flesh – La Vista Church of Christ

Put to Death What is Earthly In You

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:08:50 +0000

by Edwin Crozier

Having explained his own work in ministering the gospel (Colossians 1:24-2:5) and then expounded the need to maintain a stable and steadfast faith (Colossians 2:6-3:4), Paul moves to the third leg of this letter laid out back in Colossians 1:21-23. He describes the need to move from hostility to holiness (Colossians 3:5-4:6).

We don’t want to be taken captive by seemingly plausible arguments of worldly philosophies. We don’t need to be concerned about those who judge us regarding Sabbaths, new moons, festivals, and kosher laws. We don’t need to submit to multiplied rules that have no purpose but to simply restrict us with asceticism and severity to the body. However, we are to eliminate some behaviors and attitudes. And not just “kind of” get rid of, not merely diminish, “put to death.” We are to kill them (Colossians 3:5).

As we learned yesterday, this killing of earthly members is not merely about multiplying restrictive rules to simply deny the desires of our flesh. Rather, it is part of the process of shifting our desires. Because we are transforming from worldly-minded to heavenly-minded, some weights and burdens simply have to be dropped. Not merely because they are “against the rules,” but because they hinder and destroy seeking the things above and setting our mind on things above. They weigh us down and lead us away from Christ (which is why God has made many of these things “against the rules”). As we become increasingly delighted with Christ, we will naturally drop these earthly attitudes and actions. And if we refuse to drop them, we will simply not learn to delight more and more in Christ.

If we want to be renewed in knowledge after the image of our creator, we will abandon sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, and dishonesty. No doubt, when we were outside of Christ, we walked in these things because they seemed to lead to what we delighted in. But as our delight changes, these actions and attitudes must change as well. At the same time, our delight won’t change if we continue to court these behaviors and attitudes.

The struggle for us is how the personal choice and the natural growth intermix and overlap. For instance, alcoholics are told they won’t quit being alcoholics if they keep drinking. It seems to go without saying, but it has to be said, they won’t stop drinking unless they stop drinking. At the same time, as long as they are an alcoholic, they will struggle to quit drinking. The recovering alcoholic, however, doesn’t just wait around until the desire to drink goes away. He or she decides to quit. Develops plans to quit. Pours out their stash of booze. Tells others they are quitting. Then, when the desire arises, they have to decide not to drink. Yet, at the same time, this recovering alcoholic does work that transforms his or her attitude toward drink, making the decision to avoid drink easier as long as he or she continues to do that work. They don’t quit drinking merely because it is against the rules; they quit because they know drinking leads them away from what they most desire. As they continue in that work, they seek sobriety and set their mind on sobriety in a way that changes them to be sober. The personal decision and the natural growth intermix and overlap, feeding each other in an upward spiral of growing sobriety.

Further, those involved in overcoming alcoholism learn that half measures avail nothing. They need to put drink to death, or it will kill them. This is a great illustration of discipleship living in general. Half measures avail nothing. We want to be with Christ and like Christ. We must choose to quit behaviors and attitudes that lead us away from Christ. Further, as we continue to grow, our transforming delight will make transformation easier.

But where does it all begin? By putting to death what is earthly. We don’t wait around for the transformation to happen on its own. We take up arms against sin and start cutting off what leads us to sin and away from Christ.

Is there anything you need to put to death today? If we can help you, let us know.

Abstain From Fleshly Lusts: The War Within

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 03:29:36 +0000

by Mark White

War is terrible. Casualties take so many forms, with some being innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The atrocities of war are nearly beyond belief. The old adage, “all is fair in war,” has been played out time and again through the ages as people have suffered the ravages of warfare. Since the American Civil War, we have very little historical experience with war on our own turf, and no personal experience whatsoever with war in our own backyards. For Americans, war is always something we wage “over there.”

Our shores have been safe from the all-out bombardments which other societies have frequently experienced, and for whom there is almost automatic acceptance that warfare is a fact of life. The carnage of dead bodies strewn about the shattered streets of our hometown is a picture we have not seen. Try to imagine your home as a bombed-out shell. Picture in your mind your livestock slaughtered, your workplace destroyed, and your way of life completely decimated. Visualize, if you can, the little children of your neighborhood with missing limbs, or raped, or perhaps dead. Most of us cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to live in war-besieged places like Iraq, Croatia, or Palestine. There, human life is so poorly regarded that the leaders of these peoples do not mind spilling the blood of their own countrymen in what sometimes appears to be senseless, petty strife. Perhaps those of our nation who have seen active combat know something the rest of us do not. War is not pretty, and those who glory in it are misguided. It is serious business, and armed conflict always produces loss from which neither the victor nor the conquered ever fully recovers.

If carnal warfare is merciless and horrific, how much more so the spiritual warfare in which Christians are engaged. Peter warns the readers of his epistle to realize the seriousness of the struggle they were making against immorality of all sorts. In fact, he uses several strong terms in I Peter 2:11 to impress the imagery upon the minds of first-century Christians, and also upon us. He wrote, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.” Since we are really living in a place that is not home to us, we must be careful lest we succumb to the alluring temptations of the flesh. Just as American travelers must not drink the water in some foreign lands, no matter how sparkling pure and refreshing it may appear –even so, Christians in the world must avoid the contaminants to our souls which come so attractively packaged. A Nigerian preacher friend of mine learned this lesson in a severe way upon visiting the United States. The rich, fat, sweet diet of Americans proved to be intolerable for his bland stomach. Those southern pecan pies were so alluring, but eating an entire pie at once will sicken the best of Southerners, much less a Nigerian! Peter said we must “abstain,” which literally means “to hold oneself constantly back from.” Fleshly lusts are seductive, promising, and so palatable – especially at first. Solomon’s wise instruction concerning the fleshly lust of alcohol is an appropriate illustration of the fact that it may be alluring at first, but in the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32).

These “fleshly lusts” of which Peter speaks “war against the soul.” If a good military strategist never underestimates his enemy, then Christians must surely realize that lust is a serious deterrent to spirituality. Lusts of the flesh are dangerous and powerful. They mean to win, not just tease and toy with the Christians' affections. Pornography entices and excites, then enslaves. Filthy speech is initially perceived as “cute” or “cool,” but it ultimately reflects a mindset rooted in a soiled heart. Adultery excites the libido, but ultimately destroys the soul and even the body. Immodesty/nudity is at first “trendy” and “fashionable”, but finally lewd and lascivious. “It’s war out there,” dear brothers. Arm yourselves with the Spirit’s sword and shield and do battle for your spiritual self-preservation.

