I am doing a series of messages called BlackOut - Understanding The End Of The Age and this is Part 3. It’s important to listen to the whole series so if you have not listened to or read Part 1 and 2 then I encourage you to do that before you start Part 3. I’m calling this series of messages BlackOut and basing it on a scripture in Isaiah chapter 60 verse 2 which says: “Behold, darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you”.
The scripture describes a darkness over the earth and a thick darkness upon its inhabitants. However, in the midst of great darkness we have the promise that the glory of God will be seen upon us.
What I am hoping to do through this series of messages is to help give you a framework for understanding our times in light of the word of God. It’s a view that has helped me navigate some complex topics throughout the years up to the present. It’s what compels me to do this series of messages because this series of messages titled “Blackout” is about deception. Deception has become so widespread that it affects all of us today.
In a world of confusion, distortion of facts, extremism and outright falsehood the church is supposed to be a place of sound truth. Paul in I Timothy chapter 3 verse 15 called the church “a pillar and foundation of the truth”. I hope these messages will help you give a clear focus on how to walk in these times and grow closer to God.
The American McGospel has produced and promoted a culture of celebrity, prosperity and self-centeredness. Instead of a focus on turning away from our self sufficiency and turning to the humility of the cross so much of what is popular preaching focuses on reforming the old man. I long to see the glory of God rest upon his body and I know I’m not alone in that longing. The scripture I read to you out of Isaiah is a promise that the glory of God is going to rest upon the church, but it's only going to rest upon humility, transparency and those who willingly lay down their lives for the king of Glory.
The first sin was pride and the root of deception is pride. It’s simply putting self first where man becomes his own god and everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Pride blinds you to the truth and darkens your understanding. I’m not here trying to give you some new revelation, but I do hope to turn you back to our ancient faith. It’s the faith of the patriarchs, prophets and apostolic writers. So many have become untethered from Christ and are drifting aimlessly crashing against the shores of deception, confusion and destructive heresies.
Jesus and his apostles didn’t preach a message about changing the old man, but they preached the cross. The means of salvation is sacrificial and it's always been that way because our ancient faith originated out of the soil of sacrifice. No we can’t work our way to God, but he does call us to be completely identified with him in a covenant relationship. Jesus said except a seed goes into the ground and dies it abides alone. The message of the gospel which Jesus and his apostles taught was that the pathway to life can only be entered through the doorway of sacrificial death.
The original man and woman were deceived and they sinned. Instead of being open and transparent they immediately tried to cover their sin and then hid from God. Pride is the root cause of all sin. C.S. Lewis called it ‘the great sin’.
Today I am talking about self deception and when we partake of sin then we begin to deceive ourselves. Sin takes us on a journey away from the cruciform life of walking with God and into darkness which Paul called “living in the flesh”. Paul said that sin slays us, it corrupts us, it darkens us and it deceives us.
We have three main enemies in regards to spiritual warfare and the struggles we face walking out our journey of faith in this body. Satan, the world and the flesh. Satan and the world can be termed enemies from without, who come against us through the avenue of persecution, deception, temptation and all types of assaults. It’s what most people focus upon in regards to spiritual warfare. It’s always the devil who made us do it.
Too many in the church focus on some principality that they have uncovered deceiving the church like the Jezebel spirit or the Leviathan spirit.
The Bible doesn’t mention either of those spirits or the multitude of other spirits the spiritual warfare gurus have discovered. Taking verses out of the Bible and making a spiritual warfare doctrine out of it doesn’t make it true. The Bible does not teach many of the popular spiritual warfare techniques. Remember Satan quoted scripture, but it was always used out of context. We can’t cherry pick from the Bible and make them fit our ideas or as some proclaim the ideas taught to them by angels.
Yes, I believe in angels and that they are presently active in the affairs of man, but I can’t find a scripture in the New Testament that says angels teach us? I can show where it seems that angels come to understand the gospel through the church. Paul said in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10: “that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Peter says something similar in his first epistle chapter 1 verse 12 when talking about when the Hebrew prophets who when moved by the Spirit prophesied of the coming Messiah. “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” Angels do not teach us, but they learn from us according to these two texts.
