1-4 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
5-9 Now HE that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, WHO also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
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In the body, in our flesh, we walk by sight.
When we are going by our flesh and what we can see with our natural eyes, we are absent from faith, from the Lord.
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We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of HIM.
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10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
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12-16 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if ONE died for all, then were all dead: And that HE died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto HIM which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
(We do not visit places Jesus lived. That is after the flesh and has no power and no real spiritual edification. We do not seek visual images but we know Christ in spiritual ways, thus the power of God through the Word given us by the Holy Spirit.)
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17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to HIMSELF by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto HIMSELF, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
(Not "imputing" their trespasses unto them means not charging their past trespasses unto them.)
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For HE hath made HIM to be sin for us, (HIM) WHO knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in HIM.
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Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law for we fulfill the law when we follow the Spirit, not doing the works of the flesh.
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19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness (defrauding others), lasciviousness (various lusts), idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance (to vary: disagree, argue), emulations (to try to out do one another), wrath (ill will), 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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21-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(For the works of the Spirit fulfill the law.)
24-26 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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By walking in the Spirit and the light of the Word, we have freedom from sin.
We are in no way free to sin. We are free from sin, no longer doing the sins of the flesh.
You cannot walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. It is impossible. To walk in the flesh, doing the works of the flesh, is to leave the Spirit.
To walk in the Spirit is to walk in: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance
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We control our own flesh by prayer and by desiring to control our flesh.
Make no mistake. The flesh never improves. It is always waiting to get an opportunity to rise up and attack.
One day I was lying down to rest. All of a sudden someone turned on a sound system at a very loud volume. The sound began coming through the wall of my house. I wanted to jump up and find that person and tell him to turn down that sound, it was troubling me.
But that would have been flesh reacting to flesh.
So instead I prayed, asking God not to allow me to do "that". I told God I was very near the edge.
God stopped my flesh.
Each time I have recognized my flesh is about to react, and have prayed this way, asking God to stop me, God has stopped me. Not once has God failed to stop me!
We have help in God when we do not want to follow our flesh.
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