Battle of the Two Natures

Part #7

Feeding the Spirit

          We have two births, if we have trusted Christ as our Savior. If you have not trusted Christ to save you, you do not have the second birth. You are not born again. Jesus told Nicodemus:

 

“Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” So Nicodemus asked the obvious question, “How can these things be?”

 

What Must We Do to Be Born Again?

          In answer to the question:

 

“How can a man be born again? How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

 

Jesus said the words most of you have heard. In John 3:15 Jesus said:

 

“Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” In verse 16 Jesus answered, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 

The Parts of John 3:16

          Who did the work in that verse? God did all of the work. He did the loving. God did the giving.  The only condition He requires of us is that we believe it. If you will believe what Jesus did when He came and died on the cross for your sins, there are two things John 3:16 promises. First, you do not have to worry about perishing in the future, and second, you have everlasting life right now. You do not have to wait until you die to get everlasting life, and being everlasting, you do not ever have to worry about losing it.

 

The Problem

          To get to heaven we cannot have any sin. However, we have all sinned[1]. So we all have sin on us, and the wages or the payment for sin is death, which is separation from God, ultimately, in the lake of fire. So we cannot pay for our sin.

 

What Jesus did to solve the Problem

He took all of everybody’s sin, died to pay for it, then came back from the dead so that we can have the righteousness it takes to get to heaven.

 

We Must Respond by Trusting Jesus’ Payment for Sin

          Since the penalty for everybody’s sin has been completely paid, why doesn’t everybody go to heaven? Everybody does not go to heaven, because we must respond to what God has done. How do we respond? “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We must believe that Jesus’ death payment is all that is required to get us to heaven.

A Little Review

            When you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are born again and you have a second spiritual birth. These two births are very different. The flesh cannot do any good. Even after you are saved your flesh cannot do any good. Your spirit cannot sin. It is impossible, because it is born of God. Obviously, then, we have a battle that ensues between good and evil or between the flesh and spirit to see who will control our mind and consequently our life. Who is going to win the battle: the flesh or the spirit? The one that will win is the one which is strongest. Which one is strongest? In some Christians’ lives the flesh is stronger. In other Christians’ lives the spirit is stronger. So how can we have victory?

The Choice

            We have a choice of three options. We can starve the flesh and feed the Spirit and get the fruit of the spirit. We can feed the flesh and starve the spirit and get the works of the flesh, or we can feed both. If we feed the flesh and starve the spirit we will get the works of the flesh, which are not good things. Galatians 5:17-19, gives us a list of the works of the flesh. Some of them are: wrath, hatred, emulations, murder, drugs, fornication, and adultery. These are what we will get as a believer if we feed the flesh and starve the spirit, but we also have the opportunity to feed the spirit and starve the flesh.  The choice  is  up to us. If we do that, we get the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace. We cannot get love, joy, or peace without feeding the spirit and starving the flesh. It is impossible. Most believers will never know love until they get to heaven. Most believers will never know joy until they get to heaven.  Most believers will never have peace of mind or peace in their heart until they get to heaven, because they are feeding the flesh. However, most believers feed both the flesh and the spirit. According Revelation three, if we do that we will get the works of the flesh, and we will be miserable, and we will have a miserable existence. We will not have peace, love, and joy. We must feed the spirit and starve the flesh to have those.

 

Feeding the Flesh

How do we feed the flesh? Basically, it is through what we see and hear.  It is not what we do. What we do is the results. What we do is the fruit. The way we feed the flesh is through what we see and hear, or what we watch and listen to. As we feed the flesh, the flesh becomes strong and controls our life. Then we get the works of the flesh, which are those terrible things we listed earlier.

 

Feeding the Spirit

          On the other hand we can feed the spirit and starve the flesh, or we can feed both.

 

Four Talks

            We are going to learn how to feed the spirit in this section. There are four main ways of feeding the spirit. We call these the four talks. These are four things you must do to feed the spirit. If you do these four things and starve the flesh, the spirit will control your life, and you will have love, joy, and peace in your life as a believer. However, very few Christians do these things. Most are going to feed both the flesh and the spirit, and, therefore live a defeated Christian life. Many churches do not have anyone who will commit to doing these four things. These are the four things you must do to feed the spirit.

 

Talking to Other believers

            I Timothy 4:11-13 tells us the first talk is talk to other believers. We feed the spirit by church attendance   where   we   talk  to   other  believers.   God tells us  in I Timothy 4:11-12, “These things command and teach.” The first thing we need to realize is the things written in these verses are commands of God. They are not suggestions or options.

“Let no man despise thy youth.” This verse refers to those who have influence on youth or those who are youth. That would cover about everybody that is alive. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers.” We need to be an example “of the believers in word, in conversation,” Conversation is referring to what people say about you when they are talking about you. How do they describe your manner of life? “Conversation, in charity (in your love), in spirit, in faith, in purity. “Till I come, give attendance.”

