Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Putting Away The Filth of Our Flesh

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Can a person put away the filth of their flesh? What is the filth of our flesh? Do you believe you have a filth of your flesh before God, or would you like to believe that's not true that you are a really a good person who has spent your life doing the right things?

Are we speaking about actual filth like not bathing, or just bad hygiene? What indeed did apostle Peter speak too hear when none of the other apostles states so boldly that we cannot put a way the filth of our flesh, but rather we can ask God for a good conscience?

Christian's Putting Away the Filth of Flesh by Commandment's

Most Christian's will state they are a sinner, but they will not admit that they cannot put away the filth of their own flesh through obeying the commandment's, rather that be the commandment's under the Law, meaning the Law of Moses with the ten commandment's, or in Christ Jesus, by the commandment's he taught; also included what the apostles taught.

Why can a person not put away the filth of the flesh by obeying commandment's of God? The simple answer to this question is because we are sinners. In other words, because we try to keep some of the commandment's does not make us not a sinner; does this shock you?

Will, it shouldn't, it is the foremost basic teaching of truth in Christ Jesus a primary teaching of your faith found in God's word the bible, did you know that? We are not saying a person cannot keep the commandment's, but they cannot, not as a sinner, obey them!

Heb.6:1 Therefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection--not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, 6:2 of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 6:3 This will we do, if God permits.

The Key to Putting Away the Filth of Our Flesh

Yes, the key is Christ Jesus, not us, or by works of law, we must understand basic truth of God's word. Christ Jesus purchased us by his blood, (implying we could not purchase ourselves by obedience to law.) thus, giving us his righteousness by his obeying, as a sinless man, the commandment's of God. In this manner, and in this manner only can we obey the commandment's by another righteous man's obedience to the God commandment's

Psalms 85:2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.

If our sins are not charged against us because of Christ Jesus blood we can in that way put away the filth of the flesh. However, we cannot in, and of ourselves do so, we must put faith in what Christ Jesus earned for us, by his merit in not having sin, and by God's love in giving us this precious priceless gift of redemption.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.

Going Back to Works of Obeying Commandment's

Can we after we have put faith in Christ Jesus go back obey the commandment's proving we have become righteous by obedience to them?

No, we cannot, we are obedient because of Christ Jesus was obedient for us giving us a gift of God's love. In other words, if we stand by another righteousness we can never take credit for standing!

Romans 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.

We can never stand in our own good works, we must stand in Christ Jesus good works and what does this mean? Well first, let us talk about what good works God accepts as righteous? God accepts Christ Jesus righteousness and not ours, so the only good works God can accept are those done through the body of Christ not done through our bodies in making it do something according to a commandment of God, why?

Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered.

Christ Jesus was raised into the spiritual world and into a Spirit person, not a human in his flesh, but spirit without the desire of the flesh in his mind. Thus, we are required by common sense and God's word to worship Christ and His Father through Spirit and truth. That is why our flesh which sins is essentially dead in God's eyes even though we live in our flesh and continual to sin in it, we are dead in our flesh and its sin before God, but how?

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How can we be dead to sin? Because God see us in Christ Jesus a spirit person a body member, not in and of ourselves by works done through our will of our flesh. If our judgment is no longer held against us we must be dead to our flesh in God's eyes. In other words, the wages sin pays is death, once dead in Christ Jesus our sins are not accounted against us. Hence, our accepting the living life of Christ Jesus we are a spirit person in God's eyes, not having the sins of our flesh accounted against us.

God does not see our life (past life according to the flesh or its sin), but instead Christ Jesus life – in us, we become a part of Christ Jesus as a righteous tree having good works by God's Holy Spirit.

Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

We then can never be good enough on our own we can only be good enough because of Christ Jesus goodness, which works are his works like a tree bears much fruit, but the branches do not produce the fruit it is the life of the tree that produces the fruit.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

John15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.
15:2 Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 15:3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Putting Away The Filth of Our Flesh

We cannot as human who are sinners put away the filth of our flesh, it is Christ Jesus that has put away before his Father's eyes our judgment for sin which is filth to God, but why?

Filth is uncleanness, uncleanness to righteousness and holiness, righteousness and holiness to God is without sin. We are sinners, we cannot not be a sinner. Moreover, we cannot be righteous through our own righteousness, so we are unclean when it comes to God's Holiness.

We must be made righteous or clean by the power of God, it cannot come from man whom themselves are unclean before God because of their sin. God must wash a sinners uncleanness away, how does God do such a washing? By blood, yes, blood of an innocent victim shed for our sin, this washing atones for our sins allowing us to stand right before God as sinless.

