Extract from our Weekly Bulletin

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December 18, 2016

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1)

James’ message is not directed to those that aren’t redeemed.

He is speaking to Christians that are washed with the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

There really exists a battle within ourselves, but it is a war that we can win by the grace of God.

“Why is this happening to me?” (Genesis 25:22-23) This is the question of the ages.

“Lord, why am I like this?” “Why do I feel this way? What is happening to me?” Rebecca experienced a similar battle within her, and instead of to going to a psychiatrist for answers, she went directly to the Lord and asked: “Why is this happening to me?”

“The LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb.’” This answer has a great meaning, as it     represents the war between the flesh and the Spirit within us. Of course, within her womb there where twins (Jacob representing the spiritual man and Esau representing the carnal man), but the application and meaning of this story is applicable to each one of us.

The believers of Corinth, in spite of being born again, full of the Spirit, being sanctified and having obtained all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, had terrible battles with the flesh. Paul called them carnal.

They were plagued with envies and conflicts. Some were falling again into immorality and drunkenness. How could they be believers with Christ dwelling within them and still acting in this manner?

We Have A Sinful Nature (1 John 1:8  versus  1 John 3:9)

1 John 1:8: “If we claim to be without sin (nature), we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” The Word of God states that we have a sinful nature and that we must confess that we have it (read 1 John 1:9; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 6:5; Romans 7:24). 1 John 3:9

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” Christ within us cannot sin. He is the seed of holiness within us and He cannot sin (1 Peter 1:23). However, WE still sin many times. Where does this sin come from? This sin comes from the old nature which we were born with.

The apostle Paul interprets the new covenant which says, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body” (Romans 7:17, 20, 23).

Paul clarifies that there still exists a sinful nature that     resides within the members of our body.

Jesus Christ had two natures. He was the Son of Man, His body was made from the same substance as Mary’s, from Adam’s rib.

He was the seed of David and Abraham. His body was formed exactly the same as ours.

Jesus was made in the likeness of sinful man (Romans 8:3) and was tempted just like all of us (Acts 2:14-18; 4:15). But Jesus never yielded, He never surrendered to sin. Jesus was and is the Son of God, His soul and spirit are both   eternal. He descended from heaven to live in a body of sinful man.

As a man who lived in the body of sinful human flesh, He condemned sin in the flesh and to NEVER submit to its desires.

Extract from: “Victory over a self-centred life.” Pg.16

God Bless You
Ps. Maria Varjabedian