LESSON SEVENTEEN

KNOWING THE FLESH

Scripture Reading: Gen. 6:3a; Gal. 3:3; 5:17, 19-21; 1 Cor. 3:3-4; Gal. 4:29; Rom. 7:18a; 8:7-8; Phil. 3:3; Gal. 6:8a; 5:16, 24

OUTLINE

1. The fallen man becoming flesh—Gen. 6:3a.
2. The flesh versus the Spirit—Gal. 3:3.
3. The flesh lusting against the Spirit—Gal. 5:17.
4. The works of the flesh that damage the church life —Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 3:3-4:
1. Enmities, strife, jealousy, and outbursts of anger.
2. Factions, divisions, sects, and envyings.
5. People of the flesh persecuting those of the Spirit—Gal. 4:29.
6. Nothing good dwelling in the flesh—Rom. 7:18a.
7. The flesh being enmity against God—Rom. 8:7a.
8. The flesh not being subject to the law of God—Rom. 8:7b.
9. The flesh being unable to subject itself to the law of God—Rom. 8:7c.
10. The flesh being unable to please God—Rom. 8:8.
11. Not trusting in the flesh—Phil. 3:3.
12. Not sowing unto the flesh—Gal. 6:8a.
13. Not fulfilling the lust of the flesh—Gal. 5:16.
14. Crucifying the flesh—Gal. 5:24.

The subject of this lesson—"Knowing the Flesh"—is very simple. After the previous lesson on the impotence of our natural being, we need to see this. My burden in these few recent lessons is to help the saints in the Lord's recovery realize the real service which the Lord wants and to help them see that what Christianity does is absolutely condemned and repudiated in the eyes of God. This is because the works or services in Christianity are either by strange fire (natural enthusiasm), the soul, or the flesh. Now we need a lesson to help us know what the flesh is.