Thoughts on “Sinful Nature”

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 18:01:02 +0000

Author Unknown (Labeled "Guest Editorial")
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 2, June 30, 1990

Sinful natures exist. It would be foolish for any serious individual to deny it. How this comes about in a person’s life and just who has a sinful nature are other matters. Please consider a few thoughts on the subject, which hopefully will shed light and not heat. We welcome your critique if you find what you read in this article to be erroneous.

The basis of what we learn about a sinful nature in man centers on two words (sinful and nature) used in the Bible to describe humanity. Here are two of the verses that deal directly with the issue.

"And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience, among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest" (Ephesians 2:1- 3).
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

Other passages clearly identify all men as victims of sin, with one exception, the man Christ Jesus. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The wise man knew of no good man when he wrote, "For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). That settles the matter regarding the basic condition the human family gets into. All of us, even those with the highest regard for our strength of character, will come short of what the good Lord expects and requires of us. Don’t be deceived.

But why did all this happen? Why did Adam and Eve sin? Most of us agree that they sinned through their own choice and not because of some innate constitutional inability to resist the temptation. But that by no means answers all the questions. James says that when a person sins, it is because one is drawn away by his own lust. How did this lust enter that beautiful garden? Why was Eve’s desire for the forbidden more powerful than her desire to obey God? What effects do we suffer from their bad choice? I believe these questions have no clear answer in Scripture. Those of the ilk of Joseph Smith, Jr. answer that Adam and Eve had to sin to enjoy happiness. Unless we can exactly duplicate the conditions prevalent in the beautiful garden where God put them and fully understand how nakedness by both male and female in one another’s presence was a norm of life, I fail to see how we can get a full answer to this question. Is it not best to simply leave it that they had the choice to do right or wrong, chose the latter, and then let it lay? From what I read by good men among us, the best that can be said is that Adam and Eve made the wrong choice when they could have made the right one.

The first passage mentioned is Ephesians 2:1-3. An argument to prove men had to be saved by grace is developed in context. First, if no sin had been committed, saving grace would not have been needed. But sin did become a factor in all humanity. The rule that took the human family away from God is called "the course of this world." The course is the most likely and perfectly natural way for something to occur. The course of nature, as used by James, means very simply that there are certain natural processes at work in the world we come into. The American Standard Version, which translates the word "wheel" in James 3:6, has a footnote that gives it as "birth." It is simply how the world turns and how human activity proceeds in this life. The words are not the same in these two verses, but they deal with the same thing- human life.

The word "course" in Ephesians 2:2 means a cycle of things; in other words, "what goes around comes around." Paul now shows that, in this cycle, the human family degenerated to the extent that it became "sons of disobedience." The fact that "disobedience" is used clearly shows that choice was involved, not innate constitution. No one disobeys God by simply being born into the world, regardless of how sorry the world is. To further emphasize the need for grace, Paul includes himself and others. Probably, Paul is beginning here to argue that Gentiles (the "you" of Ephesians 2:1) and the Jews (the "we also”) of Ephesians 2:3 are equally in desperate need of grace for salvation. He concludes his argument on this point in Ephesians 2:14-16.

There is no indication at all how the Gentiles become sons of disobedience or how the Jews also became children of wrath by nature. The term nature could mean one’s birth as Paul uses it in Galatians 2:15. Nature can mean what comes naturally to a person or thing. Paul used it this way in Romans 2:13-14. Gentiles were not born to do what the Law of Moses prescribed. They became accustomed to a way of life according to the old law's precepts. They acquired a lifestyle that was in keeping with the old law. So, to understand how people become sons of disobedience, children of wrath, "by nature,” the rest of the story has to be heard.

That all become children of wrath by acquired and habitual lifestyles is established as a fact from all verses teaching the universality of sin in the world. Those passages mentioned above suffice at this point. The nature of sin itself denies the possibility of inheritance by birth of some sinful nature. Actions or nonactions are impossible to inherit. Only some consequences of the actions or nonactions of ancestors can be inherited. David reaped the consequences of his sin of adultery, and had he not been forgiven, he would have suffered eternal consequences. However, the child born from his adultery with Bathsheeba suffered only the consequences of the act but was not guilty of the sin. The Father does not bear the son’s iniquity, nor visa versa. (Ezekiel 18:20).

Regardless of how the whole human race gets tangled up in sin, the fact remains that they did what was natural for them to do. There is a vast difference between doing what is natural and doing what is foreordained and unavoidable. Sin could have been avoided and still be avoided, but it is the most natural course of life one can know while in the flesh. Thus, sinful natures are acquired by all who sin. (Those who may be studying this article and feel they never sin or will sin should stop reading now.) So, when one does what is natural, what is the normal "wheel of life" or the course all humans follow, they are children of wrath "by nature."

The Calvinists use a phrase that is most objectionable to those who deny that man is born as they think. They think that man is depraved by simply being born of another human, who obtained all the guilt as well as the consequences of Adam and Eve’s misadventure in the garden. The doctrine is called total inherited depravity. A myriad of words have been put on paper and spoken to listening ears to define and defend that wholly unscriptural doctrine.

John Murray, a renowned Calvinist writer and theologian, tried to establish a connection between the imputation or transferral of our sins to Christ in salvation and a corresponding transferral of the righteousness of Christ to us in return and the transferral of the sins of Adam and Eve to every human born into this world. The logic went like this. Since divine power and choice are the essence of salvation from sin, the guilt for sin must be equally determined by divine power and choice. Man had no choice in becoming a sinner, nor does he have a choice in being saved. This is bare-bones Calvinism. Others have modified it over the years when faced with consequences they would not accept, but this is the basic view. Murray expressed in his own words as he writes of the parallel found in Romans 5:12,19.

"The parallel to the imputation of Adam’s sin is the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Or, to use Paul’s own terms, being ’constituted sinners’ through the disobedience of Adam is parallel to being ’constituted righteous’ through the obedience of Christ. In justification, according to Reformed theology and Dr. Hodge’s own position, it is not merely the judicial benefit of Christ’s righteousness or obedience that is imputed to believers but the righteousness itself" [The Imputation of Adam’s Sin, John Murray, page 76].

The next logical step Calvinists take is explaining why men sin as Adam sinned. They call this depravity. Once more, John Murray said,

"The imputation of Adam’s sin to posterity carries with in any event the infliction of the race with depravity. Whether we conceive of this depravity as implicate of the imputation or as penal consequence, it is an inevitable result." [Ibid., p. 93].

Murray next explains how all human beings become depraved. He adds,

"On the foregoing construction the case would be that the infliction with depravity is involved in the imputation of Adam’s sin; our involvement in and identification with the sin of Adam carries with it as a necessary ingredient the depravity or perversity apart from which sin does not exist. In other words, the imputation of Adam’s sin carries with it, not merely as consequence but as implicate, the depravity with which all the members of the race begin their existence as distinct individuals" [Ibid.].

