"The Natural Man"

[Vinter]

Aussie Pete's post from another thread made me think about alot of things. I hope Aussie Pete does not mind I use his post in this thread.

Satan will do his best to distract and discourage you. He won't trouble people who have no interest in spiritual things. We also have an inner self, no longer the real us, that opposes the spirit. It is called "the natural man" and it that which we deny daily. Taking up the cross means putting the old memories and habits of self to death, so that we might live in the new life that Jesus gives us. The real "you" loves God, loves Jesus, loves His word and loves the brethren. Satan appeals to the natural. An example is Peter when Jesus stated that He would go to Jerusalem to be killed. Lord Jesus rebuked Peter for thinking like a man instead of being led by the Spirit of God. Lord Jesus also saw Satan's influence in what Peter was thinking.

It is a wonderful thing to be a failure, by the way. God only uses failures. Those who never fail (at least in their own eyes) are useless because they depend on themselves. Everyone fails. Those who accept that can be useful to God. Others remain too self assured and self motivated. God's ways are still higher than ours. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that! And failure is one way that God lets us know that He has not finished with us yet.

This thread made me realize a few things about myself, as I can identify with alot of it, too much of it, I would say.

"the natural man" despite being called "natural" I find this side of me to be unnatural and offensive and it keeps me from being who I think I should be. I collects comics, that in itself I guess is quite harmless, but when I spend nearly every penny I have available on it, it becomes an issue. I have stopped this, and now I want to bury this side of me. But I keep hanging on to this or that comic for sentimental value. I think this keeps me from getting close to God, as I have conformed to patters of this world.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do I get out of this hole I dug myself into?

 

[Aussie Pete]

Aussie Pete's post from another thread made me think about alot of things. I hope Aussie Pete does not mind I use his post in this thread.



This thread made me realize a few things about myself, as I can identify with alot of it, too much of it, I would say.

"the natural man" despite being called "natural" I find this side of me to be unnatural and offensive and it keeps me from being who I think I should be. I collects comics, that in itself I guess is quite harmless, but when I spend nearly every penny I have available on it, it becomes an issue. I have stopped this, and now I want to bury this side of me. But I keep hanging on to this or that comic for sentimental value. I think this keeps me from getting close to God, as I have conformed to patters of this world.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do I get out of this hole I dug myself into?

When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. I find it hard to distill 50 years of experience into a few words, but here goes.

Beware of false guilt. In everything we need to examine how much control something has over us. I quit table tennis because it was taking me over. I was not very good but I was determined to change that - at the expense of my spiritual life.

I gave up playing guitar for a similar reason. I stopped for years until a need arose. I started again, but I am no longer obsessed with it. God blessed me with a magnificent guitar which I play for meetings. If I had to give it away, it would not be a problem.

You need to know if God sees that your hobby is harmful or not. It may be OK to sell your collection. My advice would be to get rid of all your comics and ask God to show you a healthier pursuit. God knows that we need a balanced life.

You need to update your definition of "natural". It is the realm of the soul, the life that Adam received from God in the beginning. God gave Adam a spirit but it was empty. Adam was supposed to eat from the tree of life and so be filled with the life of God. The tree of knowledge was both good and evil. It's easy to recognise the "evil" side of us. It's harder to detect the "good". They are both useless in God's sight. We need to learn how to walk in the Spirit. People like me who are intellectuals find it difficult to get past logic and reason. Logic and reason can be helpful, but not when they take the place of the Holy Spirit within us.

God is loving, gracious, merciful and patient. He will lead you out of what is unedifying and into something that will be a greater blessing. All we have to do is ask. Sometimes we need to be persistent.

Above all, remember that it is God's business to save you. While you try to save yourself (burying that side of you) you miss out on God's best for you. He will take away even the desire for something that displeases Him. I used to read fiction constantly. One day, I just lost interest completely. That is God's way. When the Son sets you free it is real freedom!

 

[Vinter]

Thank you Aussie Pete. Your post means alot to me.

"God is loving, gracious, merciful and patient. He will lead you out of what is unedifying and into something that will be a greater blessing. All we have to do is ask. Sometimes we need to be persistent.

Above all, remember that it is God's business to save you. While you try to save yourself (burying that side of you) you miss out on God's best for you. He will take away even the desire for something that displeases Him. I used to read fiction constantly. One day, I just lost interest completely. That is God's way. When the Son sets you free it is real freedom!"

Your entire post is important to me.
This part gives me comfort as I was beginning to obsess about how I could change to speed up the process and how to please God the most.

Proverbs 16:3 is one of my favorites.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.

I will put it in God hands.

Again thank you for your post.

 

[Vinter]

BTW. Could you explain this.

You wrote this.
"We also have an inner self, no longer the real us, that opposes the spirit. It is called "the natural man" and it that which we deny daily."

I wrote this.
"the natural man" despite being called "natural" I find this side of me to be unnatural and offensive and it keeps me from being who I think I should be. "

Then you wrote this
"You need to update your definition of "natural". It is the realm of the soul, the life that Adam received from God in the beginning. God gave Adam a spirit but it was empty. Adam was supposed to eat from the tree of life and so be filled with the life of God. The tree of knowledge was both good and evil. It's easy to recognise the "evil" side of us. It's harder to detect the "good". They are both useless in God's sight. We need to learn how to walk in the Spirit. "

Don't we essentially agree on this?
You write we deny "the natural man" daily as it opposes the spirit"

I write that the "natural man" is unnatural and offensive.

I write this because because it does hinder my spirituality, it's hard for me to deny this side of me. For example I stopped wathcing porn, okay so I deny "the natural man" that's good. I actually talked abou this with another fellow forum member, and I do get images of the porn I used to watch in my mind, that's harder to deny. Then ofcourse there are the comics, I probably read a comic where I should have read the bible.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Even though God cannot be mocked, I don't think what I sow, is worth reaping, in the examples I mentioned.