Actually, πρόσεχε,[2] (prosexe) the Greek word for “attendance,[3] does not simply mean to be in attendance. The meaning does include attendance, but it means “paying close undivided attention” as well[4]. To what are we supposed to be giving our undivided attention? We must pay close attention to reading of Scripture. After all, the Scripture is God’s own written communication to us. You get “Exhortation” from the message of the preacher. It is the explanation and application of Scripture. The word for preacher is not really literally part of (paraclasai) the Greek word for exhotation, but the word is referring to the message of the exhorter. However, it is implied. We have to have an  exhorter  if  we  are  going  to  learn  from  the message of the exhorter. The word is close to the word for “comforter” which is the description of the Holy Spirit, and focuses on the personal presence of the Holy Spirit. So the word for exhortation implies the physical close presence of the exhorter. This can only be done through the assembling of ourselves together.

“And to doctrine” refers to Bible truth. An exhorter must be present to read the Word of God, explain doctrine, and apply it to the lives of those present. So, we must attend if we are going to feed our spirit. We pay close attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine.

We find another reference about talking to other Christians or assembling together in Hebrews 10:25. God says:

 

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.”

 

How long would you have to be out of church before you have forsaken the assembly? How many times was Jesus forsaken by God? He was forsaken by God, when He said:

“My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken Me?”

 

He was forsaken only once for three hours, and yet He was forsaken long enough to make the complete eternal payment for all the sin in the universe for all time. The first time you intentionally separate yourself from the assembly you are forsaking the assembly. I am not saying that there are never times you should not be in church. If you are in the hospital you should not be in church. There may be other reasons as well, I suppose, but I am talking about times when you make a choice not to be in church when you could be. You just decide to be out of church. You simply have chosen to forsake the assembling of yourselves together. God says:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another.”

 

There is that word again. The word, “exhort” means “to warn or instruct” and implies the physical presence of a preacher. Why should we do that? In verse 24 God says:

 

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.”

 

That is where we are encouraged to do good works.

In Ephesians 2:10 we are told that we have been “Created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” He did not say that we must do good works, or even that we would do good works, but rather He said we should walk in good works as a believer. This is why He saves us. This is what we have been ordained to do.

What are the good works we have been ordained to do? In John 15:16 God tells us:

 

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:”

 

What Is the Fruit of Feeding the Spirit?

What is the fruit that remains? God is not talking about the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit may not remain. You only have the fruit of the spirit as long as you are obedient to God. They do not remain if you are not obedient. The fruit that remains are those you lead to Jesus Christ. So the good works He is talking about is fruit, which are those that we lead to Jesus Christ.

That is the reason we assemble ourselves together. We see in Hebrews 10:23 what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to hold fast the profession of our faith. In other words we should be continually professing our faith.  We assemble together to be instructed how to profess our faith, and lead people to Jesus Christ; and to be encouraged to do so.

 

Assurance of Faith

The verse also says that we should give full assurance of faith. That has nothing to do with assuring us that we have faith or the right kind of faith. This is telling us that faith gives us full assurance. As we are taught how to share the gospel, we should learn of the assurance of salvation that comes through faith, and we should learn how to  share that  assurance  with the lost as we share our faith. To lack assurance is to lack faith, because, when you doubt whether or not you are certain of going to heaven, you are doubting Jesus’ provision for salvation.

So this is what the first talk is. The first talk is talking with other Christians in the assembly so we can be assured of our faith, learn how to share our faith, and be encouraged to do so.

 

The Second Talk Is Prayer

The second talk is we talk to God in prayer. In I Timothy 2:1, God says:

 

“First of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. This is good and acceptable in the  sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved.”

 

God’s Purpose and Will for Us

Notice the purpose of our prayers for the lost is that they will be saved. The result is we have peace, which is part of the fruit of the spirit, but the purpose of the prayer for all men is so that they will be saved. God’s will for every single person in the world is that they will be saved.

Wait a minute! Does that mean that all people will be saved? No. God in His sovereignty has chosen to make His will conditional upon man’s response. Man has to respond by choosing to believe in Jesus for our salvation. So, we pray for them as we go to reach them for Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 6:18 God says this:

 

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”

 

Praying for who? “For all saints.” We are not just to pray for the lost. We are also to pray for all saints. Now, what should we be praying about for the saints? We are already saved. “And for me that.” There is the purpose word “that.” This is the most important word in your study of the Bible, because it shows God’s purpose. “That” what?

 

“That utterance may be given unto me.” That sounds like witnessing does it not?  “That  I  may  open  my  mouth  boldly.”

 

That  sounds  like witnessing. Does it not? Telling people about Jesus Christ “to make known the mystery of the gospel.” That is witnessing! “For which I am an ambassador in bonds that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.” What is the purpose of prayer? Philippians 4:6 says to pray about everything, but understand the purpose of prayer is to prepare the lost and to promote the saved. The saved person had to do what to get to heaven? He had to trust Christ as his Savior. So, we are praying to that end. We pray that God will prepare the lost to trust Christ as his Savior, and that God would lead a saved person to witness to him.

