Flesh vs. Spirit Part I

It is amazing to me how deeper the word can become even after reading the same scriptures over and over.  The more you want to know God the more He reveals to you. While listening to Bro Trayler preach tonight (June 26, 2016) about blood sprinkling (scriptures taken from Heb 11:1, Heb 12, Gen 3:21, and Gen 4:1) God began to point out things to me.  I have read all of these scriptures before, but questions popped in my head as these scriptures jumped right out of the pages.

Anyone who has been in Sunday School more than likely has heard the story of how Cain killed Abel and yet Abel still seems to win as even his blood calls out to God telling on his brother.  However, as these verses were being read it dawns on me that Cain is the first born and Abel is the second born.  What is it about the first born that God seems to dislike and therefore chooses the second born to bless?  Does this sound familiar?  Of course it does, there are several other stories where the second son seems to be the favored or the blessed son by God which goes against the nature of the earthly father.  What could this possibly mean? What is the Lord showing me?  Many of these questions popped in my head.  I began to think about the many stories of this occurrence such as Cain and Abel, Joseph and his older brothers, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, and even the very first Adam created in the image of God, but we know that it was this first man Adam that brought sin into the world and the second man Adam (Jesus) who knew no sin.  I thought, "OK, I see the connections between these men and the message he himself taught in the new testament when Nicodemus came to him by night."

Jesus and Nicodemus
(KJV) John 3:1-8
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Excapt a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

These men are examples of the age old war that we fight daily in ourselves which is the flesh warring against the spirit.  Each one of us is born with the fleshly nature of Adam in us.  We know this from Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Meaning we are all born sinners after the carnal nature of man.  When Adam sinned against God his nature changed that moment and became corrupted and with that cursed with death.  So, through Adam it was passed on to his children even unto this day. Scriptures also tells us that the wages of sin is death. Is that it are we all doomed for the final judgement? NO!  You see just as in all mentioned stories God has shown us that it is through the second man that we are going to be redeemed.  There is a way out! The second Adam was born fully knowing and understanding the will of God in that to redeem sins there has to be the ultimate blood sacrifice made for the sins of the world.

We are all born into the flesh of the first man and as Jesus stated we must all be born again of the water and of the Spirit in order to become joint heirs as the sons of God.  This is accomplished by acknowledging our sinful nature and surrendering our lives to God.  The old sinful nature must die and be buried in a watery grave through baptism in Jesus Name such as the apostles begin doing in Acts 2:38.  By doing this 2 Corinthians 5:17 states "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  You see even though sin entered by one man, through the obedience of the second man many will be made a new creature.  In Colossians 3:9 ends stating, "since you have put off the old man with his deeds," 10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.  Seems that order has been put back in place as in the beginning in Genesis 1:26 When God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." By Adam we were given a death sentence but by Jesus life has been restored as long as he lives in us.  Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Oh What A Saviour, oh that he would love us so to lay down his life for ALL.
I believe this scripture is good for closing these thoughts for now; Romans 5:21
So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  
Simply put into a song written by the late Bro McGruder, "I just started living.  God gave me a brand new life." I only survived the early years of my life in a world full of darkness that I had no idea how to escape.  My God was leading me even when I had no idea he was there.  It wasn't until my later years looking back that I could see every where his might strong hands had been in my life.  He is the reason why I live a new life today.  I am very grateful and wonderfully blessed.

God Bless.

The next study: Birth of the Church

https://sylviasjournalandthouhts.blogspot.com/2024/03/birth-of-church-age-spiritual-birth-of.html