I don’t believe it’s the flesh that hinders the will of God...I believe it to be the old mindset, that has to be renewed, in order for us to come inline with the will of God..
Rita, i don’t know about you, but when i read flesh, i tend to think of our souls, our mind, will, and emotions. Your right there is a renewing of the mind as you suggested.
”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.“
Romans 8:1-13 KJV
We learn in the Spirit therefore are taught by the Spirit of God who indwells And has taken up residence in our spirit.
Okay.
In other words Gods in control most definitely...and I don’t mean he controls us like a robot, his Spirit works in us, to get us inline with his will....it’s a process....the sanctification process I believe.
I see a two way street. God reaching out down to us, as we reaching up to God. It’s a willful relationship that is constantly being acted upon in faith and trust.
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Yes, and that is to remove ourselves from our fleshly nature, by merit of the spirit.
I would deem our fleshly nature as Jesus says;
”Some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came from Jerusalem and gathered around Jesus. They saw that some of his followers ate food with hands that were not clean, meaning that they did not wash their hands in a special way. The Pharisees and all the other Jews never eat before washing their hands in this special way. They do this to follow the traditions they have from their great leaders who lived long ago. And when these Jews buy something in the market, they never eat it until they wash it in a special way. They also follow other rules from their people who lived before them. They follow rules like the washing of cups, pitchers, and pots. The Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Jesus, “Your followers don’t follow the traditions we have from our great leaders who lived long ago. They eat their food with hands that are not clean. Why do they do this?” Jesus answered, “You are all hypocrites. Isaiah was right when he wrote these words from God about you: ‘These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.’ Isaiah 29:13 You have stopped following God’s commands, preferring instead the man-made rules you got from others.” Then he said, “You show great skill in avoiding the commands of God so that you can follow your own teachings! Moses said, ‘You must respect your father and mother.’ He also said, ‘Whoever says anything bad to their father or mother must be killed.’ But you teach that people can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.’ You are telling people that they do not have to do anything for their father or mother. So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many things like that.” Jesus called the people to him again. He said, “Everyone should listen to me and understand what I am saying. There is nothing people can put in their mouth that will make them wrong. People are made wrong by what comes from inside them.” Then Jesus left the people and went into the house. The followers asked Jesus about what he had told the people. He said, “Do you still have trouble understanding? Surely you know that nothing that enters the mouth from the outside can make people unacceptable to God. Food does not go into a person’s mind. It goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body.” (When Jesus said this, he meant there is no food that is wrong for people to eat.) And Jesus said, “The things that make people wrong are the things that come from the inside. All these bad things begin inside a person, in the mind: bad thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, doing bad things to people, lying, doing things that are morally wrong, jealousy, insulting people, proud talking, and foolish living. These evil things come from inside a person. And these are the things that make people unacceptable to God.”“
Mark 7:1-15, 17-23 ERV
