articlesforchristians

The Greatest Work

• Jesus gave use a promise that we would do greater works.
• These works were to be done after His journey to Calvary.
  • John 14:12-14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Jesus Brings Victory
Jesus offers victory over satanic forces, human weaknesses, and struggles of life.
He paid the penalty of sin and removed the curse of sin by giving His own life.

• John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
• 1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
• 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Three Enemies of Humanity

1. Devil
2. The World with its ungodly lusts
3. Flesh

Two of our enemies exist outside us: the devil and the world. However, the most formidable enemy lies within.

• Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The Holy Ghost helps us to conquer the fleshly nature.

• James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
• Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
• Ephesians 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

THE WORKS OF THE FLESH THE OLD MAN
Sin comes from the carnal sinful nature.

• Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

When left to itself the heart is capable of unbelievable evils. Through the carnal mind, it is impossible to please God.

For this reason, God gives us a new nature.

•  1 Corinthian 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

A new mind

• 1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

A new heart

• Ezekial 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
• Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

A new inward man

• Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

A new life

• Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Putting off the old man

• Ephesians 4:22-24  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The natural man cannot understand God

• 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Nor can he live holy before God

• Romans 8.5-8 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. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Can sweet water come from a bitter spring?

• James 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

THE WORKS OF THE SPIRIT THE NEW MAN
This new man, God has given many promises. The old man was associated with the curse of sin. Since actions flow directly from the heart, it was necessary that God create in man a new heart with new characteristics.

• Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
  which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth
  that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The heart cannot be trusted.

• Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
• David never dreamed that he had murder in his heart. He found out to late. He asked God to search his heart.
  • Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
    thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
• The reasoning of the heart, human logic, and philosophy of this world cannot discover the things of God with the illumination of His spirit.
  • Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God

The Fruit of the Spirit
When the Spirit of God lives in a person’s heart, the Spirit will produce fruit.

• Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

It is great to see the old man transformed into the new man.

• Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

God’s Aim for His people
It is God’s will and aim to bring forth good fruit from His People.

• John 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

We must overcome the sinful nature

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The sinful nature will oppose God’s work. The Christian has a dual nature, the nature of God and the sinful nature of the flesh.

• Galatians 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

He promises forgiveness and strength if we confess and repent

• 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Hebrews 4:15-16 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. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Paul’s Advice

• Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.