Walking after the Flesh

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

What does it really mean to walk after the flesh? or to walk after the Spirit? I use to think that walking after the flesh was all about doing  all those bad yucky fleshly things, you know things like  smoking, drinking, chewing and hanging out with those who do! or that walking after the flesh was about having a bad fleshly attitude, but did you you that there are actually two kinds of flesh?, yes there is the more obvious yucky flesh, but there is also that more subtle flesh that does not look yucky at all! I call it the good ole USDA prime flesh! 

 We need to understand that flesh does not always look yucky, sometimes it looks very good, moral, righteous, holy and sincere!

Did you know that there are many today who may be abstaining from all the so called yucky flesh, but they are  head over heels in self righteous USDA prime flesh!

The apostle knew all about walking after this USDA self righteous prime flesh because at one time he had been completely and thoroughly immersed and deceived by it.

Philippians 3:4-9

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered 

the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ  and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

So what does it mean to walk after the flesh?

Here is one definition of walking in the flesh. Walking after the flesh is when your body and soul ( mind,will,emotions and appetites) are operating Independently from the Holy Spirit . You could also say "that walking after the flesh is walking Independently from Gods grace. When we choose to walk Independently from Gods leading then we are walking after the flesh. Walking after the flesh also means to seek justification and right standing with God by your own self effort and performance.

Today many believers are walking in the flesh and in a lot of condemnation because they are still trying to seek and maintain their right standing with God by what they do, instead of believing and resting in what God in Christ has already made them to be  2 Corinthians 5:21

As born again believers we are now called to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh.

Walking after the flesh is also trying your best to live for Christ and become like Him through your own will power, determination and self effort.

Many of our book stores are filled with how to books that teach christians how to live for God or maintain their right standing with God by the good ole USDA flesh.

It may surprise you to know that we as believers are not called to live for God, but we are really called to let God live in us!

You can read all about this in Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Yes, we are all still in the flesh, that is the real us is Spirit who has a soul and who lives in a body, but the way God created us was to be led from the inside out! We are called to live  life by the Spirit.

Jesus was the word who became flesh, but Jesus was not led by His flesh, He was not led by His own mind,will and emotions or fleshly appetites, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit who lived in Him. John 1:14

But how do I walk after the Spirit? Walking after the Spirit really begins by resting in who you now are in Christ, it happens as we learn to Rest in the only true righteousness of God that only comes through faith in Christ and not in our own self effort.

The Apostle Paul speaks about this righteousness in Romans 10

Dear brothers and sisters,the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.  For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Romans 10:1-4

The way to end all USDA flesh activity is to believe, receive and rest in the only true righteousness of God that comes through faith in Christ.

The USDA flesh will keep you on the hamster wheel of trying harder and doing more in order to become what God in Christ has already created you to be.  2 Cor 5:17