This is the view Calvinists hold. Depravity starts at birth, the time when we all become "distinct individuals." But how deep is this depravity ingrained in us? Murray quotes Samuel Hopkins in his book as follows: "Hopkins is clear to the effect that ’mankind are born totally corrupt or sinful, in consequence of the apostasy of Adam’ and so ’a child, an infant, as soon as he exists, may have moral corruption or sin’" [Ibid. p. 49]. That which is totally corrupt is as corrupt as it can possibly be.

Depravity simply means corrupted. However, the mere sound of the word is repulsive to many of us. So long have we opposed the Calvinistic view of total inherited depravity that it is nearly impossible for us to say that man is depraved. But we concede nothing to Calvinists by admitting that the human family is depraved. This is not to say that the depravity is inherited or total. Melvin Curry expressed it quite simply when he wrote, "I affirm that men are depraved, in the sense that I defined this term above (he defined it as that which becomes crooked, and is not constitutionally crooked, Editor) and that the effect of sin leaves the human heart ’deceitful above all things’" [Guardian of Truth, January 1, 1987, p. 30]. All who are guilty of sin are corrupted, defiled, and therefore, depraved.

It matters little how many sins one may commit. Just one sin is sufficient to destroy the soul. "The soul that sins it shall die" cried the ancient prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:20). It would not be out of line to paraphrase the verse, "the soul that sins any, in any way, or at any time, shall surely die." Death is separation from God. But one who sins is not totally corrupt or depraved. The second verse I mentioned above is from the prophet Jeremiah. Both inspiration and experience led Jeremiah to write, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). The very reason why all men need guidance is simple. The heart will deceive us, but the word of God will not. The heart of man that relies on human experience alone and is influenced by human motives and human doctrines will be as convincing to one who is in error as the honest heart is to the one who follows the word of God alone. However, the fact that the human heart is deceptive and cannot be completely known shows that what is human is always liable to error.

Some of the most able defenders of the faith have taken Calvinism on in debate and, while admitting to believing in human depravity, have shown clearly the error of the Calvinists on the same point. One of Kentucky’s most able defenders of the faith wrote a book called The Witness of the Spirit. His name was James W. Zachary, and he lived most of his life in and around Clinton County, Kentucky. On page 160 of his book, he dealt with depravity this way.

"The entire race is depraved, but not ’totally depraved. ’ Depravity is a corruption of man’s moral nature, and is brought about by degrees. It being the exact opposite of sanctification, then total depravity, like instantaneous and total sanctification, can never be attained by mortal man. The doctrine of total depravity and sinless perfection in human flesh, as taught by the creeds and churches of this country, is a slander upon man and a libel against the Bible.

"All men are depraved, and all Christians are sanctified, but neither in the sense of ’total’ or highest degree possible. Neither the term, ’dead in trespasses and sins’ (Eph. ii.1-5), nor ’dead to sin’ (Rom. vi.2-11), mean a state of utter helplessness or inactivity, as seen from the fact that while ’dead in sins’ the sinner had power to hear, believe, and obey the gospel (Eph. i.13), and the Christian ’dead to sin’ is commanded not to yield his members unto unrighteousness, but to bear ’fruit unto holiness’ (Rom. vi.22), and work out his ’own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil, ii.12)."

Are those who teach exactly what Brother Zachary taught in the same words he used now neo-Calvinists? If Brother Zachary were alive today and proclaimed this exactly as it is worded in his good book, he would likely be eyed with suspicion as one who is "dangerously close to Calvinism." Still, his book is the single best one I have read on the principles involved in basic Calvinism.

Another who fought Calvinism was Alexander Campbell. In his famous debate with N. L. Rice, Rice undertook to deal with Psalms 51:5 and Psalms 58:3-5 and remarked, "These passages teach the doctrine of original and entire depravity of man from his birth, in language so clear and so strong that comment is unnecessary" [Campbell Rice Debate, page 45]. Brother Campbell evidently didn’t think like Rice. He remarked, "He has given us a few of the dry remains of some old harangues or lectures upon total depravity, which he may have preached around the country I know not how many times. This matter is wholly foreign to the subject. The question is not about total depravity. I believe man is depraved." (Ibid., page 62). Campbell completely routed Rice but admitted believing in man’s depravity. Nothing is weak or loose in admitting what the Bible says about man as he is. God made man upright, but man (not God) sought out many inventions, many ways to sin and corrupt himself. All must know that it is the choice of man that causes this depravity, not the fiat of God.

Last, consider just how this depravity engulfs all mankind. Paul’s argument to the Ephesians is plain. It is man's fault that he became a son of disobedience and a child of wrath. It is the nature of man to sin. Every little baby and innocent child faces what Peter calls "the corruption of the world." This is what causes human depravity. The word depravity simply means corrupt or morally debased. Peter also says that those who are in Christ have escaped this corruption that is the world through lust (II Peter 1:4). He adds later the expression "the pollution that is in the world" (II Peter. 1:20 NKJV). Paul warned the Corinthians to avoid evil companions because such an alliance would corrupt (deprave or debase) their own morals and way of living. This is the course of this world.

Jesus spoke of the willingness of the spirit, but the weakness of the flesh (Matthew 26:41). Paul argued that there is a battle within every human being. "But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would" (Galatians 5:16-17). The New King James is a decided improvement on that verse, giving the last phrase as, "so that you do not do the things you wish." The capitalization of the word Spirit usually indicates that the Holy Spirit is meant, but it is not justified in this verse. The internal struggle all in the flesh experience is the obvious meaning, and from what we know of mankind, every single individual has lost this fight at some time. There is one exception, the man Himself, Christ Jesus.

Anytime Deity confronts that which is flesh, the flesh is regarded as sinful. Listen to just two verses. Isaiah described what it was like to be in the presence of Jehovah God and cried out in anguish, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the king, thee Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 6:5). Focus on the fact that he said, "For...I...am. ...a...man." Humanity is sinful in the presence of Deity. All come short of God’s glory.

Another verse now—Jesus taught His disciples to pray and promised them that not only would God answer their prayers, He would do far better than they imagined. In Luke 11:13, the Lord said to His disciples, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" The disciples were not evil men in the sense of moral degenerates. The comparison is between how humans treat their own children and how God treats His. Yet, the Lord’s statement indicates that they were evil, and He used the most common form of the present tense of "to be." Another way these could be considered evil is that they were fighting that battle we mentioned earlier and, as men, were weak in the flesh while willing in spirit.