However, there is something else that can keep someone out of heaven. If we do not tell them, and if we do not share the gospel, the lost may never hear the plan of salvation. God says in Ezekiel 3:18-21 that if we do not warn the sinner, their blood will be required at our hands. In I Corinthians chapter nine God says that we have a dispensation of the gospel that is given to us.  If we do not reach certain people, they will not be reached. There are certain people that will be reached many times by many people, but there are certain people over which only you have influence, and only you can reach them with the plan of salvation. We need to be praying that Christians will have boldness, opportunity, as it says in Galatians 6, and clarity, as we make known the mystery of the gospel.

 

The Third Talk-God Talks to Us Through Bible Study

The third talk is Bible study. The way God talks to us is through Bible study. In II Timothy 2:15 God says that we are supposed to study “to show.” Notice that we are supposed to study. Why? “To show thyself approved unto God.” If you do not study, God will not approve of your Christian life. “A workman,” not a bookworm, but “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” Why do we want to rightly divide the Word  of  truth?

Finding Answers

In  Proverbs  15:28  God  says:

 

“The  heart  of  the righteous studeth to answer.”

 

Why does the heart of the righteous study? We study “To answer.” Why is that so important? God says, in I Peter 3:15:

 

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you the reason of the hope that is in you.”

 

The purpose of our study is so that we will have answers when we witness. If we study, we will be better witnesses. There are many good things that come along with study. They include fellowship, personal gratification, answers, understanding doctrine, and getting to know God in a personal way. All those things are important. All those things are byproducts of study, but the purpose of study is so that we can be fruitful in our witness by having an answer for every man.

 

The Importance of Witnessing

God is going to write the Word of God in your heart when you get to heaven. So if Bible study is our purpose on earth, why doesn’t just God kill us and take us home where we will have the Word of God written in our hearts?

We are going to talk to God face-to-face in heaven. If prayer  is our purpose on earth, why not just kill us and take us home where we will have perfect communication with God.

We are going to have wonderful fellowship with other believers in heaven, so if fellowship with other believers is our purpose here on earth, why doesn’t God simply kill us and take us home where we will have perfect unbroken fellowship with other believers? There is a different purpose. The purpose of fellowship is for the lost. The purpose of Bible study is for the lost. The purpose of prayer is for the lost.

 

The Fourth Talk-Witnessing

So, the fourth talk is we must talk to the lost about the plan of salvation. We talk to saved people. We talk to God. God talks to us. Let us talk to the lost through witnessing.

I Thessalonians 2:4 says:

 

“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust for the gospel.”

 

Notice, God trusts us, and He trusts us with the most precious commodity in eternity.  God has  put  the most precious thing in the universe for all eternity in our trust.  He did not trust it to the angels. He did not even entrust it to Himself. He placed it in our trust. That is fitting, because, after all, it is because of us that there are lost people in the world to begin with. God did not create lost people. He created people and they became lost when Adam and Eve sinned. So we have been allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel even so we live a godly life not pleasing… no! Even so we speak not as pleasing men but God, who is testing us.

God says in John 15:8:

 

“Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;”

We were created to bear fruit. Isaiah 43:7 Everyone that is called by His name has been created is for His glory. How do we bring glory to God? We glorify God the way God says we do. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” We have been created to bear fruit.

Romans 4:20 says that Abraham “was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” It is faith that gives glory to God. When we trust Christ as our Savior, we glorify God. That demonstrates His love, His mercy, and His provision. All of God’s merciful attributes are demonstrated in salvation. So when we have faith in Jesus’ provision to save and keep us, we glorify God. How can we continue to glorify God after we have faith in Jesus Christ? We glorify God after you are saved by getting other people to place their faith in Jesus’ death payment. You glorify God by bearing fruit. Very few Christians are fulfilling their created purpose. When you lead someone to Christ, you continue to glorify God; and you fulfill your purpose.

These are the tools that you need to feed the spirit, have victory over the flesh, and, therefore, have the fruit of the spirit, which includes love, joy, and peace. You need to determine to feed your spirit and starve the flesh to have victory over the flesh. All you  have to do is start doing the four talks,  and  stop  feeding  the flesh. Stop listening to the wrong things and stop watching the wrong things. Stop feeding the flesh by seeing and hearing. Feed the spirit by studying your Bible, fellowshipping with Christians, praying, and sharing the gospel.

Which one of those four is most important? Sharing the Gospel is most important, because the other three are for the purpose of helping us share the Gospel more successfully.

 

 

WHAT ARE THE FOUR TALKS?

1-Talk to __________ _____________ (__________________)

2-Talk to _______________________ (__________________)

3- __________________ talks to you. (_________ _________)

4-Talk to ________ ______________ (___________________)

5-What two things must you do to have the fruit of the spirit?

_________ the spirit, and ___________ the flesh

6-What two ways do we feed the flesh?  ___________________ and _____________________

            [1]  Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

            [2]  Jay p. Green, Interlinear Greek English New Testament Third Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1980), p. 643.

            [3]  The Analytical Greek Lexicon:, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1967), p. 349.

            [4]  William Arndt, F.Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek –English Lexicon of the New Testament Fourth Edition, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), p. 721-722.