Sermon Central
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Rebuilt, Not Remodeled
Contributed by Craig Benner on Jun 24, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: God never meant for the flesh to be rehabilitated, it needs to be sacrificed. The work of the Lord in our lives is not remodeling, but renewing.
REBUILT NOT REMODELED
You can take a hog and wash him up, put ribbons on his tail and sprinkle perfume on his body; but you still have a hog, and in short order, he will be wallowing again in the smelly mud and muck.
IL.: A young boy was standing on the porch, trying to reach the doorbell. The new pastor in town happened to be passing by. He thought that he would help this young fellow. So he goes up the steps and lifts the boy to reach the doorbell. The youth rings the doorbell and as the pastor puts him down, he takes off running. Then he turns around and says, "you better run, mister, here comes the lady."
2 Co. 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {he is: or, let him be} (KJV)
17 De modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es; las cosas viejas pasaron; he aquí todas son hechas nuevas. (SRVA)
IL.: A realtor was showing some real estate to a prospective buyer. The place was deteriorated, with broken windows and some rotten boards here and there. There was even some doors falling off of the hinges. The realtor was careful to express time after time that they could bring in a crew to repair many of these defects. Finally, the client stated, "I am not interested in this building, it is the site that I am considering. This place can be razed and a new structure built in its place.
We want to believe that we can correct our errors, take a "time out", attend a seminar, or go to rehab, and then we are all fixed up. Hogwash. It just does not work.
The old man does not need cleaned up, he needs to be sacrificed. It is not a process of remodeling the person you used to be; God wants to demolish the old you and start from scratch.
Adam was FORMED in the image of God (perfect)
Sin entered and man became DEFORMED
By the grace of God, we can be CONFORMED into His likeness
One day, we will be TRANSFORMED
There is a scientific term; Metamorphosis. It relates to a caterpillar as it changes from its ugly wormlike state and becomes a beautiful butterfly.
Mt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
41 Velad y orad, para que no entréis en tentación. El espíritu, a la verdad, está dispuesto; pero la carne es débil. (SRVA)
Ro 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
19 Os hablo en términos humanos, a causa de la debilidad de vuestra carne. Porque así como presentasteis vuestros miembros como esclavos a la impureza y a la iniquidad cada vez mayor, así presentad ahora vuestros miembros como esclavos a la justicia para la santidad. (SRVA)
God says that the life controlled by the flesh is sick.
Release control of your life to God, He will make you anew.
Ro 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (motions: passions)
5 Porque mientras vivíamos en la carne, las pasiones pecaminosas despertadas por medio de la ley actuaban en nuestros miembros, a fin de llevar fruto para muerte. (SRVA)
The flesh driven life produces death.
Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Do NOT confide in your flesh (carnal man); it will do you wrong every time.
Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ro 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ro 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Ro 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
There is a choice to be made: even though we live in a body of flesh, we do not have to follow carnality.
Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
