- Aug 25, 2018
- 2,446
- 651
- 67
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Chaleb, you can blame it all on me if that makes you feel better, but we are discussing what Paul actually taught, not what you wished he had taught.
Address what the Apostle Paul actually taught instead of shooting the messenger.
If you object to the Apostle Paul's teaching, then you have to determine whether you actually believe in God and His Word.
The Apostle Paul makes clear in his Epistles that we are obligated to live, walk, and sow to the Spirit to receive Life from the Spirit. The Spirit will lead us, but we have to be willing to be led, and to live and walk by the Spirit, because many Christians do quench and grieve the Spirit by their disobedience.
Romans 8:12-13 (WEB) 12 So then, {{{brothers and sisters}}}, {{{we}}} have an obligation, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit {{{you}}} put to death the deeds of the body, {{{you}}} will live.
Therefore, if you object to Paul's teaching, then you have to consider that perhaps you object to Paul being an Apostle of Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:24-25 (WEB) 24 Those who {{{belong to Christ}}} have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 {{{If we}}} live by the Spirit, {{{let us}}} also keep in step with the Spirit.
Therefore, as Paul continues to teach us, the Christian fulfills the whole law by walking in the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4 (WEB) 3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
And so, Paul continues to teach us that the way of the Spirit is a {{{sanctified life}}}. Those Christians who reject this life of sanctification that Paul instructs are rejecting God.
2 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (WEB) 3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that {{{you}}} abstain from sexual immorality, 4 that {{{each one of you}}} know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God, 6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned {{{you}}} and testified. 7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also {{{given his Holy Spirit to you}}}.
And so, Paul admonishes and warns believers to continue walking in the Spirit {{{without giving up}}} so that the indwelling Spirit will give him Eternal Life.
Galatians 6:7-9 (WEB) 7 Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will {{{from the Spirit}}} reap eternal life. 9 {{{Let us}}} not be weary in doing good, for {{{we}}} will reap in due season, if {{{we}}} do not give up.
Therefore, as Paul teaches us, a Christian can no longer live in sin, but rather, they are now slaves of righteousness, and the result of this sanctified life is Eternal Life.
Romans 6:1-22 (WEB)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection
6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! 16 Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 Being made free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. 20 For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your {{{fruit of sanctification}}} and the result of eternal life.
Upvote
0