Only Christ could say, "Which of you convicteth me of sin?" and not expect an answer. Only Christ could say that Satan had nothing in Him. When the Lord was called "good" by a young man, He did not deny it. His reply was simply that only God is truly good. Outside of that which has Deity, either in part or whole, nothing can be truly good, in the sense the Lord used the word in Matthew 19:17. The best the best of us can accomplish is to continually strive for that ultimate perfection that belongs to the Lord. Personally, I hold that we have a sinful nature, meaning that the most natural thing for us to do is sin. We are urged to fight sin, avoid it, and be strong in our defense against its siren calls to us. By giving the proper diligence, adding to our faith the great qualities of virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, we will gradually (by degrees) purge out that human sinful nature and become partakers of the divine nature. Peter says that God’s promises are the incentive to bring that about (II Peter 1:4). It won’t come overnight. It does not take place at baptism. It is a gradual development of Christian maturity that brings us to unite our lives closer daily with "the faith" and to come to a "knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

I may be wrong about the basic premise of this study and therefore seek input from others. Still, I hope this will not only allay any unmerited fears some may have that faithful saints are in any way Calvinistic but also lend to solidifying a great group of men who could and should stand as one in our striving against sin. I have just one final question. If one were to speak about depravity in the same terms used by James W. Zachary in the above quotation, would I still be considered suspect regarding soundness on Calvinism?

God Appeared in the Flesh

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 17:26:42 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/God-Appeared-in-the-Flesh.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: I Timothy 3:14-16

I. Before the first century ended, several varieties of false teachings arose.

A. One set has been referred to as the gnostics. The name derives from the Greek word for “knowledge.” - I Timothy 6:20-21

B. These were a diverse group, but they were tied by a belief that they had secret knowledge that ordinary people didn’t have

1. In other words, it appealed to a person’s pride

C. They considered the God in the Old Testament to be an inferior god who made an evil creation.

1. Thus, they see the physical world as flawed or evil

2. Salvation is escaping this world

D. They see Jesus as a divine being, superior to the god of the Old Testament, who came to lead mankind to see the divine nature

1. But to them, Jesus could not have come in the flesh, since the material world is evil

2. He was a phantasm. He didn’t actually experience suffering or death

3. The name for this belief is docetism

E. One early promoter of these false ideas was Marcion around A.D. 144

II. The dual nature of Jesus has always caused debates

A. How can God take on human form and be both God and man?

B. Yes, Jesus fully represented God in bodily form - Colossians 2:9

C. He was born of virgin, as prophesied - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23

D. John the Baptist was sent to testify that God (the Light) came into the world - John 1:1-11, 32-34

E. God also witnessed to Jesus being God in the flesh - John 5:31-37

F. Understanding that God came in the flesh is so important that to deny it was to deny Christ - I John 4:1-3

III. The significance of God coming in the flesh

A. Jesus proved that temptation could be resisted

1. He was tempted in all ways like we are - Hebrews 4:15

2. This doesn’t mean he faced exactly the same temptations that I face

3. I can’t be tempted to change rocks into bread. But temptations come in categories and Jesus faced each of them - I John 2:15-17

4. But how can God be tempted? - James 1:13

a. God, as deity cannot be tempted

(1) He has no physical body, so the lusts of the flesh don’t exist

(2) He can make everything, so lusts of the eyes affect Him

(3) He is the supreme being, so pride of life has no foothold

b. But God took on flesh and so added the avenues that could be use to tempt - Philippians 2:5-8

5. Yet, unlike us, he faced temptation without giving in - I Peter 2:21-22

a. He set for us an example

b. Jesus didn’t use his abilities as God to overcome. He cited God’s words to drive off Satan - Psalms 119:11

B. In suffering temptation, he is able to offer us aid - Hebrews 2:17-18

1. He was acquainted with grief - Isaiah 53:3

2. He became poor in order to help us - II Corinthians 8:9

3. He is able mediate between us and God. (Notice “the man”) - I Timothy 2:5

4. In this role, he functions as the High Priests did under the Old Law - Hebrews 4:15

C. He became our Savior when we could not - Isaiah 59:14-17

1. He obeyed God to the point of death - Philippians 2:8

2. And in dying, he reconciled all men to God - Ephesians 2:14-16

3. This man offered one sacrifice - Hebrews 10:12

D. He is able to righteously judge us because he knows what we face - Acts 17:31

IV. None of this could have happened without God choosing to experience the flesh

A. Understanding that Jesus really did live, suffered, and died is at the core of what Christianity is about

B. Will you accept this man, who is your Savior to be your Lord this day?

The Human Life of God

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:45:07 +0000

by Steve Klein
via Guardian of Truth XXXV: 14, pp. 419-420, July 18, 1991

One of the most ticklish of all religious controversies since the time of the apostles has been over the nature of the deity that Jesus possessed as a man. Historian Philip Schaff observed that in the years before 325 A.D., "the whole theological energy" of church leaders concentrated itself "upon the doctrine of Christ as the God-man" [History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, p. 248]. In fact, from the third to the sixth centuries after Christ lived on earth, one could scarcely find a more disputed topic.

Schaff observed that in the writings of the Christians who lived just after New Testament times, "we find for the most part only the simple Biblical statements of the deity and humanity of Christ, in the practical form needed for general edification" [p. 249]. Perversions arose only when men tried to fit these simple truths into their human religious systems.

That section of early church history could be studied profitably by many today who are speculating about the divine prerogatives Christ exercised as a man. Much energy is being expended in a vain attempt to back up the assertion that "man has to sin" and still explain why the man Jesus did not sin. Suffice it here to say that in days long since past, many religious leaders lost their honor and their reputations in such vain and needless disputes. In those debates, one or both sides frequently lacked any biblical foundation for their beliefs. The spiritual carnage that resulted from those ancient factions stands as a monument of warning to any who would wish to follow a similar path in our own generation. Truly, let us "beware" lest we be "consumed by one another!" (Galatians 5:15).

Presently, perhaps as a result of some of the speculations that have been noised abroad, a question has been raised among sincere Christians across the country concerning how it was that Jesus was able to live a sinless life. Did he receive special help from God? Did he not need any special help because he was himself God and used his divine powers to resist temptation? Or did he live a perfectly sinless life, overcoming temptation as a man, with no extra edge whatsoever? We need not speculate. The Bible answers these questions plainly:

Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). "In all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of he people. For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18).

Jesus was made "like his brethren" and was "tempted as we are" so that he could aid us. If it were possible for him to have been tempted as God (which it was not, James 1:13), what good would it have done you and me? Had Jesus not been tempted as a man, could he have become our helpful High Priest, blazing the pathway to God? Not according to the Scriptures. "He had to be made like His brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest" (Hebrews 2:17).

