The need to get self out of the way:

Transcription

1 The need to get self out of the way: My fleshly self is in the way. Everything I see, hear, taste, smell, touch, think and feel comes to me through my flesh and is or can be greatly influence, distorts, it even lies to me to get what it wants, which is to be gratified. This study is my attempt to look at what I as a disciple am up against and so I am on guard when my fleshly self seeks to influence my every thought and feelings at the heart level and then to enter battle in the heart to defeat self with the power of God. KEY: Words in Bold Letters: I make certain words bold for a number of reasons. 1. If/Then verses that have these words. I highlight them to show cause and effect. When a verse has the word if but not the work then I added (then) it. 2. In this study negative treats such as: flesh, heart, lust, hate, greed, things from the realm of darkness are in bold. (see key verse Rom 8:5-7) as an example 3. Words in Bold Red are positive qualities found with God and are part of being in the light; Jesus, God, Spirit, love, humility, Etc. (example key verse Rom 8:5-7) 4. Words inside () I add names and identify who is speaking or what is being referred to, to clarify the context of the verse. 6 KEY VERSES: What God thinks of the Human Heart: Gen 8 When Noah built a alter and burnt offerings on it: 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though [or humans, for] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Rom 7 The Law and Sin: (v7-25) 22So I (Paul) find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God s law, but in my sinful nature[or in the flesh] a slave to the law of sin. Eph 2 Made Alive in Christ: (1-10) 3 All of us (disciples) also lived among them (the sinful) at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh [*] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

2 * In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. Rom 8 Life Through the Spirit: (v1-17) 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 1 Cor 9 The Need for Self Discipline: (v24-27) 27 No, I (Paul) strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Luke 6 A Tree and Its Fruit: (v44-45) 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. The Flesh is the voice of my Sinful Nature: Two Apposing Natures: Nature of the world and flesh: Gal 5 Life by the Spirit: (v13-26) 13 You, my (Paul s) brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh [*]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Contrast these qualities with the qualities that have their origin with God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patient self-control; restraint and tolerance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. The first list are treats that focus on satisfying self, while the second is a list of qualities that is outward focused, off of self onto others.

3 From the contexts the second paragraph shows additionally that the flesh is not focused on love; except perhaps in a lustful way, joy; peace, patience, self control, tolerance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, etc. Gal 5:13* In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; Warning: 1 John 2 On Not Loving the World: (v15-17) 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, (then) love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world. The word love here in connection to the world I do not think it is a very positive form of love, instead I think it is more like lust, a self gratifying form like Eros. Look at the 4 Greek definitions of love: Agape, Eros, Phillia and Storge. (Wikipedia) The Greek definition of Love: Agape: Means "love: esp. charity; the love of God for man and of man for God." Agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a spouse. Eros: means "love, mostly of the sexual passion Phillia: means "affectionate regard, friendship," usually "between equals. It is expressed variously as loyalty to friends (specifically, "brotherly love"), family, and community, and requires virtue, equality, and familiarity Storge: Means "love, affection" and "especially of parents and children" It's the common or natural empathy, like that felt by parents for offspring What God Thinks of the Human Heart: Gen 6 Wickedness in the World: (v1-8) 5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Matt 15 That Which Defiles: (v1-20) 17 Don t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.

4 Luke 6 A Tree and Its Fruit: (v43-45) 43 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. This verse leads into the next regarding winning the battle for the heart and so being able to determine what we allow to come out of it. 2 Cor 10 Paul s Defense of His Ministry: (v1-18) 3For though we (disciples) live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish (worldly) strongholds. 5 We demolish (human) arguments and every pretension (assertion by human thinking) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Phil 4 Final Exhortations: (v4-9) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. The Different Parts of the Flesh Speak: James 3 Taming the Tongue: (v1-12) 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. The tongue is also unwilling to let the person listen, being too quick to speak and too easily to become angry. (James 1:19-201) driving to express what it, the flesh wants first. The Eye: Job 31:1 I (Job) made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. Even though I am in my mid 60 s I still need to make a covenant not only with my eyes but with other parts of my flesh on a heart level so that when I see a woman and my eyes and flesh start voicing their desires that I stop them as soon as possible. The origin of both is the heart with its thoughts. I try to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor 10:52)

