John 6:63 (Amplified) says, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the life giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it) the words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life."
Even the words that Jesus was speaking are Spirit and must be spiritually discerned. When men approach a spiritual word with carnal minds, they cannot understand the truth that's in it. This is why we, the Church, have had so much division and strife over the Word of God. Some read the Word with their intellect (the wisdom of man) while others read the Word by the Spirit (the wisdom of God). One group ends up in bondage over women cutting their hair, eating certain foods, dressing in certain ways, worshiping on certain days and even having music in the church. The ones who read the Word by the Spirit are free from bondage and walk in liberty with Christ.
Acts 2:12-13 (Amplified) says, "And all were beside themselves with amazement and were puzzled and bewildered, saying one to another, What can this mean?" Verse 13 goes on, "But others made a joke of it and derisively said, They are simply drunk and full of sweet (intoxicating) wine." These are men looking upon spiritual things with their natural minds.
Peter, who was always asking Jesus things from a natural mind and even denied ever knowing Jesus three times, then, by the Holy Spirit, stood and spoke in Acts 2:14-17 (Amplified) which says, "But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them; You Jews and all your residents of Jerusalem, let this be (explained) to you so that you will know and understand; listen closely to what I have to say For these men are not drunk, as you imagine, for it is (only) the third hour (about 9:00 a.m.) of the day." Verses 16-17 say, "But (instead) this is (the beginning of) what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy (telling forth the divine counsels) and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances) and your old men shall dream (divinely suggested) dreams."
One group received the word from the carnal mind and thought it was a joke. The other group (by the Holy Spirit) had full understanding of what was going on. Without the Holy Spirit to teaching the spiritual word, it makes no sense to man. Romans 8:6-8 (Amplified) says, "Now the mind of the flesh (which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit) is death (death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter) but the min of the (Holy) Spirit is life and (soul) peace (both now and forever)." Verses 7-8 says, "(That is) because the mind of the flesh (with its carnal thoughts and purposes) is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life other flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal natures) cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him."
These "impulses and the carnal nature," does not necessarily mean sin and depravity, but simply mean men who won't allow the Holy Spirit to discern the truth (Spirit) of the Word of God. These men read the Word in the nature of man, like those who did so when the Holy Spirit was first poured out from heaven in Acts 2.
We read in 1Corinthians 2:13-14 (Amplified), "But the natural man, non spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things (he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions and discerns all things) yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one (he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get insight into him)."
Remember when Paul was speaking to the Church at Rome in Romans 10:2-3 (Amplified) concerning the Jews under the Law saying, "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge." Verse 3 goes on, "For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed) and seeking to establish a righteousness ( a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness."
Many who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior today, haven't yet ascribed to God's righteousness and have set about to establish what they perceive as righteousness. By not allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal God's righteousness through faith in Jesus, we have decided that righteousness is in the way we dress or the things we do that make us righteous. The Holy Spirit teaches a spiritual truth through the Word, and declares that God made us righteous with Jesus' Own righteousness and that it was a gift by grace from our Father. He teaches us that righteousness comes by grace and not because of works. This is the word of truth that the Holy Spirit teaches.
There is nothing wrong with dressing in a certain fashion or choosing not to eat certain foods or behaving in a certain way, but we don't do these things to be righteous. We become righteous by grace and are made righteous with Jesus' Own righteousness. It's not what we do, but why we do it. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (What we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
This is the truth the Holy Spirit will reveal to us if we will listen. This doesn't seem like enough to the carnal mind and it says we must do things on our own to become righteous. This translates into a word we don't like to hear which is self righteousness. This is the carnal mind being in enmity against the truth of the Word and against God, even from those who love God and have a zeal for Him. Only the Holy Spirit can speak the Spirit of the Word into the spirit of a man and override the carnal mind and bring peace to his heart. We can rest in our works and trust Him for our right standing with Him.
Do all the right things, for the right reason and rest in Him that Jesus is more than enough to get you home.
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