David Miller wrote: >> "There is none righteous, no not one" refers to >> sinful actions, not to a sinful nature residing in >> the flesh. The passage does not include the man >> Jesus, but this does not settle the question of whether >> or not his flesh was like ours in the affections and >> appetites that drives a person toward sinful >> behavior.
Judy wrote: > Where do you find this definition in scripture David? > It all has to do with the heart condition rather than biology. There are many passages in Scripture which point to the principle of sin being found biologically in the flesh. The first time I saw it was when studying Romans chapters 6, 7, & 8. The following passage summarizes how the flesh (the physical, biological body which we inhabit) serves the law of sin. Romans 7:22-25 (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. When we study the biological basis for animals behavior, it becomes clear that behavior is selected for which is primarily selfish. There are many concepts in Scripture which help us see that selfishness is sinful. Therefore, biology confirms what the Scriptures taught long ago. Judy wrote: > The acts of the body are motivated by the spirit > or nature - the body does whatever it is told. Not always true, Judy. This is what defines a spiritual man from a carnal man. When the flesh is reckoned dead, as it is in the spiritual man, then you are correct, that the body does whatever the spirit tells it to do. However, in the carnal man, the appetites of the flesh more forcefully determine the actions of the man. For example, if a man is hungry, he will follow that impulse to feed the body. The spiritual man does not respond solely because the body is hungry. The spiritual man feeds himself when the timing is appropriate. Hence, even Jesus speaks of not being hungry when he was with the woman at the well, though we know that his body would have desired food. In like man, some are directed by their sexual drive toward behavior which is ungodly. The spiritual man keeps the drive in its proper place, which is the marriage relationship. There are many other appetites of the flesh that can cause a person not to walk in righteousness. He may fear physical pain or discomfort and therefore not be open to preaching and teaching what the Holy Spirit would have him say. A man may be tired and sleepy like the apostles were in the garden of Gethsemane, when they need to press through in prayer. There are many ways in which the body motivates the person to do things that the spirit does not care about. Hence is fulfilled the following saying: Galatians 5:17 (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Judy wrote: > When James and John were calling down fire on the > Samaritans Jesus told them "You don't know what > spirit you are of" showing that their mouths were not > motivated by fleshly affections and appetites. I'm not so sure about your analysis here, but even if that were the case, such does not mean that all sins are sins of the spirit. There are sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit. The motivation for these may be quite different. The motivation for Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus was not the flesh. It was a spiritual deception. Judy wrote: > Jesus came to this planet in the fullness of the Holy > Spirit. Temptation is not sin. I agree that temptation is not sin. Nevertheless, the temptations of men generally arise from the temptations of the flesh. Jesus experienced this kind of temptation of the flesh. Therefore, he experienced the pull of the sin nature which resides in our flesh. He was victorious and never sinned, but he experienced this defective nature of our flesh. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
