Chico Alliance Church
“Warning Lights”
INTRODUCTION
The year is well underway! What does this year hold? Growth, grief, glee, gloom, gratitude, grumbling?
Christ promised to give us abundant life in Him.
The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:1-3
As we face another year of life on this earth we also face the sometimes difficult questions unearthed by life in a fallen world. Where have I been? Where am I going? Is this all there is? Is there more? Have I done all I could? What could be better? Am I living life as God intended?
God communicated through Paul the blessing of new life in Christ. Through the work of Christ we have been lifted to a new sphere of life. No longer under the law of sin and death, we are free to enjoy all of the marvels of life in the spirit the law of the spirit of life in Christ.
It is not enough to attend church and hear words spoken through a man. The Word of God was recorded for a purpose – effective kingdom living. “every man might be complete, equipped for every good work. Doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteous living.
Any time we hear the word or teach the word it we must ask how does what we hear and teach apply to becoming a more effective servant of God.
After renewing the Galatian believer’s thinking, Paul applies the truth of freedom in Christ on the basis of the promise not performance. He paints contrasting portraits all through his letter.
One, a life lived on the level of the flesh driven by ritual and law.
Two a life lived on the level of the spirit driven by relationship and love.
The truth presented here is foundational for every Christian. Until you understand the principles here you will not experience the abundant life in the spirit as promised and produced by Jesus. How do we know whether our walk is on the flesh level of the spirit level? Paul touches on four basic areas where life in the Spirit clearly opposes life in the flesh. These are like warning lights on the dash board indicating a problem.
If the alternator light come on, it tells you that you are now running off of battery power. We all know what happens if we continue to try to run the car on battery power. We may still run but there are definite limitation. Limited use of accessories. Limited time before a recharge of the battery is necessary. The engine was not designed to run off the batter.
A. Life in the spirit serves not swallows one another
One who operates by the direction and energy of the spirit commits himself as a servant, a slave on behalf of God and the body of Christ. A slave exists for the purpose of serving the master. Through love, we are to enslave ourselves to one another. Paul warns about selfishly biting and devouring one another. Like wild animals who bite and devour for self preservation and selfish ambition, those who listen to the direction of the flesh pursue self-promotion and promote self-protection as a way of life. Jesus said those who desire to save their life must give it away.
Jim Elliot, so familiar with what it means to give his life for the service of others said this:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Paul goes on to teach about life in the spirit.
B. Life in the spirit lives by the spirit not the flesh
Paul concisely exposes all of the elements of the Christ walk. As through the rest of the letter, Paul pits life in the spirit against life in the flesh. What is this battle that rages in the soul. As we tried to make clear, the key to life in the spirit and life in the flesh rests on belief. The Holy Spirit is a person to be believed and trusted and obeyed not a force or feeling to be attained. Enablement to walk the walk comes through a relationship of humble reliance on the Holy Spirit who resided within every believer. He works in our life as we surrender to His agenda, His plan, His will, His way. The moment we insist on our agenda, our plan, our will, our way we face the battle in our own strength. As we hear and believe the lies fostered by Satan through demonic teaching and the false teaching of this world system, the flesh is energized resulting in corresponding behavior. If we choose to ignore, grieve by sin or quench by rebellion, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He allows us to fall into bondage to the flesh and possibly evil spirits until we are sick of our state and cry out to God for deliverance on his terms. The fleshly desires will be energized and sensitized to the things of this world while our spirit becomes desensitized to the eternal things of God. The truth is that we are body soul and spirit.
We are physio/psycho/spiritual beings. It is the spiritual dimension that furnishes significance to all the other areas.
God designed us to relate to him on the level of the Spirit.
“God is spirit and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
God created us to soar in the heavenlies.
Paul urged the Colossians to hold fast to the Head.
If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Col. 3:1-4
We are more than flesh, body, mind, will and emotion. We are spiritual beings. Therefore, says Paul, put aside the deeds of the flesh and pursue the life of the spirit. We cannot serve two masters.
