I am losing confidence in my flesh

[robaston]

my spirit is hungry as and contrary to my natural inclinations, didn't Paul say something about telling your flesh who's boss?

 

[B-A-C]

1 Corinthians 9:27 NASBS
but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

 

[robaston]

1 Corinthians 9:27 NASBS
but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

yes, but what if you don't preach?

 

[B-A-C]

All of us preach a little.

I noticed on another thread you said working for perfection was a lie from the pit of hell.

That is preaching.

You don't have to be a "preacher" to preach. Preaching is simply telling someone something over and over again.
Perhaps... you have told someone to quit smoking. or quit drinking. or to quit looking at pornography.
That is preaching.

What Paul is saying here is.... ( my paraphrase)

I discipline my body... so that since I have told guys these things so many times... I won't be proving myself to be a hypocrite.

I've been telling you guys to do this... so I need to do it to. I need to practice what I preach so to speak.

Even telling our kids not to eat too much sugar, is preaching at them in a sense.
Of course we can also preach the Bible to others.

 

[robaston]

All of us preach a little.

I noticed on another thread you said working for perfection was a lie from the pit of hell.

That is preaching.

You don't have to be a "preacher" to preach. Preaching is simply telling someone something over and over again.
Perhaps... you have told someone to quit smoking. or quit drinking. or to quit looking at pornography.
That is preaching.

What Paul is saying here is.... ( my paraphrase)

I discipline my body... so that since I have told guys these things so many times... I won't be proving myself to be a hypocrite.

I've been telling you guys to do this... so I need to do it to. I need to practice what I preach so to speak.

Even telling our kids not to eat too much sugar, is preaching at them in a sense.
Of course we can also preach the Bible to others.

that is good, thanks bac...it's logical....because i am home-bound and was narrow in my views, btw what is your living/lot?

 

[amadeus2]

Consider this:

"He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John the Baptist or me or you] must decrease." John 3:30

"And he [Herod] sent, and beheaded John in the prison." Matt 14:10

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ;... I Cor 11:3

 

[robaston]

where is your answer amay?

 

[Dovegiven]

my spirit is hungry as and contrary to my natural inclinations, didn't Paul say something about telling your flesh who's boss?

Indeed, one can't serve two masters at once.

 

[amadeus2]

where is your answer amay?

Consider this:

"He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John the Baptist or me or you] must decrease." John 3:30

"And he [Herod] sent, and beheaded John in the prison." Matt 14:10

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ;... I Cor 11:3

The Baptist said that the Jesus in him needed to increase while the natural man (Paul calls it the "old man") needed to decrease.

John the Baptist had the same problem each of us have: our own natural head, the natural lead of our flesh gets in the way and wants to leads us into: "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,..." I John 2:16

To show us by example John the Baptist had his natural head removed because he would not allow that head to lead him. We need to do the same. I don't, of course, mean we must be physically beheaded, but the scriptures are speaking to us if our "new inner man" is listening.