In The Flesh
A Plain Language Thought from the Window
The Scriptures speak of a life where we meet challenges. They seem to tell us we are 'home free' and will live better once we engage in a life with God as opposed to without God. While this is true, some people forget that even in the presence of scriptural knowledge, we are ever challenged by living in the present world.
Do believing people ever stumble, sin, have problems from a life in a material world? You might meet a believer who just seems to live above all problems ... they say God will provide and they show great trust in Him. They do trust, but they also must endure a life in an imperfect fleshy condition.
Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
The passage above is one of a few places in the biblical text that acknowledges that faithful people still live within a material earthly condition. The faith journey continues in the presence of living in an earthly body and with that temptations and problems still exist around us. Differentiating spiritual realities from flesh realities is part of an ongoing awareness.
Ec 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin. (NKJV)
Before making any further comment, this short article is not about making a rational argument for being able to still sin and it's okay. It's not okay, but even believers who are entirely realistic and truthful will tell you, while living in the flesh in this life, that it's still possible to stumble and fall short of God's will.
So what then?
Well, when everything is going great, a relationship with God may seem to just rise above the world and all it's material problems. Nice! But what about when something catches us and we recognize we 'blew it,' failed, messed up?
If you review the Scriptures it becomes clear that there are repeated references to why and how people can miss what God intends for each of us. But the Scriptures allow us to turn back to get on the pathway to walking forward with God. Repentance is a key word here—one worth a word study in Scripture all by itself.
If you believe and have made a commitment to follow God and yet find yourself in a bind ... well, now might be a good time to read the pages listed on the left that deal with Prayer and Salvation.
We are not trying to be overly simplistic here ... but really, living in the present world is full of temptations and many examples of people living self-dependent, self-centered lives. Living in a body of flesh means being tied to the present material world in undeniable ways. This makes for a struggle. But that struggle is acknowledged in the Scriptures—because God knows we are living a process that refines us.
The promise that Scripture provides opens a window to understanding a time yet to come when we live free of this fleshy state. And that makes for a goal and an objective, something to keep our eyes on as we live and move forward.
Read the Bible: MKJV of Hebrew (Tanach) and Greek (Brit Chadeshah); plus other translations added as available.
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