N E I L   A N D E R S O N   D A I L Y   D E V O T I O N A L
             from Freedom in Christ Ministries

June 18

The Fleshly Person

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet
able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for
you are still fleshly. (1 Corinthians 3: 2,3).

The spirit of the fleshly person is identical to that of the
spiritual person. The fleshly person is a Christian, spiritually
alive in Christ and declared righteous by God. But that's where
the similarity ends. Instead of being directed by the Spirit,
this believer chooses to follow the impulses of his flesh. As a
result, his mind is occupied by carnal thoughts and his emotions
are plagued by negative feelings. And though he is free to choose
to walk after the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit, he
continues to involve himself in sinful activity by willfully
walking after the flesh.

His physical body is a temple of God, but he is using it as an
instrument of unrighteousness. He has the same troubling physical
symptoms experienced by the natural person because he is not
operating in the manner God created him to operate. He is not
presenting his body to God as a living sacrifice. Since he yields
to the flesh instead of crucifying it, the fleshly man is also
subject to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy,
guilt, worry, and doubt.

Several years ago I did some research to discover how many
Christians are still the victims of their flesh. I asked the same
question to 50 consecutive Christians who came to me to talk
about problems in their lives: "How many of the following
characteristics describe your life: inferiority, insecurity,
inadequacy, guilt, worry, and doubt:" Every one of the 50
answered, "All six." Here were 50 born-again, righteous children
of God who were so bogged down by the flesh that they struggled
with the same problems of self-doubt which inundate unbelivers
who only live in the flesh.

If I asked you the same question, how would you answer? I imagine
that many of you would admit that some or all of these six traits
describe you. It is evident to me that a staggering number of
believers are still confused about their spiritual identity in
Christ and its implications for their daily lives. We are
struggling with the behavior aspect of our growth because we are
still struggling with the belief aspect of our growth: who we are
in Christ.

Father, help me live above my fleshly desires today by exercising
my spiritual inheritance at every temptation.


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