5 The Heart: Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? The heart is beyond cure by me, but not beyond God. This desire to be self focused is very much centered in the heart, It shows the lack of Spiritual maturity, so that is where the battle must be fought in order to win the heart away from the influence of the flesh and presenting it to Christ to be remade and used by him. I sometimes think of the heart as having the nature of a small child, that never grows up, remaining very selfish, who, without having any discipline, will throw fists and screams making constant demands to get it way or what it wants, showing a total lack of any maturity, 1Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. (But) When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. This is very much like what a parent does and is called to do by God, to change the heart of a child, from one who is totally self-focused to one that is outward focused, first toward God and second to others. (Prov 22:63, Prov 22:154, Eph 6:45). Our heavenly Father does the same thing to teach us his way of thinking and feeling on a heart level. (Heb 12:76) A child is at the first stage in maturity. A child does not have a very good concept of time, they wants what they want NOW!, there is no next year, next month, next week or even tomorrow can seem to be forever. An adult generally understands that there is a need to wait for what they want. I must work 2 weeks before I get my pay check. A really good example is that of the farmer; I heard a saying related to this. There are on child farmers. As an example of this, I was told that when my older sister was about 4 she was given some flower seeds to plant. After putting them in the dirt and watering them she sat down expecting them to start growing immediately. It takes an adult with an adult s viewpoint to understand the need to work in the fields 4-6 months before a harvest can be expected to come in. The last stage in the growth of maturity is to develop spiritual maturity which looks even longer into the future, being willing to look from God s viewpoint of eternity seeing the consequences of my sinful life and be willing to do what it takes to change it, by being willing to submit to God s will and wait on God to receive the promises that are mine now, but will not receive until I enter heaven. For more on this subject see my study on Eternal. and Heart The Mind: Rom 8 Life through the Spirit: (v1-17) 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed

6 by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You (disciples), however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. The Result of Surrendering to the Flesh: Ps 52:3You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. 3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. 4 You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue! Matt 13 The Parable of the Sower: (v1-23) 22The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. The nature of the Flesh corrupts the thinking and makes people fools: Prov 12:16 Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. The fool is quick to become defensive and voice their opinions. Prov 14 For the director of music. Of David. 1 The fool says in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Prov 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding (spiritual wisdom) but delight in airing their own opinions (fleshly/worldly thinking). I think that this goes back to being quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). The person who can do this has spiritual wisdom and is therefore, outward focused instead of self focused. Another verse is 1 John 4:17, which call me to test every spirit to see if it is from God. I would include in this, to test every human thought, especially my own, to see if it is from God or from self or the world. Prov 27:22Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them. This is not something man can do. It will require to power of God working in the heart to change them so the person is pursuing righteousness not the desires of the flesh.

7 The battle inside me: James 4 Submit Yourselves to God: (v1-12) 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you (disciples)? Don t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Paul is writing to disciples under the leadership of James. I think that perhaps the people wanted to be friends with both the world and God. Trying to make a compromise so they could enjoy worldly pleasures and still have an acceptable spiritual relationship with God, which does not work. Some of the Consequences: Rom 1 God s Wrath against Sinful Humanity: (v18-32) 20 For since the creation of the world God s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people (sinful man) are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile (worldly) and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (worldly wisdom) 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. What God has called me to do: Reject the influence of the Flesh and Become like Christ in Heart: Eph 4: Instructions for Christian Living: (v17-32) 22 You (disciples) were taught, with regard to your former (sinful) way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 In your anger do not sin : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. Phil 2 Imitating Christ s Humility: (v1-11)

8 1Therefore if you (disciples) have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my (Paul s) joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Col 3 Living as Those Made Alive in Christ: (v1-17) 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry This is putting it on the Cross, being crucified with Jesus. Warnings about the Sinful World: From sinful people: Prov 1 Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men: (v8-19) 10 My son, if sinful men entice you, (then) do not give in to them. 1 Cor 15 The Resurrection of the Dead: (v12-34) 33 Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. [From the Greek poet Menander] What I am called to do: 1 Cor 6 Sexual Immorality: (v12-20) 12 I (Paul) have the right to do anything, you say but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything but I will not be mastered by anything. This is freewill exhorting itself over the desires of the flesh and choosing freedom in Christ. Control my Tongue: 1 Peter 3 Suffering for Doing Good: (8-22) 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. Turn to God to get Help:

9 Ps 119:28My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your (God s) word. 29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law. 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. -The self that must be removed is the fleshly part of me. -The surest way limit the influence of my flesh is to embrace humility before God and others.. The flesh is lies to me, I must not trust it, Instead I should remove self. Eph 4 Instructions for Christian Loving: (17-32) 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; The Lack of humility & love leaves an inward focused heart: -What humility bring or remove? An outward focus for the individual. Matt 23 A Warning Against Hypocrisy: (v1-12) 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. What I am Called to Do: Phil 2 Imitating Christ s Humility: (v1-11) 1Therefore if you (disciples) have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my (Paul s) joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. What to take away from this verse: -Spiritual wisdom as a substitute for worldly wisdom. The removal of: -Selfish ambitions (Phil 2:1-3) -Vain Conceit (Phil 2:1-3) -False Humility: Col 2: (seeking merit with God by works) Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. So I am to imitate the heart and character of Christ. Some other positive qualities of His heart: Compassion, Kindness, Gentleness, Patience, willing to Bear with each other (2 Cor 6:69, Gal 5: , Eph 4:1-311

10 Eph 4: ) In all cases, the addition of or the removal of these qualities are dependent on me exercising my free will, by how I choose to live. Submit to the truth of God and live in the light as Christ s bond servant or to embrace the lies of the world and my fleshly self and so live in darkness as a slave to sin. (John 8: ) (Rom 6: ) James 4 Submit Yourself to God: (v1-12) 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Rom 11:615 a good if/then verse contrasting this. Must have Love: 1 Cor 13 Indispensable Love: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is (Human) knowledge, it will pass away. Is this a Duplicate verse? Contrasting the Fruit of the Spirit with Fruit of the Flesh: Gal 5 Live by the Spirit: (v13-26) 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. How can I achieve victory over self? Col 3 Living as Those Made Alive in Christ: (v1-17)

11 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Verse 5 says to put to death whatever my earthly nature. The only way I can see doing this is to nail it to the Cross, as in Gal 2: Tim 1 Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel: (v6-14) 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. CONCLUSION: The world I live in and must relate to is a world that comes to me, filtered through my fleshly self. My flesh by nature will take all of this input, it will bend and twist it, it will constantly present what it wants and thinks first as it attempts to gratify its desires first. That is, if I let it do this. I can surrender and so give in to the will of the flesh and become its slave, or attempt to resist using my own strength to exhort my freewill and subdue the flesh. Sadly, this is not possible, if it were, then as Paul said, Christ died for nothing (Gal 2:2117) Instead, I should approach the relationship I have with my fleshly self as a hustle one, with the flesh warring against my inner self, showing it to be my enemy, and needing to be continually subdued on a daily basis, making me its master and it my unwilling but obedient servant. The difference here is that I realize that I can t overcome my fleshly desires with its worldly thoughts, however, God can and has through Jesus Christ by allowing me to nail them to the cross daily (Mark 8:3418) and live for and through him (Gal 2:2019). The battle is for and in the heart and mind and so I therefore need to fight there against the fleshly and worldly thoughts/feelings where they have their birth (Matt 15: ) and since I am incapable of truly keeping my fleshly self in submission I use a much higher power by taking captive every thought and making it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10: 21) I is not enough to just fight a defensive battle by attempting to stop worldly/fleshly thoughts, I need to get my mind and heart new food to consume nourishment that only can come from God; the Word and the positive qualities that are found in and with God and in the world.

12 Step 1: I need to recognize my sinful nature and my inability to overcome it without Christ. Therefore, humility before God must come first, because, if my freewill is not doing this then my fleshly self is still in control and I remain a slave to my sinful nature. My inner self must submit to God first. Step 2: Striving only to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ means I am fighting a defensive battle. I need to provide my heart and mind new thoughts and feelings to replace the raging thoughts and feelings of my flesh. I should be pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness (1 Tim 6:11-12) and the things that come from God (Phil 4:8-922) Step 3: The goal is spiritual maturity. I see the flesh as a very spoiled demanding child that will never grow up. Spiritual maturity brings discernment to the heart. One that can know the truth about what others are attempting to teach about God, but about everything, especially what my flesh is trying to put pass me through its very slanted fleshly and worldly view and desires. (Heb 5: ) Much more can be said there are 11 verses that warn me to be on my guard against false teachers and my sinful nature. Plus there are many others verses that can be sued. As a final thought about the need to feed my inner self with spiritual food and starve my fleshly desires A Parable attributed to the Cherokee Indians: The Tale of Two Wolves: A grandfather is talking with his grandson and he says; There are two wolves inside of us which are always at war with each other. One of them is a good wolf which represents things like kindness, bravery and love. The other is a bad wolf, which represents things like greed, hatred and fear. The grandson stops and thinks about it for a second then he looks up at his grandfather and says, Grandfather, which one wins? The grandfather quietly replies, the one you feed Feet your inner self from God s table and deny your flesh the gratification that comes from the world. EXTRA VERSES AND COMMENTS: -All of these treats of the heart are the result of how I relate to the outside world. It is either filtered through a selfish, self centered view of the flesh or being outward more giving view that can only come from God..