Paul warned us in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14 that: “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” He also said in Galatians chapter 1 verse 7 thru 8 that: “there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
The Bible is meant to be taken in context as Peter said, “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” We can’t cherry pick the Bible trying to come up with some new fancy mystery no one has seen before so we can wow our audience. It sells and makes money in today’s spiritual marketplace, but taking the word of God out of context leads down roads of darkness, error and deception.
Paul showed us that the main problem is not Satan or the world, but the flesh and it’s where the rubber meets the road. The flesh could be termed the enemy within and if we allow it to dominate our lives it causes spiritual decay. It brings death, deterioration and like an animal rotting on the side of the road it can make our lives pretty stink. Paul in Romans chapter 8 verse 5 says “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.” Vs 6 says, “the mind on the flesh is death.” Vs 7 says, “for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.” Vs 8 says, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” The cruciform way of life is the only pathway of dealing with the flesh, but we have to first get an understanding of what is the flesh from a Biblical perspective?
As we look at the Bible, we will soon discover that many times in scripture the word flesh is not necessarily referring to our physical body. You have to look at the context in which the word is being used to determine if it is referring merely to our human body as in II Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, outward ordinances of the Mosaic Law as in Galatians chapter 3 verse 3 or man living independent of the redeeming work of Christ as in Romans chapter 8 verse 8.
The Gnostics were a heretical group during the first century, which taught a false concept concerning the makeup of man and the material world.
John in his gospel and epistle confronted the false doctrine that the material world is evil. Gnosticism had many variations, but it basically taught that anything that was material or of this physical world was evil, yet everything of the spirit was good, therefore Jesus could not have come in a human body. It’s why John said in I John chapter 4 verse 2 “that by this you know the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”
The practical result of the Gnostic doctrine in the early church and today is that people teach that your physical body is evil. The result leads you to either give in to the unrestrained cravings of our unredeemed bodies since we are powerless to overcome, or live as an ascetic monk brutalizing the body and bringing it into subjection through self-effort since to enjoy the material world is evil.
I want us to take a holistic approach which recognizes that although this age has been corrupted by sin and is under satanic control, we are not to live lives detached from creation.
Jesus came to redeem not just mankind, but eventually even the created order itself according to Romans chapter 8 verse 19 thru 21. We are to live in this world, which means we can enjoy ourselves without being subject to idolizing its pleasures, adulterating power and corruptive practices.
Jesus himself as the pattern Son gave us an example to follow. Spirituality is not detaching ourselves from life's experiences or withdrawing from our communities. We don’t have to be spiritual isolationists like Monks or the Amish who withdraw into their own communities having no contact with the corrupt outside world. We are to affirm creation by finding a sense of holiness in the here and now without having divisions between the sacred and secular in our lives. I want you to think of Daniel who lived a holy life in the midst of Babylon. We can live lives dedicated to God in an evil age, shining as lights in a dark world, but as I will show you; we can’t do it through our own ability.
The makeup of man is debated in modern Psychology, but it really is an ancient debate.
In Hebraic thought, the soul refers to the whole person or individual as a living being. I Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23 teaches that man is a triune being made up of spirit-soul-body. Looking at the tri-unity of man helps us to understand that we are a spiritual being that lives in a physical body. Paul called our body a temple or a clay jar that houses our true self made in the image of God.
The whole purpose of the coming of Christ was to bring redemption to man and creation, which have both been marred by sin. What I want to address now is how sin or the flesh affects our walk and fellowship with God. We need to fully understand this area so that we can learn how to cooperate with the Spirit's work, restoring us through the work of the cross and living lives free from self deception.
William Barclay, who is a recognized Greek scholar, wrote a book called ‘Flesh and Spirit’. In a section called ‘The Enemy In The Soul’, he examines the way Paul uses the Greek word sarx which is translated flesh. Paul views the sarx as the enemy in the battle for the soul. Barclay gives several uses of the Greek word sarx. The flesh is the great enemy of the life of the Spirit. Paul defined this battle in Galatians chapter 5 verse 17 saying: “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” He then goes on to describe the works of the flesh as a result of living lives independent of Christ.
