Joan Boney
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What It Means To Suffer in the Flesh.
I Peter 4:1-2 ... Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
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Jesus allowed HIMSELF to go to the cross and thereby allowed HIS own flesh to suffer.
We allow our flesh to suffer with HIM when we refuse to allow our flesh to rule over that which we do on this earth.
One of the works of the flesh is "hatred". Gal. 5 ... It is "the nature of man" to hate. This is what the old man does and even delights in doing.
After we are born again, our purpose on this earth is not to serve ourselves, our flesh. Our purpose now is to serve God while we are on this earth.
Thus we work to keep our flesh crucified, not allowing it to do as it once did.
Hatred comes in many forms. It can make up a large part of a person's life. It is the flesh of man ruling over us if we allow it to exalt itself. To take offense with another person who seems to be keeping us from getting what we desire is a form of hating. It is normal to feel this way. But it is the flesh which we who are of God are to keep crucified so we must not let it reign over us as it once did. We pray, asking God to help us, and each time we ask, God helps us.
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Two other strong forms of flesh are "variance" and "emulations" .
Variance means quarreling and debating ... arguing ... disagreeing over preferences ... to vary.
Emulation means to try to outdo another ... compete ... strive with another to excel above the other person ... copy with intent to excel above the other person.
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At one time, I attended a church in Dallas named Word of Faith. The pastor at that time made a statement from the pulpit that he was going to have more radio & TV stations than Kenneth Copeland. That is emulations, a work of the flesh.
People do such things all the time. But it is fleshly, nature of the old man, evil, though humans (the flesh) think it is a good thing to be competitive.
We keep the flesh under control, not permitting it to lead us and rule. Instead we allow the Spirit of God to rule over our flesh in the issues of this life.
Paul said: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:24-27
Paul kept his body under the control of the Spirit of God and brought his feelings, his emotions under "subjection" to the word of God.
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Galatians 5:19-21 ... Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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.
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As Christ suffered in the flesh willingly to bring us to God, we suffer in the flesh by refusing to obey what the flesh wants to do thereby serving God instead of our fleshly desires.
We put our flesh to death through prayer and are thereby crucified with Christ in order to serve God instead of serving our flesh. We have another Spirit in us now which makes it possible for us to do this, the Holy Spirit of God lives in us. It is up to us to choose to go by the Holy Spirit, putting to death the flesh as we choose to go in the way of God allowing HIS Spirit to rule us.
Gal. 2:20 ... I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave HIMSELF for me.
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Romans 6:3-4 ... Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death? Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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II Peter 3:10-14 ... The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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Galations 5:22-26 ... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
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Paul tells us to walk in: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
It is an act of our own will to walk in the spirit and a continual recognition when we are going according to our flesh and not the Spirit.
Heaven is not going to be like this earth. Those things we so admire and desire for ourselves will be no part of heaven.
I believe God will so overshadow every thing, it will just be us and HIM. We will no longer be focused on that other person as we often are today. Isaiah says the former things will not even come to our minds. Paul says we won't have the physical bodies we have here, so how then will we recognize another person? Or is it just going to be God and us. And if that is so shouldn't we focus on our own salvation now and our relationship now with God, setting aside our reputations and desire to be recognized by humans on this present earth? Just us and God ... one body, the body of Christ and God.
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