For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8
Ingrained deeply in each image bearer of God is a longing to experience life as God designed us to live. Satan, from the beginning sought to convince man that a sense of living may be pursued on a purely fleshly or earthly plane. He tried to convince Eve that there was more to life than a spirit centered relationship with God of humble dependence and obedience. He enticed her to seek to experience life from flesh centered pursuits base on what seemed right and good in her own eyes.
He thus offered her something that appealed to the physical and psychological senses.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6
Satan uses the same appeal to this day.
Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:15-16
The moment we believe the lie that life may be found and experienced on the physical / psychological level we fall prey to the consequences of a fleshly life. Although we don’t see or touch the flesh, like an infestation of rats or mice, the fact of its presence and control becomes evident by its “droppings.” Paul only lists a few representative droppings or warning lights that our life is flesh driven not spirit driven. Categories deal with sexual and sensual focus (immorality, impurity, sensuality, drunkenness, carousings), relational dysfunction due to jealousy and selfish ambition (enmities, strife, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings), and religious perversion (idolatry, sorcery).
How do we know when we live life on a fleshly plane? Look for the droppings! How do we know when we live life on a spiritual plane? Look for the fruit! Paul intended the Galatian believers to become keenly aware of the signs of living in the flesh. Not so that he could condemn or scold but that a new stirring to live above the earth would arise. He wanted them to realize that fleshly living is not to become the norm for Christians. He did not want them to become used to fleshly living and call it spiritual because there were spiritual activities from time to time. He wanted them to realize the utter perversion of the flesh and its resulting death producing deeds, especially when contrasted to the life producing fruit of the Spirit. Following are fifteen warning signs that one pursues life on the level of the flesh. Paul says the works or energy of the flesh is evident or visible, public. The word translated “evident” is a word used to express something outward and public, clear for everyone to see. In fact, say s Paul those driven by the flesh and this kind of behavior is not characteristics of the kingdom of God. Since we don’t always know who is really driving our life the Holy Spirit or the flesh, Paul offers some outward evidence of an inward reality.
SENSUAL CLUES TO A FLESHLY FOCUS
These are things dealing with the senses both physical and psychological. The flesh inflames the members of the body and soul to operate without the controlling factor of the spirit. The flesh continually asserts that life is found in the sensual and therefore entices us to…
“Immorality” (pornea)
We get our English word “pornography” from this Greek word. It is a broad reference to a broad range of inappropriate sexual activities, any engagement in sexual activity outside the God-designed boundaries. Sex is more than physical. God designed sex to engage our whole being: body, soul and spirit. The flesh presumes that sex is the essence of life and focus of life is sexual. A brief evaluation of media and even the arts reveals the underlying philosophy and lie that life is sensual. When sex becomes an end in itself rather than the celebration and communication of intimacy as designed by God, it rules rather than serves.
Flesh driven sexuality could be a problem even in marriage.
Flesh driven sexuality becomes extremely susceptible to obsession and perversion.
We live in a sex-crazed culture. The availability of soul deadening material is frightening. Our young people are exposed daily to the lie that the essence of real life is sexual and sensual. The more time and energy and exposure to these lies and these stimuli from our culture the more the soul becomes deadened to the things of the spirit. The sex stimulated flesh is never satisfied. It pollutes everything that passes through its gates. To the pure, all things are pure. To the impure nothing is pure. It is all twisted. Even to the point where truth becomes twisted. God told Jeremiah that even his preaching had become like a sensual song to the flesh driven Israelites.
How much sowing has been done in this garden? Look for the droppings. Look for the warning lights.
“Impurity”
It was a medical term used to describe and infected oozing wound. It is a word used to refer to ceremonial uncleanness that would prevent one from coming before God. Same word used for demons. “Impure spirits”. What separated holy angels from unholy angels is their decision to rebel against the established purpose or design of God. They chose to resist the authority of God even with full knowledge of His glory. The result of such rebellion is uncleanness of all kinds. The flesh continually urges us to pursue an independent, self-directed life. The flesh entices to things that defile and infect the soul and deaden the spirit as well as the body. The flesh screams that success and true fulfillment comes by being your own boss, your own person, determiner of your own destiny. When we live our life according to what is right in our own eyes, we deny the God who created us for Himself. The impurity light comes on when we forget who is boss.