If we take this as a general statement, then it is exactly here that we see the difference between body and flesh.
The body can become the instrument of the service and glory of God — the flesh cannot. The body can be purified and even glorified, the flesh must be eliminated and eradicated. It is with the flesh that a man serves the law of sin described in Romans chapter 7 verse 25. The flesh cannot please God as said in Romans chapter 8 verse 8. Worse than that, the flesh Paul says in verse 7 is essentially hostile to God.
The flesh is simply man living independent of God. It is the pride of man deceiving himself into thinking that he is his own god and doing whatever is right in his own eyes.
The Phillips Translation calls the flesh the unspiritual nature. The Weust translation calls the flesh the sinful nature. I like the way the Weymouth translation explains the word flesh. He refers to the flesh as the 'lower nature' when referring to living independent of Christ.
Romans chapter 6 verse 12 talks about sin reining in our body. Our bodies are unredeemed, subject to corruption and temporary. Our bodies are not sinful or evil because they are of this material creation. However, if we fail to reckon ourselves ‘crucified with Christ’, then our bodies can become the vehicle by which the lower nature dominates us. If we allow this to happen then the works of the flesh as Paul defined in Galatians chapter 5 can have a detrimental effect upon our lives. As a result of our sin, self-deception begins to corrupt us, it darkens us and it deceives us.
The struggle of the life of faith in this age is learning to allow the Spirit of the risen Christ to truly abide in us.
We have to daily make this choice to walk in the works of the flesh or yield to the Spirit. Abiding in Christ is a daily choice of humbly submitting to the cruciform life of faith. It is only from this place of humility that we can produce the fruit of the Spirit living in the power and wisdom of the cross. It’s learning to live in the light of the age to come.
The problem is that we live in cracked clay jars. However, it's in understanding our frailty that helps us to be humble. Humility of heart bows down in worship recognizing we can’t live this life alone. Jesus as the pattern Son showed us the way. Philippians chapter 2 verses 7 thru 8 says Christ: “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane prayed the prayer that we must daily pray. It is daily and even moment by moment being humble like Christ praying that we would walk in the will of the Father for our lives and not our own. Paul understood his frailty and we must understand ours. We don’t focus on them, we focus on the power of the cross which fills us with Christ wisdom and power. Paul told the Corinthians that “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”.
Paul understood his utter dependence on the Spirit to come alongside and help him during his journey.
He knew that just as Jesus needed the power of the Spirit to fulfill his purpose, so do we. Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 5 thru 6 shows he was just like you and me. He was not some demi-god, but a man who knew apart from Christ he was completely lacking. He said, “not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”.
Let me make this clear to you. If you are born of the Spirit then you are a minister!
Paul was not referring to some ministerial clergy class set above the people. The ‘holy man myth’ is just that it’s a myth. The New Testament does not have a two tiered system of super saint ministers, some mystical prophet set over you or a priestly class and those who serve this clergy class called the laity. It’s absent from the New Testament. I’m going to deal with that issue later, which is an extremely unhealthy level of idolatry that exists in far too much of the American church.
Let me show you a couple of Greek words that really helped me to understand my condition. I knew I had been born of the Spirit of God, yet I still struggled with the flesh and sin was tripping me up as I walked my journey of faith.
We are never going to live in sinless perfection, but we can learn to live free from the flesh dominating our lives.
James chapter 1 verse 14 talks about us being ‘lured and enticed by our own lust’ or as other translations say our own desire. It’s not a Jezebel spirit that’s the problem, it's your heart. You bow to the idols when the music plays because you make that choice. The Greek word for lust here is epithumia. It’s important to take a look at this word because this word helps us to understand the need for healing and restoring our souls so that we don’t bow to the flesh.
Epithumia is translated lust. Let me show you how this word is used by the apostolic writers. John in his first epistle chapter 2 verse 15 thru 17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Some have defined this as the deadly sins of pride, sexual immorality and the love of money.