It is as though someone has blotted out what cannot be blotted out by human efforts our sins, expunging them from our record. We are not convicted of them, but released from our obligation to God righteous laws convicting us and condemning us of sinning against God laws.

Now the filth of our sins causing us death and corruption, have been forgiven so we have life, yes, life, what life? The imperishable life Christ Jesus earned for us in obeying God's commandments without sin. Hence, when we accept that life exist, that is, did live, and was resurrected into incorruptibility seated at the right hand of God by faith we live.

How do we live, by faith in the unseen, we not only live by faith, but we walk by it, and worship in faith, but how? Because we worship God without physical eyes, we believe in the invisible righteousness of God for us, which means we accept God's love that He atoned for our sins by His Son righteous blood.

No person can approval this relationship, it is not human, or of man unrighteousness, and that is why no organized religion can change or steal the glory of God, what glory?

The glory in God's own love and goodness for his creation, what God would blot out the sins of those hating them? What God would not only forgive us our sins, but bless us with fruits of life in giving us the imperishable life of his Son Christ Jesus to live in our mortal bodies to help walking in love and faith?

What god of mankind, rather, religion, government, or business continual' s to live in love instead of conviction of evil by laws? Which god of mankind does not return evil when we violate their rule of law, which god of mankind kindly treats us as a child when we deliberately rebel against their rule of law?

Not The Putting Away The Filth of Our Flesh, But How We Treat Each Other

If we cannot put away the filth of our flesh, then we cannot stand before God no matter how much we love Him, what must we do in showing God we appreciate His kindness in helping us be righteous before Him?

John15:8 "In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. 15:9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

Simply put, showing love for one another, which is the test stone of truth for Christian's. What kinda of love, well for most Christian's sadly it is in making someone besides themselves obey a rule of a religion, and than condemning them if they don't comply.

John 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and remain in his love. 15:11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

Can we comply without God's help in putting away the filth of our flesh? No! We must rely upon what? God's love, what does love mean too us? It means not only obeying righteousness, but God giving us righteousness, what does this mean?

Rom.7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

It means God gives us the life of his Son, Christ Jesus, he is our righteousness that sanctifies us by Holy Spirit. In other words, God does not just tells become righteous as I am righteous, in obeying His laws. He makes sure that happens, which proves He is love.

1Cor.1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 1:31 that, according as it is written, "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."{Jeremiah 9:24}

Now run that backwards, do we show love for one another. Do we show love in making sure someone stands before our Lord, by Christ righteousness, and not the rule of some law within our religion? Subsequently, do we preach, religion - righteousness, man righteousness, or commandments righteousness, or Christ Jesus righteousness that actually helps us in becoming righteous by God love in the free gift of unmerited kindness?

Where does man make a showing if he can't even give another man righteousness by his laws of religious faith, dead, dead in his works of self-righteousness. What he can do, is lead a person to God's own righteous, which is placed in Christ Jesus for us. He can stop boasting in dead works of his self-effort to be righteous before others in obeying some rule better than the next guy.

Ro.13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 13:9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet,"{TR adds "You shall not give false and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."{Leviticus 19:18}
13:10 Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

And speak truth each one with our neighbor in our own fallen condition of sin, and give the glory to God for deliver us from the filth of our flesh in the good works earned for us in Christ Jesus.

We can minister in washing the feet of others sins, by sending them to true righteousness, in the life of Christ Jesus so they can be comforted by the fruit of Holy Spirit or we can steal God's glory as a teachers for self-credit before men.

2 Corinthians 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Ephesians 4:15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

We can strut ourselves like a peacock putting on holy garb of religiosity for honor, or we can be a sinner, and thankful for God's glory found in the perfect life of the resurrected Jesus Christ. But we cannot put away the filth of our flesh by words, teachings, rule of law, commandments, nor any human effort in good works.

We can accept the gift undeserved kindness, or be the head of a fleshly body demanding compliance to commandment's we lying say they can keep.

We can seek glory upon earth by living in the filth of our flesh calling unclean - clean, or humbly wait upon God's glory in the next life promised too us by our faith.

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"

We cannot make ourselves clean, and teach otherwise, it is a lie, we cannot legislate rules of law into a religious organizations, demanding compliance to rule of law, then lying teach we are making ones righteous by our religion.

What we can do is go to the altar of God making peace with our brothers and sister by speaking truth, which is love, and ask God for a clean conscience because He is good and worthy, and not us.

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Matthew 8:3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be made clean." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

See also: www.nu-truth.com