THE CROSS: A SYMBOL OF DOMINION OVER THE FLESH III

Christ is not coming for those that are not his, he is coming for those who are his. The rapture is going to be a selective encounter. The Bible says according to Matt 24:41; Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Gal. 5:16-17, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The way to have dominion over the flesh is walk in the Spirit. The Bible says as many as are led in the Spirit are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

Rom. 8:7-8, “Because the carnal mind is enmity 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.” This includes all the songs sang in the flesh, all the donations made in the flesh, all the cathedrals built in the flesh, all kingdom services rendered in the flesh and everything that is done in the flesh – they have no eternal value. They all amount to hay, wood and stubble. They cannot please God.

One of the things you need to be careful of is the inwardness of Christian ethics. It is quite different from other ethics. Everything you render in God’s kingdom is going to be tried and tested by fire according to I Cor. 3:11-13, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. now, if any man build foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man’s work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

The material used in building on the foundation matters a lot; if it is gold, silver or precious stone, it will withstand the fire. If it is gold, silver or precious stone, it will shine brighter. Gold represents the righteousness of God, Silver the redemptive wisdom of God and Precious stone the holiness of God. These are the very nature of God. In the alternative, it can be wood, hay or stubble. When passed through the fire, there will be nothing left. Wood, hay and stubble represent works of the flesh. What have you been posting? Every opportunity to serve in the kingdom of God is an opportunity to invest in heaven. What material are you using? Is it tainted with flesh? It is so easy to get fleshy. Many people live just to gratify the flesh; they are not in the spirit and so cannot please God. Whatever is done in the flesh cannot please God.

Pray-

• Dear Heavenly Father I worship you. I ask you to deliver me from the works of the flesh and grant me grace to work in the spirit all the days of my life. Amen.

TO BE CONTINUED……..