Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

DELIVERING THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH

This entry was posted on 05-05-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24 NKJV).

If you are "in Christ," a Christian, one who belongs to Christ, you can deliver the knockout punch against the works of the flesh. This began with our repentance from sin and baptism into Christ. "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (Rom. 6:6 ESV). It continues by living by faith. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20 NKJV). Paul also said, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal. 6:14 NKJV).

The problem is, the flesh likes to practice "Easter". It wants to rise again. That's why Paul said, "I die daily." Daily we must crucify the flesh with all that it loves and lusts and longs for. We must be relentless and we must be ruthless. "Those who are Christ's" will do this. Those who are half-hearted will not. "So, put to death [i.e., stop practicing] the desires of your physical bodies [such as] sexual immorality, [moral] impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is [in reality] idolatry" (Col. 3:5 The N.T. An Understandable Version).

Prayer: Holy Father, grant to us the desire to win this fight with the flesh. Empower us by Your Spirit to stay in this fight until the victory is won. Through Christ we pray.