13 -It is human nature to be prideful; it does not credit God, but self for our many accomplishments and blessings. (Deut 8: ) -I get distracted by and start focusing on so many things in the world. When this happens, then I am no longer focusing on God and Christ my Lord, but on what I have around me, because God is no longer my focus, but self is. Therefore, I should strive to keep my eyes on Jesus, my source of strength in this battle (Heb 12:225) Ps 34:13Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Rom 12 Humble Service in the Body of Christ: (v3-8) 3 For by the grace given me (Paul) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. -God abhors the pride of Israel (Amos 6:826) Of all the peoples of the earth, Israel should have known better then to turn their back on God. -The only person I should be comparing myself with is Jesus Christ and if I am honest then I will see that I need to humble myself before him. 1 Cor 9 The Need for Self-Discipline: (v24-27) 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I (Paul) do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 2 Tim 3:2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. UNUSED VERSES: Luke 9 Jesus Predicts His Death: (v21-27) 23 Then he (Jesus) said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves (the fleshly, sinful desires) and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. Luke 9 Jesus Predicts His Death: (v21-) 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

14 Mark 8 The Way of The Cross: (v34-38) 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Gen 4 Cane and Abel: (v1-26) 7 If you (Cane) do what is right, (then) will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, (then) sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Prov 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise (spiritual) wisdom and instruction. Prov 14:3 A fool s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the (spiritually) wise protect them. The spiritually wise person is able to control their tongue, while the fool cant and doesn t want to. Prov 17:28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. Deut 5 The Ten Commandments: (v1-33) 21 You shall not covet your neighbor s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. For me, it is impossible. If it were, then I could conceivably work my way to heaven by controlling and overcoming the sinful nature of my heart. As it is t, I cannot. The only hope I have is to get a new heart from Christ. Rom 13 The Day Is Near: (v11-14) 13Let us (disciples) behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Human thinking Is Futile: Ps 94:11The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. Jer 48 A Message About Moab: (v1-47) 30 I (God) know her () insolence but it is futile, declares the Lord, and her boasts accomplish nothing. >>>>1 Cor 3 The Church and Its Leaders: (v1-23) 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age (worldly wisdom), (then) you should become fools (worldly standards) so that you may become (spiritually) wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God s sight. As it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness [a] ;20 and again, The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile. Matt 23:25 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Rom 2 God s Righteous Judgment: (v1-16) 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. The nature of sinful man: 2 Tim 3:1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. Mark 8 The Way of The Cross: (v34-38) 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 1 James 1 Listening and doing (v19-27) 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

15 2 2 Cor 10:5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 3 Prov 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. 4 Prov 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away. 5 Eph 6:4 Fathers, [Or Parents] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 6 Heb 12 God Disciplines His Children: 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 7 1 John 4 On Denying the Incarnation: 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 8 Col 2 Freedom From Human Rules: (v16-23) 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head (Christ), from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. 9 2 Cor 6:6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

16 10 Gal 5 Life by the Spirit: (v13-26) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. 11 Eph 4 Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ: (v1-16) 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 12 Eph 4 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 13 John 4 Whose Children are Jesus Opponents 34Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 14 Rom 6 Slaves to Righteousness: (v15-23) 16 Don t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

17 15 Rom 11 The Remnant of Israel: (v1-10) 6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 16 Gal 2 Paul Opposes Cephas (v11-21) 19 For through the law I (Paul) died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, (then) Christ died for nothing! 17 Gal Paul Opposes Cephas (v11-21) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! 18 Mark 8 The Way of the Cross: (vs 34-38) 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 19 Gal 2 Paul Opposes Cephas (v11-21) 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 20 Matt 15 That Which Defiles: (v1-20) 18But the things that come out of a person s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander Cor 10 Paul Defends His Ministry: 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 22 Phil 4 Final Exhortation: (v4-9) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

18 23 Heb 5 Warning Against Falling Away: (v11-14) 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 24 Deut 8 Do Not Forget the Lord: (v1-19) 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God. 25 Heb 12:2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 26 Amos 6 The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel: (v7-14) 8 The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself the LORD God Almighty declares: I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.