Page 89 - lifeandgrace
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Well-adjusted home environments are likely to produce good, sophisticated flesh
patterns. Poorly adjusted homes will likely produce corrupt flesh patterns. Don't be
fooled by quiet, passive, smiling, good flesh.
Flesh builds an identity around itself.
Our identity, who we think we are, is very important in determining our actions –
what we do. If our flesh develops an identity around some manifestation of itself
and convinces us to believe it is our own identity, then our flesh has built a fertile
background in which its own characteristics (control, protect itself, etc.) can
flourish.
Flesh is proud.
Man operating according to the flesh has a tremendous drive to exalt himself to
meet his needs for acceptance, value and recognition. Characteristics emulating
from pride and self-exaltation are the "need" to be right, to blame others, and to be
superior. The flesh brags and rebels.
Pride is one of the chief obstacles to the cross and grace because it is so subtle.
1Peter 5:5-6, however, says that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to
the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He
may exalt you at the proper time."
Can you imagine the relief we can experience by admitting that in ourselves, with
or without God's help, we are total failures so that in Christ we can be all He
intended us to be? This is brokenness, the way of the cross, coming to the end our
self-life. Only when we are willing to be a failure in our own strength is He willing
to reveal that we are a complete success in Christ.
Flesh is an idolater.
We can usually determine what our false god is by what causes us to fall apart
when it is removed. Is it our health, our possessions, job, spouse, family? The
question is: Who or what is meeting your deepest needs? This could be your god
and is a manifestation of your flesh.
Finally, Flesh is a rejecter.
It will try to protect itself even at others' expense. This results in all kinds of
damaging rejection. When we are already struggling to get our needs met in our
own effort and then are rejected by another, we will inevitably retaliate or
manipulate. This helps explain why abused children often grow up to imitate their
abusive parents.
As one person struggles in an unending quest to get his needs met (even legitimate
needs for love, acceptance, significance, security, and meaning), others will be
attempting to get their needs met also. Turning to other self-centered people to
meet our needs ultimately results in someone being used and/or rejected and their
needs going unmet. This results in anger, jealousy, frustration, anxiety, suppression
of feelings, denial, etc. These, in turn, create more rejection for the person and for
those with whom they interact in a widening circle. Over time, we develop a fear of
losing control of our world and a new flesh cycle begins.
God's Solution–Death.
What is God's method of dealing with the flesh? Death! "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). The flesh can only be dealt with through our
union with Christ in the full work of the cross. The flesh cannot be improved upon, trained or modified in
any significant long-term way. Through struggle and failure, the Christian is carefully and lovingly taken
through the experience of self-revelation and finally into an appropriation of his death with Christ to his
patterns. Poorly adjusted homes will likely produce corrupt flesh patterns. Don't be
fooled by quiet, passive, smiling, good flesh.
Flesh builds an identity around itself.
Our identity, who we think we are, is very important in determining our actions –
what we do. If our flesh develops an identity around some manifestation of itself
and convinces us to believe it is our own identity, then our flesh has built a fertile
background in which its own characteristics (control, protect itself, etc.) can
flourish.
Flesh is proud.
Man operating according to the flesh has a tremendous drive to exalt himself to
meet his needs for acceptance, value and recognition. Characteristics emulating
from pride and self-exaltation are the "need" to be right, to blame others, and to be
superior. The flesh brags and rebels.
Pride is one of the chief obstacles to the cross and grace because it is so subtle.
1Peter 5:5-6, however, says that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to
the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He
may exalt you at the proper time."
Can you imagine the relief we can experience by admitting that in ourselves, with
or without God's help, we are total failures so that in Christ we can be all He
intended us to be? This is brokenness, the way of the cross, coming to the end our
self-life. Only when we are willing to be a failure in our own strength is He willing
to reveal that we are a complete success in Christ.
Flesh is an idolater.
We can usually determine what our false god is by what causes us to fall apart
when it is removed. Is it our health, our possessions, job, spouse, family? The
question is: Who or what is meeting your deepest needs? This could be your god
and is a manifestation of your flesh.
Finally, Flesh is a rejecter.
It will try to protect itself even at others' expense. This results in all kinds of
damaging rejection. When we are already struggling to get our needs met in our
own effort and then are rejected by another, we will inevitably retaliate or
manipulate. This helps explain why abused children often grow up to imitate their
abusive parents.
As one person struggles in an unending quest to get his needs met (even legitimate
needs for love, acceptance, significance, security, and meaning), others will be
attempting to get their needs met also. Turning to other self-centered people to
meet our needs ultimately results in someone being used and/or rejected and their
needs going unmet. This results in anger, jealousy, frustration, anxiety, suppression
of feelings, denial, etc. These, in turn, create more rejection for the person and for
those with whom they interact in a widening circle. Over time, we develop a fear of
losing control of our world and a new flesh cycle begins.
God's Solution–Death.
What is God's method of dealing with the flesh? Death! "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). The flesh can only be dealt with through our
union with Christ in the full work of the cross. The flesh cannot be improved upon, trained or modified in
any significant long-term way. Through struggle and failure, the Christian is carefully and lovingly taken
through the experience of self-revelation and finally into an appropriation of his death with Christ to his
