THE CROSS: A SYMBOL OF DOMINION OVER THE FLESH II

Self has to do with ‘I’, the flesh is when ‘I’ puts on flesh. It is an extension of the rebellious will of man; man’s will in union with the will of the snake in the garden.

Gal. 5:24, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” The cross is the place where the flesh is crucified. Without the crucifixion of flesh, the works of the flesh will continue to manifest. What actually fuels the works of the flesh is LUST; lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life introduced in the Garden of Eden. The woman saw, touched, perceived that it was good and then ate. Going to Church does not destroy the flesh; you can go to Church for years with the flesh still be very active and intact. There are messages that stir up Mr flesh; such messages will always draw the crowd. The Bible says if you want to be Christ’s, you just have to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. Once such a message is preached in a Church, the attendance will drop drastically. Why? There is something about the flesh that revolts against the truth. There is something about the flesh that wants gratification. There is something about the flesh that wants to be pampered and worshipped. There is something about Mr flesh that revolts against the instructions of wisdom. You don’t cast out Mr flesh, you crucify the flesh. The only prescription for the flesh is the cross.

Every lust is an evil pull which only the crushing power of the cross can demolish.

The nature of a rebel is the carnal nature – the flesh. We all acquired the gene when man fell in the Garden of Eden. Rebellion started in heaven when Lucifer revolted in his heart. Rebellion starts from the garden of the heart. Your heart is a very wonderful garden that you must guard if you want to do the will of God and if you want to become Christ’s. There is no short cut for the crucified life for anyone who wants to be in the bride of Christ. The bride’s message is called the crucified way. The Church stopped producing the bride when she dropped the bride’s message for other messages.

A very respected man of God fell and was sentenced to jail. Another man of God visited him while he was in prison and asked him how it all happened. The jailed man of God said he fell because he didn’t have the fear of God. Yes, it is possible for you to be an archbishop without the fear of God. That is why you must be careful of the theology you are running with; most of them cannot take anyone to heaven. No one ever stumbles into heaven by chance, not even the thief on the cross. The thief that was crucified with Christ had to make a deliberate exercise of his will and confession. He knew how to take it by force and he made it. There is serious danger in being in the Church and not being in the way. The crucified way is the way of the cross. Jesus is not coming for those who are in the Church; he is coming for those who are his. The eternal bridegroom is coming for the bride.

Gal. 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” In other words, there are two realms that one can possibly live in; you can live in the flesh or you can decide to live in the spirit. Remember that anything done in the flesh cannot please God. Adam was the first man who established the way of the flesh when he fell. The second Adam, Jesus Christ said, I am the way, the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except by me (John 14:6). Furthermore, Jesus said that his meat was to do the meat of who sent him and to finish his work. Jesus submitted his will to the point of laying down his life on the cross. He submitted his will one hundred percent to the will of the Father – the battle of the will. It started with ‘I will’, elevating the will of the creature above the will of the creator.

Gal. 5:26, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another, envying one another.” These are all manifestations of the flesh.

1 Cor. 15:21-23, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming.” May we be part of the people that Christ is coming for. May we be in the bride of Christ. The key is take up the cross and follow him.

TO BE CONTINUED………