Brother Jesus

We continue steadfastly with what we have been receiving about Jesus really coming in human flesh. Let me repeat something that was presented to us in yesterday’s offering. We were again reminded that Jesus could only be tempted, because He had a sinful nature, a human nature, a flesh nature. He took on a human nature so that He was totally Divine and totally human. We also looked at James 1: 13 – 15. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. We were told that three fundamental truths and differences, between God and man, between sinful nature and Divine nature and between flesh and Spirit would be discussed. Yesterday, we discussed the first of the three, which stated that God cannot be tempted by evil. Let’s carry on.

Second Fact. Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. If indeed, God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone with evil, then temptations must come because of the human, natural, carnal nature in us that is not at all good. When James speaks about evil desires, we see ourselves, but refuse to see Jesus with evil desires as we have. Pause! Keep seeking the strength of the Spirit to accept truth. The mind is our worst enemy, or our best friend. The mind is our stepping-stone or our stumbling-block. The mind is what is used by God or by the deceiver. The mind is extremely powerful, potent and prolific in every way. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he addresses these attributes of the mind clearly indicating and exposing the governance of the mind. He brings unarguable and unalterable facts.

Here are a few unchangeable facts of truth. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8: 6 – 8.

There is a distinct, clear operation seen in us humans which show who is controlling our minds. There is then, the mind in us humans, which has a will of its own, that is not of the Father. Here is what may seem shocking to you, but it is true. All human nature, all self, all that is of human, carnal thought, all that is of the human will, work and way, every single one of these is opposed to Sovereign, Holy, Father God. Anything that opposes, contradicts, questions and denies God’s will and ways, is of the enemy. Again, it is being emphasized that anything that is not God’s will is evil and must be denied and shunned.

The question is therefore, do we see this in Jesus? If we believe that He took on human nature in His flesh and that He was totally human and totally Divine, then the will and ways of the human nature He took on, had to be denied. Let’s listen to what has been written about Jesus in His earthly life. During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Hebrews 5: 7. We know that Jesus was not seeking to be saved from physical death. Which death was Jesus so much in prayer about? It is the death of sin. For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6: 23a. Once again, we know that Jesus was truly human because He knew that He could sin, so He sought help to save Him from yielding to temptations, from sinning.

Jesus was not at all hesitant in saying and showing that He understood all about the flesh and its weakness. Here is advice He once gave to His disciples to help them overcome temptation. Is not Jesus giving advice which He uses? Is He not their Master who understands the evils and fragilities of flesh? Is He not their example of overcoming the passions of the flesh and the temptations of the evil one, through prayer? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26: 41. Even in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, He taught them to pray like this. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6: 13. The evil or the evil one is he who encourages us by using deceit and lies to get us to yield to him. Jesus knows all about depending on His Father to save Him from personally sinning.    

Once again, we have come to this huge point of acceptance or rejection, where we must rest a while. We need this moment to gaze at the cross, gaze at our Lord and see that He was indeed human. The fully human Jesus who lived in flesh among us, had a fully human will and fully human desires, which He had to deny. 

Ponder on these.