“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—” Philippians 3:3
As I was reading the book of Philippians, I believe that the Holy Spirit revealed knowledge and wisdom that I hope will also help those who cease to please GOD by their flesh, but in truth, we are supposed to please Him by the Spirit.
We are called to please GOD and walk in His will by walking with the Holy Spirit. It is not by the flesh that we serve the LORD but by the Holy Spirit. The flesh is contrary to the will of GOD. We have to fully be aware and grow to know this because it seems as if this message is to those who may be walking in the flesh and have not also grasped the importance of the message spoken for a while now regarding the importance of repentance and separating yourself from the world.
But then it could be for those who may desire to walk by the Holy Spirit but may not know how. But I believe the first one seems to fit the bill because other things were revealed to me in terms of examples.
I hope that this message gives clarity to what the LORD truly desires of us because He loves us and GREAT is His mercy to even give us this message that shows how much HE loves us.
All praises and glory be to GOD.
When we are walking in the flesh, we live contrary to GOD’s will. Meaning that we are saying that our flesh is our god and we are obedient to what it wants. I believe I wrote a post about the temptation of Jesus and How Satan tempted the LORD Jesus to turn the stone into bread. The LORD Jesus Christ said that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of GOD. This emphasized obedience.
Who we obey is the same as who we worship and want to please. If we please the flesh, we will do the things that relate to the flesh. But if it is by the Holy Spirit, we will walk according to the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:5-8 says (via Gateway):
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
As you have read, the LORD does not want us to live by the flesh but by the Spirit. The flesh cannot please GOD. If we look at the book of Genesis, regarding the Fall when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they pleased their flesh rather than pleasing GOD. GOD had already told them not to eat it, but because of what the snake said, a seed of disobedience was planted in the mind and they leaned on it and on their understanding, leading them to eat the forbidden fruit.
I have two blog posts concerning the above paragraph:
Jesus mentions that the flesh is nothing in John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”
Another translation says, “Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life. The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life.”
This translation mentions that the flesh is physical. And it doesn’t contribute anything to the life that was given to us by Jesus Christ. When we live in the flesh we are not living a true life, a life that is spiritual, not natural.
We are called to be true worshippers of GOD the Father, worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth. Not the flesh but in Spirit. So what does this mean? You need the Holy Spirit!
In the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, five of them were foolish and the other five virgins were wise. The ones that were wise virgins attended the wedding banquet while the other were not able to. Why? Because the five wise virgins had enough oil and more to keep their lamp burning. The oil that is mentioned in this parable is the representation of the Holy Spirit. We need more of the Holy Spirit in our lives because He is the one who helps, advocates, intercedes, and prepares us for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only that can keep our lamp burning, teaching us to walk in the will of GOD. The flesh cannot and will never help us grow closer to GOD.
The flesh did not resurrect Jesus Christ from the dead. The Power of the Holy Spirit did.
I hope this gives clarity to understanding that the flesh will never and can’t ever please GOD.
Here’s the verse that highlights that the flesh can’t and will never help you grow close nor even please to walk in the will of GOD the Father.
Galatians 5:18-21 NIV via Gateway:
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The flesh lives to please self, but the Holy Spirit lives to please GOD. The flesh is earthly but the living in the Spirit is spiritual and life.
In the next post, I am going to switch up and we’re going to focus on serving GOD with the Holy Spirit as well as why this is of the GREATEST importance to walk in the Holy Spirit.
Here are other blog posts to read that relate to the above posts:
- The Importance of Repentance
- It’s Time To Grow Up
- Who are you serving?
- Have Jesus Christ, Have Life
- A WORD: Who are you calling this day?
Angolwa cecilia 
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