As a man, he is our example, Mediator, and sacrifice for sin. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: who committed no sin" (I Peter 2:21-22). "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). "This Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12).

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, he was not proving that God cannot be tempted; rather, he demonstrated how a tempted man can overcome it. After fasting for forty days and nights, Jesus "was hungry" as any man would be (Matthew 4:1-2). During that same period, he was tempted "by the devil" as all men are (Luke 4:1-2). He overcame those temptations, not by exercising divine powers or receiving special help from God, but by relying on the Scriptures. Every specific temptation recorded in Matthew 4:1-10 was met with a quotation from Scripture. Jesus demonstrated the attitude of the Psalmist who said, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (Psalms 119:11). He used the same means for overcoming temptation that you and I must use today - reliance upon God's word. There was nothing directly superhuman or divine about it. It was only after the "devil left him" that he received supernatural help; "angels came and ministered to Him" (Matthew 4:11).

Henry Van Dyke said it so beautifully nearly 100 years ago:

"The life which Christ lived on earth was a veritable human life. The person who lived it was the Son of God. But in order to live that human life He had to become man, not in a dramatic sense, but actually and entirely. . . He was subject to ignorance, to limitation, to weakness, to temptation, even as we are. The only point of difference between Him and us is that we sin, but He sinned not. The Godhood that was in Him was such as manhood is capable of receiving. . . His existence among men was simply the human life of God" [The Gospel for an Age of Doubt, 1900, preface to the 6th edition, pp. xxi-xxii].

It is interesting that Henry Van Dyke was a noted Presbyterian scholar. As such, he was supposed to be a Calvinist, but he could see that Calvinism contradicted the New Testament. He rejected Calvin's teaching on foreordination and election, saying, "I do not believe that all things that happen are determined beforehand. The soul is free" (p. xxiii). Van Dyke's writings on the nature of the divinity of Christ were "criticized as dangerous" by the Calvinistic scholars of his day who labeled them "a violent and unfair attack upon Calvinism" (p. xxii). Like some among us today, Van Dyke's critics had probably become used to de-emphasizing Jesus' humanity and over emphasizing His deity. Only in this way could they uphold the Calvinistic notion that man "has to sin" because of his polluted nature and still explain how Jesus did not sin.

In the person of Jesus, we have a Being who shows us what God is like and reveals what man ought to be. Surely, in Jesus dwelt "all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). He was "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Hebrews 1:3 NIV). He told his disciples, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and yet Jesus lived a human life. He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). He "suffered, being tempted," but he remained "without sin" (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). His accomplishment is one of the highest points of human history -that a weak and starving man could turn to the prince of darkness and say, "Away with you Satan!" "Get behind Me" (Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8).

No other man has lived a "perfectly sinless life," and none ever will (Romans 3:9-23). That is not the fault of human nature but of human choice. Man simply cannot blame his sin on his humanity, for Jesus was a sinless human.

Like the early Christians Schaff wrote of, we today need to focus on those simple biblical statements of the deity and humanity of Jesus. Let us renounce human speculation and simply believe that in Jesus "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9), and yet he is "an example" for humans who are to "follow his steps" (I Peter 2:21f). He is the "express image" of God (Hebrews 1:3) who was "in all points tempted as we are" (Hebrews 4:15), and yet "God cannot be tempted by evil" (James 1:13). To believe each of these Scriptures does not promote confusion, but an understanding of the human life of God.

God Was Manifest in the Flesh

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:24:42 +0000

by Tim Coffey
via Guardian of Truth XL: 5 p. 8-9, March 7, 1996

Paul proclaimed, "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). For those who saw Jesus in the flesh, the difficulty was not in believing that he was man, but in believing he was God. For those of us who read the New Testament and see the overall picture of such a tremendous life, the difficulty is not in believing he was God, but man as well. Our hope of heaven cannot stand in anything less than a firm conviction of both.

The Deity of Christ

When the Ethiopian eunuch proclaimed, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," this statement was not only his but that which all men must make or acknowledge believing to become children of God. This statement is the very foundation of our faith, for Jesus said it was "upon this rock," or the fact of this statement, that he would build his church (Matthew 16:16-18). However, are we at a disadvantage today because we cannot see, firsthand, Jesus working in his ministry? Remember, it was Thomas who said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails ... and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). He was told by the others that Jesus had risen, but faith for him required firsthand knowledge.

In response to this idea, Jesus said, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." We can have the same faith that Thomas had when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God," and yet, as Jesus says, we do not have to see him firsthand to believe. In fact, we are in a situation no different than the Ethiopian eunuch, yet he could state his conviction with all his heart.

We can have full assurance that Jesus is deity because Isaiah said, "A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew tells us this prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, and Immanuel means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Jesus was God with us on earth.

In like manner, we can have full assurance that Jesus is deity because the angels worshiped him at his birth (Hebrews 1:6). The wise men who came to Herod expressed that they wanted to worship him and, upon finding him, did so (Matthew 2:2, 11). The disciples, as well as others, worshiped him on various occasions (Matthew 14:33; 28:9; Mark 5:6; etc.). These passages do not indicate that Jesus ever forbade anyone from worshiping him. However, this cannot be said of those who are only human. Peter would not accept worship from Cornelius (Acts 10:25-26), and Paul and Barnabas would not accept worship from the people of Lystra (Acts 14:8-18). Not even the heavenly angel who showed the revelation to the apostle John would accept worship from him (Revelation 22:8-9). These all knew that worship is reserved for deity only, and that is why the angel proclaimed unto John, "worship God." Clearly, this proves that Jesus was deity even while on earth.

Next, we have the witness and testimony of John the Baptist. He was sent by the heavenly Father to "bear witness of the Light" (John 1:6-7). He tells us that God told him to look for the one "upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining." John saw such "and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:33-34).

Following the testimony of John, we have Jesus himself declaring his deity. Throughout the book of John, we have Jesus telling the Jews in Jerusalem, on many occasions and in various ways, that he is the Son of God. In John 8:56-58, he said, "Before Abraham was, I Am," which the Jews understood clearly to be a reference to the statement of God in Exodus 3:13-14. Jesus also affirmed that he was the Son of God to the blind man who was told to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:35-37). On another occasion, the Jews approached Jesus while he walked in the temple and inquired, "If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus, in exasperation, responded with, "I told you, and ye believed not" (John 10:24-25). Since Jesus was without sin, we know that he told the truth when he said, "I am the Son of God" (John 10:36).

Finally, and perhaps the strongest evidence of all, is the witness which the Father gave of his son. Jesus said, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true . . . I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me" (John 5:31-37). In John 8:13, the Pharisees accused Jesus of bearing record of himself and said that it was, therefore, not true. Jesus responded, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 8:17-18). In John 10:37-38, Jesus said, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

Many other Scriptures could be given to show why we can have assurance that Jesus is God, but with these witnesses bearing testimony to the fact, surely the matter is established.

