Flesh

Our first response to the word “flesh” is usually negative. We remember Paul’s list of the works of the flesh (which we want no part of) and his conclusion that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19 (KJV):21). He tells us that flesh and blood (which he refers to as corruption) cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 15:50) and goes on to say that if we walk after the flesh rather than after the Spirit (Romans 8:1,4-5) we shall die, but if, through the Spirit, we mortify the deeds of the body we shall live (Romans 8:13). He readily acknowledges that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18).

We must conclude that the flesh referenced in the above Scriptures is in direct opposition to Spirit and therefore enmity against God. Paul calls this flesh (as opposed to the Spirit) the carnal mind:

Romans 8:7

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

This carnal mind is what man took upon himself in the Garden of Eden with his first thought that he was separated from God and must do something to again be accepted by God (see One with God). This thinking produces the flesh that Paul is referring to, a body that is subject to all the laws of man, not to the law of God (Romans 8:7). This body of sin serves sin (Romans 6:6) and is therefore capable of all manner of evil —or works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).

God Himself, in the form of Jesus, came into this world in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn and destroy this body of sin.

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Hebrews 2:14

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

The devil that Jesus destroyed on the cross is our carnal-mindedness which has the power of death because to be carnally minded [believe that I am separated from God] is death (Romans 8:6).

Yes, Jesus partook of the same flesh and blood that we partook of, the flesh and blood that cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 15:50). He partook of that flesh and blood so that He could take it to the death of the cross.

But there is a positive sense in which the word flesh is used in Scripture. We read that

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is the man Jesus who was spiritually minded, who knew that He was generated out of God (see Declaring His Generation), that He was one with God (John 10:30), that the Father dwelt in Him and did the works (John 14:10), that when we saw Him we were seeing the Father (John 14:9). This Word made flesh is the Word of life that the disciples handled:

1John 1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.

In other words, the true identity of man became visible in the man Jesus, now known as Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ (Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God —(Matthew 16:16)). And it can be made visible in us also as we become aware of our true identity (sons of God, not of flesh and blood humanity).

1John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God.

Galatians 4:6

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Then the Word will have been made flesh in us as it was in Jesus (see The Word Made Flesh). Jesus Christ will have come again (John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.) in my flesh. And anyone who says differently is a deceiver and an antichrist:

1John 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 2John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

It is anti-Christ to believe that Christ does not come in my flesh.

To the extent that we have revelation of our true identity, to that extent is the glory of the Lord revealed in us (Isaiah 40:5; Romans 8:18), the glory that we had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5), the glory by which the Christ is glorified in us (v 10), the glory the Christ gave to us that we may be one with the Father even as Jesus was (v 22). To that extent are we able to see God in our flesh (Job 19:26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God) and this world is also able to see God in our flesh.

For this flesh is not that which reaps corruption (not the flesh that worms can eat), but rather is spiritualized flesh which has sown to the Spirit and which therefore reaps life everlasting:

Galatians 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

This is the flesh referred to by Jesus after He rose from the dead:

Luke 24:39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

This flesh is not floating around in the ether somewhere, but can be seen and handled. It is the original creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life; it is being born from above and entering God’s Kingdom (John 3:3,5 MESSAGE Bible). It is becoming increasingly aware of the body not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2Corinthians 5:1) and less and less aware of the body of sin. It is being increasingly absent from the body and present with the Lord (2Corinthians 5:8). It is looking at the things which are not seen and eternal (2Corinthians 4:18) until they begin to be manifested in the flesh.

Then people will say of us as they did of Jesus:

1John 1:2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

This is what Paul says all creation is longing for —the MANIFESTATION of the sons of God.

Romans 8:18-19,21  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. … Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

This is what the world wants to see and also experience —deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. And that is accomplished when God is being manifested in our flesh so that they can see and handle the Word of life. It happens when I walk as Jesus walked (1John 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.), doing the works that He did (John 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.) in His flesh and blood body that He used to appear to this world. For human eyes are not able to see the body eternal in the heavens that Jesus showed to Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.

We might look at it this way. The flesh and blood body was the body of Jesus the carpenter while the body eternal in the heavens was the body of Christ (the true identity of Jesus the carpenter). And it was the body of Christ that was not subject to the laws of man that Jesus was aware of and operating out of when he walked through the midst of the crowds who wanted to kill him (Luke 4:30) and when He walked on water (Matthew 14:26) and performed the miracles. Thus Jesus was merged with the Christ (Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh) that He might be seen by man.

He knew that He was not subject to his flesh and blood body, but that it was subject to Him:

John 10:17-18  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Paul knew this too:

1Corinthians 9:27 (KJV) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:

He was subject neither to the bite of a poisonous viper (Acts 28:3-5) nor to the stoning of his body —even when he was left for dead (Acts 14:19-20). He was so aware of the body not made with hands that it was manifested in his flesh and blood body. He was experiencing

Galatians 2:20 (KJV) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

He knew that Jesus had taken his humanity with its body of limitations to the death of the cross and was taking his own advice:

Romans 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin [the mistaken identity of a life apart from God], but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

He knew that Christ was His life, his only life.

Philippians 1:21-26  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

There are several things I wish to call attention to in the above Scripture. Notice that, like Jesus, Paul knew that death of the flesh and blood body wasn’t something that happened to him as a result of sickness, stoning, or any accident; he makes it abundantly clear that his body is subject to him, not the other way round. He is the one who decides how long he will live in the flesh and for what reason, the same reason Jesus said he came and lived in the flesh —to bear witness unto the truth (John 18:37), so that others might experience the abundant life that Jesus came to bring (John 10:10).

I also want you to notice that Paul never confuses his I (his true identity) with his flesh and blood body that he is using to appear to this world for the purpose of bearing witness to the truth. He is more than ready to lay down that body (as Jesus did) and depart from man’s vision to go into the next realm. Jesus did precisely that:

John 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

It was expedient for Jesus to go away; but it was expedient for Paul to stay a while longer, which he was willing to do —though to die (to this concept of body) and depart from this world was more appealing. He had already visited that realm (whether in or out of the body, he couldn’t tell) (2Corinthians 12:2-4) and was more than ready to return. And when it was time for him to return, he knew it and informed Timothy of his imminent departure:

2Timothy 4:6-7  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.

Lastly, I want you to notice that when Paul refers to living in the flesh here, he is not using the term as he did when he said They that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). He is rather speaking of remaining in a flesh and blood body while showing forth the glory of God in that body for the furtherance and joy of faith of the people in his world. He is bringing to them what we have all been longing for: the glory which shall be revealed in us, the manifestation of the sons of God, and deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:18-19,21).

That is what we are all here for, just as Jesus was:

Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

But this will not and, indeed, cannot happen until we get the revelation of our true body and operate out of that body, that flesh that can see God, not this flesh and blood concept of body that reaps corruption and cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

When this revelation is ours, this flesh and blood body will merge with Spirit so that we will be able to do the works that Jesus did —now, in this present world, to be seen of man, that the Father may be glorified in the son.

Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.