In My Flesh Dwells No Good Thing! How About In Yours?

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not. --Romans 7:18

I sat listening to a couple discussing a topic that is much more prevalent today than it was just a few years ago: pornography on the Internet. The husband had been caught looking at it. "I cannot believe you would do that," said the wife.

I looked at her and said, "I would!"

She immediately responded, "How?"

"It is simple. In my flesh dwells no good thing! Are you telling me that in your flesh dwells a good thing?" It took me years to realize that I--that is, my flesh--am never going to get better. When I am not abiding, the flesh is the same it has always been: hostile to God.That is why we teach a moment-by-moment victory and ultimate improvement only through Christ in us.I could look at the Internet sites but I do not, and not because I am strong, but because I know men much stronger than I am who get in bondage to it. Since that is the case, what chance would my flesh have? I do not look because I am weak, not because I am strong.

Do you believe that in your flesh (body, mind, will, and emotions under the influence of anything other than Christ) there is something good? Every time we look at a person and say, "I would not do that," we are saying that we are stronger than Christ. We know that all Christ ever did, He never did, for it was the Father working through Him. He not only taught abiding but lived it. When we succeed, it is not because of great strength, but because we have recognized abiding in Christ, and His grace and strength are on and in us. When we judge, look out! All God has to do is lift His grace and abiding presence, and we will discover we are just as weak as anyone else.

Have you admitted you are weak and in your flesh dwells no good thing? You must admit where you are before you can leave where you are. You must own a weakness before you can lose it. If I want to give you a cup, I can only give it if I pick it up and own it first. It is not until you own your weakness that Christ will be able to be your strength. For instance, if you will own that in your flesh you hate another race, you can give that shortcoming to God, and He can become your strength. Once you do this, you will not be a compassionate person loving someone from another race; you will be a person able to dispense the pure love of God. Admit you cannot be a husband, own it, and let Christ's love flow through you for your wife. But if you will not own it, you can never disown it.

"Power is perfected in weakness!"Think of a teacher, pastor, or elder. Do you know five of his weaknesses? Three? Just one? If you do not know any of his weaknesses, this person is attempting to minister in the strength of the flesh. If power is perfected in weakness, why hide it?It is because we want to appear strong and build our own glory. However, He is the glory, and He will never give His glory to another. We are wrong to teach Christians to be strong and hide weakness. All of us are strong in Christ and weak in the flesh. In my flesh dwells no good thing.

It is a tragedy that so much teaching lands at the Christian’s feet and tells him all he needs to do and be, when God tells us Christianity is all about explaining what Christ will do for us.  Well, amen.

And what a tragedy that with little recognizing and teaching of “the flesh” there is so little teaching of Christ’s power being perfected in our weakness.  Then, too, there is the abundant teaching of our needing to be strong.  Oh, wow!

A wrong focus will take our eyes off Jesus every time.

- Mike Wells