The Humanity of Christ

But this is not the only thing we must believe. Not only must every Christian believe that Jesus is God, but they must also believe that this eternal one came to earth incarnate as man. John said, "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (I John 4:2). As the truth of the deity of Jesus is the foundation of the church, so the truth of the humanity of Jesus is the foundation of our reconciliation to God (Hebrews 2:17). Without a Jesus who is man, as well as God, we would not have a High Priest who is qualified to mediate on our behalf. Therefore, we should be able to believe with all our heart, as the apostle Paul, that there is "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).

We can have assurance that Jesus was a man because he refers to himself as "the Son of Man" 82 times in the four gospel accounts. Paul not only refers to him as "the man Christ Jesus," but also told the men of Athens that God "will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained" (Acts 17:31). The Hebrew writer says that since we are all partakers of "flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same" (Hebrews 2:14).

In like manner, we can have full assurance that Jesus was a man because he became our High Priest. The Hebrew writer says, "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews 2:17). This does not mean that he ceased to be deity nor does it mean that he ceased to possess the attributes of deity. What it does tell us is that those attributes of deity did not prevent his living as a man in any way. Many have tried to explain how God could be made "in all things" like us and still be God. Many have tried to explain how God could keep the attributes of deity from conflicting with living as a man. Various words have been used to describe this (i.e., laid aside, gave up, limited, etc.), but surely, all will agree that we are not inspired writers or speakers. We risk conveying the wrong idea whenever we use our own words to describe what God has written in his word.

Finally, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus was a man because he was tempted like us. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Having felt the infirmities of humanity as we feel them, he is a merciful and trustworthy high priest (Hebrew 2:17). He can help us when we are tempted because he has "suffered being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). We can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16) because he "ever liveth to make intercession" for us (Hebrews 7:25). What great grace was shown by Jesus, for "though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich" (II Corinthians 8:9).

Conclusion

As Moses once said, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us" (Deuteronomy 29:29). What has been revealed is that "God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). Let us believe this, preach it, and take comfort in it, as God's word tells us to.

What does ‘the inner man’ refer to in scripture?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 23:16:17 +0000

Question:

II Corinthians 4:16 and some other scriptures refer to 'the inner man'. What does 'the inner man' mean?

Answer:

Let us look at all the verses concerning the "inner man" to help shed some light on your question.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:16-18).

"I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:21-23).

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,” (Ephesians 3:16-17)

The outer man is our fleshly body. It decays and is temporary. It can be seen. The inner man is something that can be renewed daily, is eternal, and cannot be seen. The flesh is a husk for our spirit to reside in. It is not a permanent dwelling. "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Paul is also contrasting the idea of spiritual exercise versus physical exercise, “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (I Timothy 4:7-8).

Being filled with the Spirit is another way to refer to the inner man being renewed and built up, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-21).

We must put off this flesh to be in eternity with God, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, in as much as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:2-8).

by Alan Feaster

The Flesh of Man

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:08:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FleshOfMan.mp3

Text: I Corinthians 15:35–44

I. In attempting to train our puppy, we often found ourselves scolding the dog for chewing on everything in reach – clothing, ankles, fingers.

A. Why does a dog behave as it does? Certainly mama dog did not teach him to chew on everything in sight.

B. Animals do what comes natural to them. They follow the instincts given to them by God in their fleshly bodies.

1. They do whatever is necessary to satisfy their needs, to gratify their fleshly desires, and to protect itself from harm.

2. If an animal is hungry, it searches for food. If it has an itch, it scratches itself. If it is thirsty, it seeks out water.

3. We do not think it strange if, in the search for food, one animal kills another. It is what comes natural to an animal.

C. Flesh is flesh, but all flesh is not the same - I Corinthians 15:39

II. Man is not an animal, though we are made of flesh

A. When God created the sea creatures and births, He created something that did not exist before. - Genesis 1:20-22

1. He created living creatures (souls).

2. The word created means to make something from nothing.

B. The following day He made the land animals and man - Genesis 1:24-28

1. He made them. The Hebrew means to form something from pre-existing materials and ideas.

2. Yet, while God made man, making him a living creature, he also created something that did not exist before in this world. He created man in His own image. He gave mankind spirits.

3. Only man was made in God’s image. The animals were not suitable companions for man - Genesis 2:18-23

a. Man is different from the animals, though we share living flesh.

b. No animal corresponds to man.

III. Man has a choice

A. Animals naturally choose the course of action built into their nature.

B. Man has the capacity to ignore his spirit and allow his fleshly instincts to rule.

1. In other words, men can behave just like animals

2. When he does so, he is doing what comes natural to his flesh.

3. Like an animal, man’s flesh desires to do whatever is necessary to satisfy his needs, to gratify the body’s desires, and to protect himself from harm.

C. It is here we must note that the translators of the New International Version missed a very important truth when they chose to translate references to man’s flesh as his “sinful nature.”

1. When the flesh seeks its own gratification and preservation, independent of God, it is only doing what comes natural.

a. Now don’t misunderstand my point. I’m speaking of the desires of the flesh independent of God’s desires.

b. Yet these impulses are the instincts placed within our flesh by God.

c. The impulses are not sinful, it is context in which they are satisfied.

D. The truth is that man is more than flesh - I Thessalonians 5:23

1. Man’s spirit is dependent on His God

a. Man’s spirit has the capacity to choose the way he will live.

b. Man has the ability to know the will of God as revealed in the Bible - Psalm 94:8-12; Ephesians 5:17

c. In this way, man has the capacity to be righteous and to do righteousness.

2. In other words, the spirit of a man can exercise control over the flesh and do what is natural to the spirit. - I Corinthians 2:11-16

E. Having the mind of Christ, we can exercise control over our flesh

1. We can search out the truths of God and conform ourselves to His will - Romans 12:1-2

2. Through the revealed words of the Spirit of God, we can discern right from wrong - Hebrews 5:13-14

3. From this Bible we can develop a faith that will motivate us to do what is right even when our flesh may desire something else for its own gratification.

4. Romans 10:8-11 - With our hearts, not our flesh, we believe unto righteousness.

IV. Our choice

A. If we don’t control ourselves we have no defenses - Proverbs 25:28

B. The works of the flesh - Galatians 5:19-21

1. Consider the word “sensuality” which may be also translated “lewdness,” “lasciviousness,” or “licentiousness.”

a. It refers to the activities of men when they have set aside the laws of God and live only for the satisfaction, gratification, and preservation of their own flesh.

b. It refers to a man living for his own senses, ignoring everyone else, including God.

