The flesh stinks!
There are not many of us who like unpleasant smells, bad body odor is not appealing but dead things are the worst, like “Dead Works”.
Did you know that according to God’s word the works of the flesh performed outside of faith is like “Filthy Rags” in God’s sight, they stink!
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” John 11:39 NLT.
The above scripture is what I have based this blog upon, it is the awesome account of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead.
He had been dead for four days in a sealed Tomb so you can understand Martha’s concern about bad the smell would be.
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” John 11:43 NLT.
The rotted stinking flesh was restored to the way it was before his death.
His spirit returned from Paradise giving life to his body. The body without the spirit is dead.
The Book of James confirms this; for just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:26 NASB.
In Romans chapter 7 Paul the Apostle reveals his personal warfare against his flesh, saying; for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Romans 7:18 NLT.
So Paul agrees, the flesh does stink because nothing good dwells in it! When we read all of Romans 7, it reveals the “Warfare” every believer faces, the New Nature through the Holy Spirit wars against the flesh, the *corruptible body that was not changed at conversion but will be in the future.
Paul is so troubled by what he experiences through the flesh, that is, doing the very thing he hates. This is a paradox, because he says he is not doing it, the flesh is! He then explains that in his “New Man”, the “Inner Man” he loves God’s Law. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man. Romans 7:22 NASB.
This conflict between his flesh and (His saved) spirit causes him to cry out that he is a rotten man and asks who can deliver him from his body of death (Paraphrased).
His answer is found in Romans 8, those who have faith in the Lord Jesus will never be condemned! So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus Romans 8:1 NLT.
All Christians, like Paul are in a struggle against sin which God hates and says; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1-Peter 1:16 NASB.
The good news is that when you first believed you were “Sealed” by the Holy Spirit, and despite your sinful corruptible flesh, you are Holy, your body being the Temple of God. As we are Holy in our inner man we are to “Work out” what God has worked in, that is to do the “Good Works” he has ordained.
I must note that in all Paul’s struggle with sin, none of it was “Willful”, that being the case he received “Grace upon Grace” and the Lord helped him keep his body under subjection. Willful sinning brings God’s faithful correction upon his children, it is a sign that proves his love for us!
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Hebrews 12:8 NLT.
As Christians we are Light and Salt to the world but to some we stink and smell like death but to others we smell like the sweet aroma of Christ.
Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 2-Corinthians 2:15 NASB.
To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? 2-Corinthians 2:16 NLT.
Devotion to Jesus should be the Christian’s goal. Jesus told us to ask our Father for more of his Holy Spirit, He is the key to the power to live the Christian life. I believe obedience to God’s word brings the infilling of the Holy Spirit and through him you will be yoked to Jesus, things become easy as he is pulling the load!
*The Born Again believer no longer has an “Old Nature” as some have taught, that old nature was their dead spirit, when saved it is replaced by God with new nature and is a “New Creation, the old has passed away. This new nature cannot sin, loves God and his word and is joined to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, thus “One” with him as Jesus did pray at the Last Supper. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as we are. John 17: 11 NASB Paul the Apostle in Romans 7 explains his personal experience with this warfare going on in his body, he finds that even though he loves God and his Law in his saved spirit (Heart) he still sins but not willingly! His comfort comes from the knowledge that he never will be condemned by God-Romans 8: 1 NASB.
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 NASB.
Author Ken
October 2012