would like a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life, you come before the Great Anointer!  He alone can give you what you need.  Open your heart to God, and allow Him to lay His hands upon your life in a new way.

This post is taken from SPARKLING GEMS FROM THE GREEK (p. 363).

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.