2. Lewdness turns the gratification of hunger into gluttony, or thirst into drunkenness; the expression of sexuality into pornography, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, or pedophilia; the expression of joy or anger into profane speech and crudeness.

a. The children of Israel were lewd when they had Aaron make a golden calf to worship with their flesh while Moses was on Mt. Sinai. - Exodus 32:1-6

b. David was lewd when he lusted after Bathsheba and committed adultery with her - II Samuel 11:2-4

C. The Bible, though, teaches us self-control - Galatians 5:22-25

1. The word “self-control” is the opposite of lewdness.

2. Romans 8:12-14 - Living for the flesh actually results in death.

3. Living by the Spirit puts the actions of the body to death

a. Gluttony is replaced with moderation. Drunkenness is replaced with abstinence. Sexuality is expressed between a husband and wife in marriage. And our speech is seasoned with grace - Colossians 4:6

b. I Peter 4:1-3 - No longer living for the lusts of the flesh

4. We learn to control

a. Our anger - James 1:19-21

b. Our tongue - James 3:2

c. Our desires - I Corinthians 10:13

V. What is your choice this day?

A. Paul chose the path of self-discipline - I Corinthians 9:27

B. Will you ignore your spirit and continue to do the will of your flesh, being nothing more than an animal?

C. Will you heed the call of the giver of your spirit and the giver of life?

D. I can do all things through Christ - Philippians 4:13

The Path I Choose

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 02:16:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/PathIChoose.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Galatians 5:19-23

I. In the book of Galatians, Paul has severely chastised the brethren for attempting to bind the Old Law on Christians

A. It was a different gospel, not what they were taught - Galatians 1:6-9

B. Paul has stood opposed to such trends - Galatians 2:11-14

C. To live under the law was to be under a curse - Galatians 3:10

D. The law was temporary - Galatians 3:24-25

E. To live under the law is to separated yourself from Christ - Galatians 5:1-4

F. As Paul wraps up his arguments, Paul points out that those who desired to bind the Old Law are worldly minded

1. He hints at this from the beginning - Galatians 1:10

2. It did not come from God - Galatians 5:7

3. It was causing arguments among the brethren - Galatians 5:15

G. Paul points out that the way a person thinks about God directs his behavior and spiritual growth - Galatians 5:16-17

1. A spiritually minded person will battle against the desires of the flesh.

2. A worldly minded person will resist the desires of God

3. You cannot be spiritually minded and participate in the works of the world

II. The deeds of the flesh - Galatians 5:19-21

A. The deeds of the flesh are those actions which come from the physical world.

1. When the physical world is a person’s focus, it shows in that person’s behavior – it becomes evident.

2. Paul then gives a sample list of deeds that demonstrate worldly-mindedness

B. Sex

1. Immorality - porneia

a. Some translations use the word “fornication,” which is more specific.

b. It refers to having sex outside the bonds of marriage - Hebrews 13:4

c. Some Greek texts have both the words for adultery and fornication in this passage, others omit the word adultery.

(1) It doesn’t matter since adultery is a subclass of fornication

2. Impurity - akatharsia

a. Also translated as “uncleanness.”

b. Refers to a general moral impurity in a person

(1) When people left God, they followed their impure thoughts - Romans 1:24

(2) It is a state of mind that is the opposite of holiness - Romans 6:19; I Thessalonians 4:7

c. Sometimes we refer to someone having a “dirty mind.” While it is often connected to sexual thoughts, it is not limited to that.

(1) These are the people how tell and laugh at dirty jokes - Ephesians 5:3-5

(2) These are the people who talk dirty to their boyfriend or girlfriend. Who text things they wouldn’t say in public, or send images they wouldn’t want others to see.

3. Sensuality - aselgeia

a. Also translated as “lewdness”

b. This is a person who shamelessly pursues sensual pleasures. What other people may think of his behavior doesn’t bother him.

(1) It is usually connected with sexual things – this is the person involved in fondling and kissing to arouse passion. However, it is not limited to sex.

(2) Often this person gets so wrapped up in the moment that events go further than he intended.

c. It is a characteristic of people with no moral restraint - I Peter 4:3

4. Idolatry - eidololatreia

a. Literally means “image worship”

b. People want something to be in control, but when they make up a god, it mimics what is known - Romans 1:22-23

c. With an imagined god, people remove the restraints on behavior, and the first thing to go is typically sexual restraint - Romans 1:24-25

(1) This is why many ancient idols were fertility gods, worshiped through sex

5. Sorcery - pharmakeia

a. Literally this word refers to someone who is abusing drugs or is mixing potions. Drug usage has been tightly coupled with witchcraft and sorcery. People who are high on a drug will believe just about anything and do almost anything for a high.

b. Drugs lower a person’s inhibitions against doing wrong - Habakkuk 2:15

C. Meanness

1. Enmities - echthrai

a. Also translated as hatred

b. These are people who seemingly live for hate. Hate groups and people with a nearly irrational hatred of certain classes of people.

(1) Such as the hatred between Jews and Gentiles - Ephesians 2:15-16

2. Strife - ereis

a. Also translated as contentions or discord. It is the same name as the Greek goddess of war

b. These are people who argue constantly. They quarrel. They are never happy with things as they are - Titus 3:9

c. A problem seen in the Corinthian church - I Corinthians 3:3-4

3. Jealousy - zeloi

a. We get our word “zealot” from this Greek word. It literally means to boil or seethe with emotion.

b. This is the fanatic. The person so zealous for a cause that they cannot consider another position. They cling to an ideal and jealously guard it from all detractors.

c. James 3:14-16

4. Outbursts of anger - thumoi

a. Also translated as “fits of rage”

b. This is a person lacking control over his temper, often because of his passion for a cause or belief - Acts 19:28

5. Disputes - eritheiai

a. Also translated as “selfish ambitions”

b. This is a person who does not outwardly show his hatred, but involves himself in games of intrigue. He acts only for his own interests and backstabs his opponents.

(1) It was originally used of politicians who sought to promote themselves by unfair means of attacking their opponents.

(2) They find fault with the purpose of promoting themselves or their cause.

c. Philippians 2:3

6. Dissensions - dischostasiai

a. It literally means a person who stands apart

b. A person who causes divisions between people - Romans 16:17-18

7. Factions - haireseis

a. We get the word “heresy” from it. It literally means to choose.

b. It is a person who chooses sides. For example, the Sadducees and Pharisees were religious factions of the Old Law.

c. I Corinthians 1:10-13 - dividing over imagined differences

d. II Peter 2:1 - promoting man-made doctrines that divide

8. Envying - phthonoi

a. Refers to the desire to harm someone, to ruin them or destroy them

b. Why the Jews delivered up Jesus - Matthew 27:18

D. Uncontrolled

1. Drunkenness - methai

a. A person under the influence of alcohol

2. Carousing - komoi

a. Also translated and revelries or orgies

b. This is a riotous party, like the ones often associated with fraternity parites.

