Understanding The Flesh And The Spirit

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A Crash Course on Our Fallen Human Nature Versus God’s Work In Us By His Holy Spirit

When the Bible uses the terms “Flesh and Spirit, just exactly what does it mean?

Does the Bible have more than one way of using these terms that we need to understand?

Is there a difference between the Old Testament concept of these terms and that of the New Testament?

What are some examples of these different usages in the Old and the New Testaments?

How does Law affect the status of the spirit?

Does God want us to be confident in the Salvation that He has provided?

Is prayer affected by the flesh and the Spirit?

New Testament Scripture #1 Galatians 2:15-21 (KJV)

Gal 2:15  “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

Gal 2:16  nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Gal 2:17  “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

Gal 2:18  “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Gal 2:19  “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

Gal 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Gal 2:21  “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

New Testament Scripture #1 Galatians 5:9-26 (NASB)

Gal 5:9  A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

Gal 5:10  I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

Gal 5:11  But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

Gal 5:12  I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

Gal 5:13  For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Gal 5:14  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Gal 5:15  But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Gal 5:16  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Gal 5:18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

Gal 5:19  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Gal 5:20  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

Gal 5:21  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gal 5:23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Gal 5:24  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Gal 5:25  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Gal 5:26  Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.