Under this new creation, there are certain principles that our flesh has no knowledge of, where the only way to actually work in this new realm, is to completely put the carnal mind out of the way. This is why it's so very important to have our minds renewed by the Word of God.
2Corinthians 10:3-5 (Amplified) says we are to, "Refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
The carnal mind (the flesh) is always in direct opposition to the true knowledge of God, according to Romans 3:26-27 (Amplified) which says, "It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has (true) faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of (our) boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely) On what principle? (On the principle) of doing good deeds? No, on the principle of faith."
The flesh would say that in order to be righteous, we must do good works. This is the flesh being "puffed up" by its own natural man. The faith in Jesus is the righteousness that God has ascribed and He accepts. The flesh wishes to lift itself in false humility and declare its own truth of unworthiness and unrighteousness. The true knowledge of God submits itself to God's righteousness, by declaring, "Let God be true, and every man a liar."
Many believe that when a person declares himself righteous or in right standing with God, that person is boasting, even though this is truth in the true knowledge of God. The carnal mind runs directly in opposition with God's truth. Was Jesus being prideful and boastful, when He said that, "He and the Father are One?" Or, was it pride lifting Him up when Pilate asked, "Are You the Son of God?" and then Jesus answered, "I am."
The carnally minded scribes and Pharisees thought it was pride against God and crucified Jesus for blasphemy, even though Jesus was speaking the truth. When a born-again believer says he is unworthy or not righteous, he is telling God that Jesus wasn't enough to redeem us and we are still not righteous before Him. We are not righteous or worthy in ourselves, by we are no longer in ourselves...we are in Christ Jesus. This isn't something that is to happen, but is something that has already been done in Jesus' Blood.
In order for our new creation man to walk in the truth of God's Word, we must learn to think and act with the Mind of Christ. Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Now we must learn to walk this new life, by its different way of doing things." We've tried walking in the things of God, by our own carnal way of doing things and it's not working the true covenant of God.
The Law of Faith is not some "pie-in-the-sky" teaching, but is the only way to obtain what grace has given us in Jesus. It's not something we work for or that we deserve. It's not something that just come upon when we are good, but it's the way of the Kingdom of God. Romans 5:1-2 (Amplified) tells us, "Therefore, Since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us (grasp the fact that we) have (the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." Verse 2 goes on, "Through Him also we have (our) access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we (firmly and safely) stand. And let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God."
For the new creation man of God, this is the only way to "enjoy His Glory." The old ways of the flesh will not allow us to dare believing such a thing could be true about us. The flesh, the carnal mind will always hold back God's truth from entering into His full grace.
The old man's carnal thinking will always keep you in a place of shame and condemnation by its "unGodly thought." It will always show you what you were and not what you have become through faith in Christ Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "The old things have passed away and Behold, all things have become new." This scripture means exactly what it says. Even the born-again believer who hasn't had his mind renewed to the new creation, will say we're being boastful by saying we're righteous. We're only saying what our Heavenly Father says about us in His new covenant.
We must read God's Word, by the Spirit of Truth, in order to ever know who we truly are now by His grace. Jesus would never have needed to come to earth as the Sinless Lamb of God, if it weren't for grace. Man already had the Law, now we want to confuse grace and place ourselves back under the Law. We have made faith ineffective in our lives. Faith is simply believing God. The flesh wants to hold you back from grace and truth, in order to keep you under its authority. Grace and truth will lift you into God's Glory, if we will only believe God more than we do the flesh.
We can clearly see the direct opposition between the flesh and the truth in Romans 9:2-3 (Amplified). Thus, it says, "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. For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which makes one acceptable to Him in word and 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."
This demonstrate the flesh being in direct opposition to faith in Christ Jesus. We say we believe in Jesus' Sacrifice, but we fail to receive what His Sacrifice has done to restore "right standing with God." We go about, by our own means, trying to be right before God, through religious laws and traditions. These things, though, are not acceptable to God.
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