How much of you life even remotely relates to spiritual things?
Can we say that our life is driven by a knowledge of His will? Look at where you spend your time and money. Are we dedicated to His kingdom or ours?
A fleshly walk focuses on our kingdom and our pleasures.
“Sensuality”
This is a word that focuses on the bondage side of sexuality. It was used to describe someone out of control sexually. Sexual diversion and obsession continually progresses.
The flesh is never satisfied. When sex is the end rather than the expression of a deeper reality it is never satisfied. A spouse can never fully satisfy a flesh energized or demonically energized sex appetite. An out of control flesh inflamed by exposure to sex outside of God’s carefully designed boundaries can never be satisfied. I could cite case after case of Christians who have thrown away their life in search of fulfillment through flesh driven sex rather than spirit and soul driven sexuality. Until the basic lie concerning the source of eternal life is addressed there is no freedom.
“drunkeness & carousing”
a revel, carousal, a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honour of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry
The concept here has to do with the sensual, not necessarily the sexual. So often, we feel most alive through the senses. The flesh tries to convince us that our sense of aliveness emanates only on the level of the soul and body. Through stimulation of the senses through chemicals or touch or taste or sight or hearing or smells that effect the mind, will and emotions, we really feel alive. God made it clear from the beginning man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Man lives by the Word of God as well as by bread. The flesh wants exclusive domain. Life is found in sensations of all kinds produced by whatever means. Life is found in food. Life is found in the numbed out feeling of chemicals. Life is found in stirring music. Life is found in pleasing smells. Life is found warm touch. These things are all part of life but not the foundation of life. Even the church has designed their programs to appeal primarily to the soul and body and the sensual rather than the spiritual
People can’t worship unless we generate the right emotion or sensation. Let us make things more sensually pleasing and maybe they will pick up a truth here and there. The truth is, that God is spirit and God seeks worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Responding to God is more than pleasing sounds, tingling emotions, physical sensations, some kind of numbed out spell-like feeling. Life is more than sensation. The flesh would have us pursue life on only the level of the soul and body. People seek the sensational which places emphasis on the senses. God places emphasis on the spirit.
True worship and life flows out of a reborn spirit directed and energized by the Holy Spirit that utilizes and effects every other part of our being. When we try to feel spiritual by cultivating the sensational, we pursue a false spirituality. The result is that a life which sows to the flesh rather than the spirit will reap corruption.
What if you were to lose your senses? What if you couldn’t hear music or see creation or sense the touch of other people? What if there was only God? Would that be enough?
How much of your relationship with God depends on the sensational.
What are you doing to cultivate the spiritual aspect of your being? I don’t feel God! I don’t sense Him! Seek him out the longing of your spirit. Only when we seek God on His terms will we find that our walk with him engages every part of our being. A pursuit of God merely on the level of the soul and body is not a pursuit of God at all but a self-focused pursuit of pleasure and self-satisfaction that deteriorates and deadens the capacity of the soul to really know God.
DEVOTIONAL CLUES TO A FLESHLY WALK
“Idolatry”
The base word “eidolon” means “picture,” “copy.” It can be used for images of gods, but is not the usual term for cultic images (or human statues). When used for images, the idea is that of a reflection of the deity.
Thus “eidolatria” refers to someone who devotes themselves to a picture or copy of a God. The tendency ingrained in the flesh is a reluctance if not repulsion to honor God as God. Man is the center of all things. The flesh promotes anything but genuine personal interaction with God. copy or picture of God will do, anything but face to face relationship. For the most part, the flesh prefers us to devote ourselves to a God of our own making. Even a mental image that limits God and does not allow Him the rightful place in our lives as God. The flesh promotes images, pictures, thoughts, feelings of God over God Himself. Satan knows that when we encounter the true and living God we cannot remain the same. Grow up in the church and come to relate to God through “church” things. God becomes ritual, principle, habit. The flesh will also encourage us to elevate other things above God in our lives. Whether it be other people or things or money, the fleshly life inflates the value of devotion to people, creation, money and things over personal relationship with God. Paul told the Galatians that greed amounts to idolatry.
