Crucifying the Flesh. 3.30.2025 The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Crucifying the Flesh In the Bible, the word “flesh” can mean two things:
1. Our physical body.
2. Our tendency to rely on ourselves instead of God — trying to meet our needs (like love, acceptance, or purpose) through our own efforts, not through Christ.
We all start life depending on our “flesh” — doing things our own way — because we’re born spiritually disconnected from God (due to Adam’s sin). Even after becoming Christians, many of us carry over these old habits and self-reliant mindsets. These “flesh patterns” can look bad (like drug use) or even good (like perfectionism). But both are ways of trying to feel valuable or in control without trusting God. The problem is: the flesh never truly satisfies. Only God can meet our deepest needs.
Three Key Truths God Reveals to Christians Over Time: ⸻
1. The Flesh Profits Nothing No matter how hard we try, we can’t earn spiritual life or maturity through our own effort. Jesus said in John 6:63, “Human effort accomplishes nothing. The Spirit gives life.” Even after we’re saved, we often keep trying to grow through self-effort (legalism, striving, trying to earn God’s favor), but it doesn’t work. ⸻
2. Put No Confidence in the Flesh Paul used to trust his own abilities to follow the law, thinking that made him righteous. Later, he realized it was worthless. Philippians 3:3 says, “We put no confidence in human effort, but in what Christ has done.” We don’t become holy by working harder — we grow by trusting in what Jesus already accomplished on the cross. ⸻
3. The Cross Crucifies the Flesh Galatians 5:24 says those who belong to Jesus “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This doesn’t mean we never struggle with old habits, but that the power of the flesh no longer controls us. The Holy Spirit helps us put to death old ways of living and teaches us to depend fully on Christ. This often happens through life experiences and trials that show us: self-reliance doesn’t work, but God’s Spirit gives true peace, freedom, and life. ⸻
Final Thoughts: We all have old habits or mindsets (flesh patterns) that we’ve used to survive or feel in control. But God lovingly shows us they don’t work. His Spirit works in us to expose, crucify, and replace those patterns with a new way of living — one that depends entirely on Christ.
The message encourages believers to reflect:
• What flesh patterns are still active in your life?
• How has the Holy Spirit helped you let go of one? For deeper insight, the message recommends reading “The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit” by Watchman Nee. ⸻