E. “And things like these”

1. Paul did not intend for this to be a complete list, but one that gives a general idea of what being worldly minded is like

2. No one can claim not to know that these things are wrong. Warnings have been given and continue to be given.

3. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking you can reach heaven through such behavior or mind-set.

III. The fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-25

A. The teachings of the Spirit produces a different result in people

B. Love - agape

1. A devoted love. A love that gives even when it is not returned.

2. Defined in I Corinthians 13:1-8

C. Joy - chara

1. Happiness or a calm delight

D. Peace - eirene

1. A quietness that comes from harmony with God and man.

2. It is the opposite of war.

E. Patience - makrothumia

1. Also translated as longsuffering.

2. The willingness to endure.

3. It is shown by God toward us in giving us many opportunities to turn from sin - II Peter 3:9

4. It is needed by us to deal with the shortcomings of our fellow men.

F. Kindness - chrestotes

1. A gentle person who is kind, good, and honest

G. Goodness - agathosune

1. A person with a zeal to be good. It is the opposite of evil.

2. Romans 15:14

H. Faithfulness - pistis

1. A person of conviction who has his faith, trust, and confidence in God.

2. It also refers to a person who is reliable and trustworthy.

I. Gentleness - praotes

1. Also translated as meekness

2. A gentle, humble person. He is the opposite of a hot-tempered man.

3. This is a person who is more concerned about other people and doesn’t think about himself - Ephesians 4:2; Titus 3:2

J. Self-control - enkrateia

1. Also translated as temperance

2. A person able to control his desires

K. “Against such things there is no law”

1. Again, this is not a complete list but enough to give an idea of what happens to a Christian as he follows the teachings of the Spirit.

2. The character produced by the Spirit never goes out of fashion, even among worldly people.

IV. Which path? - Galatians 5:24-25

A. You can’t walk both ways.

Do Men Have a Sinful Nature?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/DoMenHaveASinfulNature.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

I. Romans 3:23 - Why is it that everyone sins, barring Jesus our Lord?

A. A dominant teaching among the denominations is the idea that people are born sinful.

1. The Westminster Confession gives a popular view: “Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptations of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. They being the root of mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by original generation. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.”

2. What it says is that Adam and Eve’s original sin altered themselves and their descendants, not just spiritually but also physically, so that people have a built-in propensity to sin.

3. Even when saved by Christ, that inclination to sin remains while we are in the physical flesh.

B. This view is so pervasive, one of the most popular translations, the New International Version, alters many occurrences of the word “flesh” to say “sinful nature.”

1. But is this a good translation?

2. Does it really reflect what God has taught?

II. What is our nature?

A. The usual proof text is Ephesians 2:3.

1. “See! By nature. We are made children of wrath.”

B. Phusis - We derive our words physics and physical from this word

1. The form or nature of a thing to behave as it does. Thus its instinctive behavior

a. The natural branches - Romans 11:21

b. Jews by nature (that is by birth) - Galatians 2:15

c. Idols by nature cannot be gods - Galatians 4:8

d. Homosexuality goes against nature - Romans 1:26

C. The Westminster Confession said “we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil”

1. But notice Romans 2:14-15

2. Gentiles, did by nature things in the Law.

3. You cannot by nature cannot do right and do right.

D. That is because there is another definition of phusis: That which a person does by ingrained habit, his character, or temperament..

1. “Phusis is then used for a man’s character or nature, without reference to his birth or descent, in so far as this is given and not dependent on conscious direction or education.” [Kittle, IV:253].

2. Both Romans 2:14 and Ephesians 2:3 are examples of this definition.

3. Notice that it is because of how we once lived, not because we were born, that we “naturally” were objects of God’s wrath. It is in the nature of sin to be subject to God’s anger.

E. We are born upright - Ecclesiastes 7:29

F. We all sinned - Romans 3:23

1. We took action to sin. We all became sinners, not that we were born sinners.

2. Sin is the breaking of God’s law - I John 3:4

3. Birth doesn’t violate a law of God

G. If sin were “natural,” then how can homosexuality be against nature? - Romans 1:26-27.

H. If sin were “natural,” then how could Gentiles by nature do what was right? - Romans 2:14

III. Flesh

A. The Greek word sarx, primarily refers to the physical flesh. By extension it can refer to the desires that arise from the physical body.

1. Lusts come from this world - I John 2:15-17

B. It is Romans 7:18 that leads to the conclusion that sin is built-in.

1. But a subtle assumption is being made that if nothing good is found in the flesh, then the flesh must be evil. Yet, that isn’t what is stated.

2. If sin is built-in to the flesh, the what about Christ? - Hebrews 2:14, 17

a. Jesus lived without sin - Hebrews 4:15

b. Jesus was made like us. He had flesh and blood like us. He was tempted like us. Yet, it was without sin. So sin isn’t naturally in the flesh.

C. We’ve already point out that God made people upright - Ecclesiastes 7:29

1. Paul noted that before knowing the commandments, he was alive - Romans 7:9-11

2. Children have no knowledge of good and evil - Deuteronomy 1:39

3. We are not made sinful, as children we are not sinful; thus, we are not by nature sinful.

D. Where does sin come from?

1. We are made with desires. We have instinctive responses.

2. Satan uses those desires against us to have our desires push us toward sin - James 1:14-15

3. When Paul said there is nothing good in his flesh, what he is saying is that natural instinct isn’t capable of moral choices. Our physical bodies do not know the difference between right and wrong.

IV. Will

A. But our minds are different.

B. Our minds can judge that what we desire to do is not right - Romans 7:15-16

C. The question is which do we focus on, what our flesh desires, which due to the inability to make moral choices will lead to sin as often as not, or what God teaches? - Romans 8:5-8

D. Where you focus your mind is your choice - Joshua 24:14-15

1. This another flaw in the NIV, which in Romans 8:6-8 talks about people’s minds being controlled.

2. But the word here is phronema: One’s inclination or purpose. The NIV changes what is individual selected to what is externally forced.

V. None of us start life sinful

A. To claim so is to say God made us sin - James 1:13

B. No one is forced to sin, in fact God limits Satan so that choice remains - I Corinthians 10:13

C. Why do we sin?

1. For many it is simply not thinking. We let our instincts run our lives and so are following them into sin.

2. For some we drop our guard and instinct takes over.

D. The fact is that we all sin at times. But there is a way out - I John 2:1; Romans 6:3-7