Why?
Because greed for things or power or whatever demonstrates a discontent with God as the only true source of life and contentment, the giver of every good and perfect gift. A life operating on the level of the flesh seeks to live life on a psycho/physical plane rather than a true experience with the living God. When forced to choose between anything and God, what would we choose? If it is something or someone other than God, we are living on the level of the flesh.
“sorcery” (pharmakeia)
The attempt to control or manipulate the course of life mainly people or things by the use of some physical potion or verbal incantation. The intent was to bring about health, wealth, well-being or change through drugs, incantations or magic. The practice was to effect people and things through magic. Rather than devotion and faith in God, there was a reliance on the form. The weight of faith and confidence was on the ritual or potion. The old nature trained the flesh to trust the flesh not God. The tendency of that residue flesh then is to try to effect the course of life through fleshly means rather than prayer or daily devotion to God. We have in our culture even ‘religious’ sorcery. It may be considered sorcery, whenever we try to manipulate or influence God by means of the flesh or by some physical ritual rather than humble service to Him. Even our prayers may become nothing more than magician’s incantation. When the first things we turn to is drugs or chemicals or rituals to solve problems, be careful where you have put your trust. The issue in all of the these things is the ingrained tendency to live life from a psycho/physical base or from a spiritual base. Do we try to control our circumstances or are we dependent upon the Holy Spirit to direct and energize us to face the difficulties of life in a fallen, devil directed world. We demand that God fix things and the way to coerce him to do it is through formula or ritual or persistent badgering. True faith entrusts their soul to a faithful Creator.
RELATIONAL CLUES TO A FLESHLY WALK
Paul provides the core clues of a life lived on the basis of flesh. Since the core problem in the flesh is bitter jealousy (self-protection) and selfish ambition (self-promotion).
Thus when the flesh does not get its way, there is breakdown in relationships that manifest in the following ways.
“enmities”
This is the word used for an enemy. Considering others enemies and engaging as an enemy This word describes the activities designed to subdue, control or destroy an individual or group. The tendency ingrained in the flesh is to control people for self-protection or self-promotion. When two people follow the tendency of the flesh there will always be enmity. A tendency ingrained by the Spirit is to love your enemies by serving not destroy them by subduing them.
“strife”
Strife is a natural result of enmity. When there is hatred and drawing up sides in a war there is strife. Enmity describes the attitude, whereas strife describes the manifestation. A tendency ingrained by the Spirit is peace.
“jealousy”
Evil jealousy has to do with a competitive zeal to do better, be better, have more than someone else. The flesh operates and motivates by competition rather than cooperation. The Spirit focuses on giving not grabbing.
“outburst of anger”
A fury or reaction to another person. As strife was the outworking of enmity. So anger outburst is the outworking of jealousy.
“selfish ambition”
This is a term used to describe someone who is so self-focused they are willing to do most anything for personal gain. It was used of a harlot willing to compromise morals for personal gain. It came to refer to someone self absorbed concerned only about how things effect them. How about us? We have a tendency to judge everything about how it makes us feel or how it affects us.
“divisions”
The result of the attitude of selfish ambition is division. We look for others who will support our cause rather than to seek the direction of the Head.
“herisies”
to divide or choose. This word had the idea of a breaking off in order to follow ones own beliefs. It is the opposite of a unified body.
“envying”
The flesh is never satisfied with what God has given. The flesh urges us to want what someone else has.
APPLICATIONS
Are we driven by the desires of the flesh or led by the directions of the Spirit.
Struggle with a sexual/sensual focus?
Tendency to run my own life?
Struggling with bondage to sexual things?
Feel more alive through the sensual stimuli of the soul and body?
Anything in this life given a higher priority of my devotion than God?
Trying to manage life in a fallen world through physical/psychological means?
Difficulties in my relationships?
These are warning indicators that I am carrying out the desires of the flesh and driven by the flesh rather than walking by means of the Spirit.
I am flesh focused, not spirit focused.
I am sowing to the flesh not the Spirit and reaping the results.
What has God revealed about my focus?
What am I going to do about it?
