Scripture Post #444: *WORKS OF THE FLESH*

Galatians 5:

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The works of the flesh are the sins of the flesh. And all sins are of the flesh. This Scripture lists a bunch of sins which come from the flesh; which are rooted in the flesh, which source is the flesh; which are the *WORKS OF THE FLESH*. When someone who isn't saved, sins, then that person does so in their flesh. And *if* someone who is saved, sins, then that person also does so in their flesh. But Christians are given something the world doesn't have. And that is: power over sin—power to sin not. JESUS said to "sin no more" in John 5:14; 8:11 (context for these Scriptures given verbatim below). In this very chapter that the works of the flesh are listed is the solution to the works of the flesh. And that solution is to crucify the flesh (the source of every man, woman, boy and girl's sin-problem): Gal. 5:24: "And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Once dead to sin, sin no longer becomes a problem—we sin no more!! The flesh has been crucified on the Cross; the Cross that JESUS CHRIST died on. When JESUS died, so did all those *in* HIM. Those in CHRIST died with CHRIST, at the time when HE died. But JESUS died over 2 thousand years ago; how did we die when HE  died? The same way we sinned when Adam sinned: we sinned *in* Adam. We were in Adam when he sinned. All of humanity was. If your Grandfather never was born, where would you be? Nowhere. You were in your Grandfather, years and years ago, before you ever got here. Because you were *in* him. Well, if we were to go back far enough before our grandfathers, we'd end up at Adam: The Father Of The Human Race. So, just as those who were *in* Adam, sinned when he sinned (and that's everyone), those in CHRIST, died when HE died. This thing is spiritual. Christianity is spiritual. Faith in CHRIST is spiritual. We're *in* CHRIST, spiritually. All those in Heaven, and those who'll ever be in Heaven, are in CHRIST. Because CHRIST's life is eternal life. (1st John 5:20: "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.") Eternal means: infinity—infinity in time before and infinity in time to come. So being saved in the year 2013 is to crucify the flesh on JESUS' Cross thousands of years ago, *in* HIM, when HE did it! Because eternal is eternal. It is not bound by time. And if our flesh (the source of every man, woman, boy and girl's sin-problem) be crucified with CHRIST, then our relationship to sin has ended at the Cross. If we be dead to sin, how can we live any longer therein (Rom. 6:2)? We can't. The only way to sin as a Christian, is to not have reckoned oneself dead indeed to it (Rom. 6:11).

Rom. 6:1: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"

V. 2: "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

V. 6: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

V. 7: "For he that is dead is freed from sin."

V. 11: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Luke 9:23: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

Context For John 5:14:

John 5:1: "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."

V. 2: "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches."

V. 3: "In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water."

V. 4: "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."

V. 5: "And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years."

V. 6: "When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"

V. 7: "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."

V. 8: "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."

V. 9: "And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath."

V. 10: "The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed."

V. 11: "He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk."

V. 12: "Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?"

V. 13: "And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place."

V. 14: "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

V. 15: "The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole."

Context For John 8:11:

V. 1: "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives."

V. 2: "And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them."

V. 3: "And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,"

V. 4: "They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act."

V. 5: "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?"

V. 6: "This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not."

V. 7: "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

V. 8: "And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground."

V. 9: "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."

V. 10: "When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?"

V. 11: "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Originally Published: Sat. 11/30/13