Jesus: Spirit/Flesh - Glory/No Glory

	"For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh," we read in Romans 8:5-11, "but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able { to do so}; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you."
	Throughout the Bible, we find contrast and conflict between spirit and flesh.
	"God is spirit," John 4:24 notes, "and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
	"In the beginning was the Word," John 1:1-4 reveals, "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
	God is Spirit.  Jesus is with God.  Therefore Jesus is also Spirit.  Yet He  becomes flesh.
	"And the Word became flesh," John 1:14 notes, "and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
	"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh," Paul points out in Romans 8:3, "God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and { as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh."
	Jesus is Spirit.  Yet He becomes flesh.  He becomes flesh for those of us who are fleshly.  How many of us are fleshly?  All of us are fleshly when we are following the impulses of the world.
	"For we know that the Law is spiritual," Paul explains in Romans 7:14-19, "but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.  For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I {would} like to {do,} but I am doing the very thing I hate.  But if I do the very thing I do not wish {to do}, I agree with the Law, {confessing} that it is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not.  For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish."
	Jesus is Spirit.  Yet He becomes flesh.  He becomes flesh so that we who are fleshly might walk in the spirit.
	"For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh," we have already seen from Romans chapter eight (5-13), "but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able { to do so}; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
	There is a simple choice.  Those who live according to the flesh must die, those who live according to the Spirit will live. Jesus becomes flesh so that we who are fleshly might walk in the spirit.  We are given the opportunity to turn our backs on the works of the flesh and devote ourselves to the fruits of the Spirit.
	"But I say, walk by the Spirit," Galatians 5:16-25 instructs, "and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
	The choice is ours.  We may remain fleshly and engage in evil deeds.  This alienates us from God and places us in hostility toward Him.  Or we may be reconciled through Jesus.
	"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, {engaged} in evil deeds," Paul observes in Colossians 1:21-23, "yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister."
	Jesus is Spirit.  Yet He becomes flesh.  He becomes flesh so that we who are fleshly might walk in the spirit.

	Jesus is Spirit.  Yet He becomes flesh.  He becomes flesh so that we who are fleshly might walk in the spirit.
	Jesus is also the Lord of glory.
	"{The wisdom} which none of the rulers of this age has understood," 1 Corinthians 2:8 states, "for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
	Jesus is the Lord of glory.  Yet He allows Himself to be cursed.  He allows Himself to be cursed in a very real way.
	"And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him," Matthew 27:39-40 records, "wagging their heads, and saying, "You who {are going to} destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
	Jesus allows Himself to be cursed in a physical way.  He also allows himself to be cursed in a figurative way.  He allows Himself to become accursed.
	"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law," Galatians 3:13 says, "having become a curse for us-- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.'"
	Jesus is the Lord of glory.  Yet He allows Himself to be cursed.  He allows Himself to be cursed for those of us who are cursed.  This included those who lived under the Law of Moses.
	"For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse," Galatians 3:10 teaches," for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.'"
	Jesus is the Lord of glory.  Yet He allows Himself to be cursed.  He allows Himself to be cursed for those of us who are cursed.  This included those who lived under the Law of Moses.  More importantly for us, it includes any accountable person who has ever lived.
	"What then?" Paul asks in Romans 3:9-10.  "Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one.'"
	Jesus is the Lord of glory.  Yet He allows Himself to be cursed.  He allows Himself to be cursed so that those of us who are cursed might be raised in glory.
	"So also is the resurrection of the dead," 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 notes.  "It is sown a perishable { body}, it is raised an imperishable {body}; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual {body.}"
	Jesus is the Lord of glory.  Yet He allows Himself to be cursed so that those of us who are cursed might be raised in glory.  Jesus is Spirit.  Yet He becomes flesh.  He becomes flesh so that we who are fleshly might walk in the spirit.
	Jesus has come to free us from the curse of sin.  Jesus has come to free us from the flesh.  Let's obey the truth and be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 Used by permission."