Who Do You Say I AM?

On Restraining the Flesh

Posted 1-1-24

Opening Prayer

“Lord please open your word as I read, pray, study, and seek you.  Teach me how to overcome “sensuality” (living by my senses and pleasure).  Please show me in your word how to walk by the Spirit that I would not fulfill the desires of my flesh.”

1. There is a passage that talks about something having no power to restrain sensuality but then gives an antidote to deal with it

• Colossians 2:20-23; 3:1-2 NIV1984
  • 20  Since you died with Christ  to the basic principles of this world,  why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:  21  “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22  These are all destined to perish  with use, because they are based on 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.
  • 1  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,  set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  2  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
    • a. Paul wrote these things to the Colossians because asceticism was creeping its way into the church
    • b. Antidote for restraining sensual indulgence:
      • 1. Heart – “set your hearts on things above” where Christ is seated at the right hand of God
        • a. The heart is the seat of the soul. It is the essence of who we are
        • b. Matthew 16:26 NIV1984 – “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
        • c. Proverbs 4:23 NIV1984 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
        • d. Luke 6:45 NIV1984 – “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
      • 2. Mind – “set your minds on things above” not on earthly things
        • a. the heart and mind are interconnected. The mind houses our intellect and completes the heart, soul, and mind mentioned by Jesus by which we are to love the Lord our God
        • b. Matthew 22:37 NIV1984 – “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
        • c. Romans 12:2 NIV1984 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
        • 3. Setting my heart and mind on things above by: (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV1984)
          • a. Rejoicing – being joyful in the Lord despite my circumstances
          • b. Gentleness – having a gentle spirit, loving my neighbor as myself, loving my enemy, not repaying evil with evil
          • c. No anxiety by presenting my requests to God by:
            • 1) prayer
            • 2) petition
            • 3) thanksgiving in my heart
        • 4. Taking my thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ and His Word
          • “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor.10:5)
        • 5. Focus my thoughts/actions on Godly things of the Spirit
          • 8  Finally, brothers, 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” (Philippians 4:8-9 NIV1984)
        • 6. Result
          • “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)

• Colossians 3:5 NIV1984
  • 5  Put to death,  therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:  sexual immorality,  impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,  which is idolatry
  • 1. Other translation use different terms:
    • Sexual immorality = fornication
    • Impurity = all uncleanness
    • Lust = passion, inordinate affection (exceeding reasonable limits; excessive – The American Heritage Dictionary)
    • Evil desires = evil concupiscence (Improper or illicit desire; sensual appetite; especially, lustful desire or feeling; sensuality; lust – The American Heritage Dictionary.)
    • Greed = covetousness (which is idolatry!)
  • 2. How many of the 10 Commandments are broken here!?
    • 1. You shall have no other gods before me (idolatry)
    • 2. You shall make no idols (idolatry)
    • 7. You shall not commit adultery (sexual immorality, fornication)
    • 8. You shall not steal (greed, covetousness)
    • 10. You shall not covet (greed, covetousness)
    • That’s half of them in one verse! Makes ya go hmmm…

2. Paul says “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” and “live by the Spirit…”

• a. How is this done?
  • Romans 8:5 NIV1984 - 
    • “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.“
  • Galatians 5:16 NIV1984 –
    • “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”
    • (KJV – Walk in the Spirit)

• b. It’s back to the mindset:
  • 1) Set my mind on what the Spirit desires (the Fruit of the Spirit):
    • Galatians 5:22-25 NIV1984
      • 22  But the fruit  of the Spirit is love,  joy, peace,  patience, 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 sinful nature  with its passions and desires.  25  Since we live by the Spirit,  let us keep in step with the Spirit.
  • 2) Keep in step with the Spirit by bearing good fruit
    • John 14:15-17, 21, John 15:1, 4-5, 10, 12-14, 16-17 NIV1984
      • 15  “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 
      • 16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor  to be with you forever—
      • 17  the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you…
      • 21  Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”
      • 5:1  “I am  the true vine,  and my Father is the gardener…
      • 4  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
      • 5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;  apart from me you can do nothing…
      • 10  If you obey my commands,  you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
      • 12  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  13  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 
      • 14  You are my friends  if you do what I command…
      • 16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit —fruit that will last…
      • 17  This is my command: Love each other.

3. Summary – Luke 6:46 NIV1984 – “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

• This verse precedes the parable of the wise and foolish builders in Luke’s account where a firm foundation is built on the rock of Jesus’ teachings.  This really summarizes the answer to my question of how to overcome “sensuality” (living to fulfill the desires of the sinful nature) and how to “walk in the Spirit.”  The focus of my heart and mind should be on putting into practice those things that Jesus commanded: Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love my neighbor as myself, and to love each other. This can only be done by remaining in Christ (by obeying His commands and loving each other).  It is to keep following the Holy Spirit who will bring to remembrance all things He taught.  When I take my thoughts captive, focus on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy then the peace of God will guard my heart and mind (my soul, emotions, and intellect).  When I rejoice even in suffering, have a gentle spirit, deal with anxiety through prayer and petition with a thankful heart, then I will be walking/living by the Spirit.  The enduring fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will rule my life through the Holy Spirit.  This fruit is of the Holy Spirit and will last.  It’s not transitory fruit that I make on my own by following principles of the world.  I must put into practice ALL of the Word of God as the Holy Spirit reveals and enables.  By doing so I reckon myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
• That’s how I should walk in the Spirit to restrain my flesh!