The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life are not necessarily always depraved and immoral. The religious legalist takes many different forms and may display refined character, but their deeds nonetheless are inconsistent with the love of the Father. Jesus called the Pharisees who appeared righteous before men sons of the devil. It’s what Paul called the false gospel of legalism in the book of Galatians.
Paul used this word epithumia throughout his epistles. We see the usage of this word in Galatians chapter 5 verse 16 where he tells us to, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
He then clearly defines the works of the flesh in verses 20 through 21. He says if you are doing these things then you are living in the flesh and not living by the Spirit. “The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” In the Foundation Publications School of Discipleship: Lesson 10 Part 2 ‘A Lifestyle of Repentance’ I clearly define each of the works of the flesh. I encourage you to take a look at that if you want some clarification and more detailed definition on the works of the flesh.
Peter in his first epistle chapter 1 verses 13 thru 15 tells us to be “sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” He then compares us to the temple of God built on the foundation of Christ and every member being a priest before God having a responsibility to live lives dedicated to the cruciform life of sacrifice.
In verses 9 thru 12 of chapter 2 he says we are: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
The word passions in both of these texts is the Greek word Epithumia and it actually says they wage war against your soul. It’s this daily battle that we face. If we do not engage in this daily battle by obeying Jesus' command to live the cruciform life of faith and just go with the flow of our passions then we begin to walk in self deception.
John, Paul, Peter and Jude all used this Greek word epithumia. Epithumia is translated lusts and passions of the flesh being defined as the active and individual desire resulting in pathos. Now the word Pathos is a Greek word meaning the diseased condition of the soul out of which lust springs. Paul in clarifying sexual purity to the Thessalonians used these two words together. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 3 thru 5 he says, “this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion (pathos) of lust (epithumia) like the Gentiles who do not know God.”
It’s why Paul could say all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God because apart from God none are righteous. It’s an impossible task for the unbeliever to live a holy life. It’s only possible for the child of God who learns to yield his or her life to the ability of the Spirit to live lives dedicated to holiness.
Let me say that again because I find it amazing that so many Christians sit around judging unbelievers. It’s an impossible task for the unbeliever to live a holy life.
Yes they live in the passion of lust because they do not know God. It’s what sinners do, they sin, stop being surprised by it! However, for the believer Paul was very clear about the will of God concerning our sanctification. It’s only possible for the child of God who learns to yield his or her life to the ability of the Spirit and dedicated to the cross that’s going to be able to live a sanctified life.
You see, we all have areas in our soulish realm that have been damaged by our individual sin and the sin inflicted upon us by others. If these areas go without being healed and restored, then when the right circumstances arise we will be led away by them and taken captive. Take for instance a young girl or boy who may have been damaged in their souls through the molestation of a relative or stranger. When that child reaches puberty and the right circumstances arise, that child will have a much stronger bent towards sexual sin, because of the diseased condition within the soul.
A person who was raised in a home with arguing and yelling is going to have a stronger bent towards outbursts of anger. It is statistically proven that those who grow up in the home of an alcoholic will have a higher likelihood of also becoming one. Not every person will have the same damage or disease within their souls however, every soul born into Adam's race has been affected. None of us has escaped the effects of sin. Let me say this for those in the back of the room. You don’t have an addiction problem and you probably don’t have a demon problem. You have a sin problem. The works of the flesh are destroying your life because of the diseased condition of your soul therefore you can’t control yourself.
The devil isn’t making you do it. Demons can get involved with your lifestyle of fleshly living because they feed on the dust of your flesh, but you are willingly doing it and the only way to break the power of sin is through death.
It’s the answer Paul gave us in Galatians chapter 2 verses 20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The journey of faith is learning to live a life in union with God. It’s not a one-time process or a transaction like going to the car dealership to buy a new car or going to the front of some church and saying a prayer or taking communion. Faith and our salvation is a walk, it’s a process and a lifetime commitment of learning how to grow into who we have become in Christ.
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