Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Breaking The Bread of Flesh

Luke 22:19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me."

Why breaking the flesh? What does this have to do with being a Christian's? First, let us say that breaking of the flesh in any endeavor of this life release the spirit of the person. Hence, a person can than be deceived by the release of the spirit in breaking the flesh - thinking it is God's righteousness.

In other words, a man works hard in the hots sun, he breaks his own flesh because his work is so arduous, after work he feels redeemed, and satisfied by the feeling of peace. He has conquered his flesh by hard work breaking it, so he has peace of the spirit for a moment in his life. Subsequently, such a daily redemption of hard work become the man's religion, and/or worship, judging others that don't work as hard. as less good!

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

The process of breaking the flesh is the first step to change, and can be built upon in sports, military, and/or in any other endeavor under the sun for growth into a new person. Yes, a person born into a new life of change, changing bad habits into a professional productive person having a career.

Breaking the Fleshly Conversion

Many person experience this breaking of their flesh, before accepting Christ Jesus, yet, caution is due here, but why? There have been many since Christ Jesus time on earth, and before, in religions that are harsh on the flesh, holding strict obedience too a set of laws, doctrines, and/or commandments from the bible, which breaks the flesh, hence, leaving the person with a feeling of righteousness by it very practice.

However, is this the context of what Christ words spoke above in breaking the bread, when stating it meant his body/flesh? First let us consider breaking the flesh is often times the first step into conversion, however, not just conversion into Christ, but also into most human endeavors, which should make us question was this Christ meaning of breaking of the flesh, when our sinful flesh is dead in Christ?

Isaiah 32:17 The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

Christ Breaking of The Bread

Christ flesh was broken into death, where his spirit was released and made alive with his Father YHWH. But whom broke his flesh is the question Christ or unrighteous men, and by what? It was by their rule of law, which were very harsh on the flesh of sinners. Christ was neither unrighteous, nor was he a sinner, hence, he was sinless, and why is this so important?

John 6:53 Jesus therefore said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in yourselves.

1 Peter 3:18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

This is important because each Christian's in Christ Jesus has no flesh, that is, in God's eyes, they are dead to the flesh, and its fleshly thoughts in Christ Jesus. Subsequently, a continual beating of their flesh with harsh commandments may indeed be just the opposite of being in Christ, but instead a work of their flesh, misleading them into works of law. Redemption, and/or the feeling of righteousness has nothing to do with a Christian's continually beating their flesh into control with God's commandments/words of their bibles.

Colossians 2:23 Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren't of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Breaking Down The Bread of Christ

Let us break down the bread of Christ into reality of truth; what does it actually means for us? Christ flesh was sinless bread, having no yeast of sin, he was the unleavened bread of God. Hence, we can all agree to that; Christ need not break down his flesh into obeying His Father YHWH.

1 Peter 1:19 but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ.

Obedience to God means being sinless, there is no lesser obedience God would allow for, in fulfilling His righteous law. Thus, when a person is obedient without sin, there is no need of any commandments to convict them of sin, because they are living in love, not harming anyone, and they need no laws to tell them not too sin. Christ did not have to break his own flesh to obey God commandments, he did not need the Law of Moses convicting him of sin, he did not need the blood of animals too make him righteous, for he was sinless, thus, being declared righteous by the law itself. Hence, Christ was free from the judgment of sin, and the laws judging us as sinners.

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"

So in this context we must ask what breaking of the bread of Christ means for us – sinners? Many Christian's have this idea that they stand after receiving Christ by their own good efforts proving they are a Christian's. In other words, by works they preformed to show they are a Christian's. These works are often rules from their bibles or their religion, and/or were taught too them being past down by family and friends.

Moreover, when they do not meet these standards it can often break their flesh, throwing them into as state of depression, unworthiness until they do better the next time. Once broken they assume because they failed it caused them the breaking of their flesh, which in reality is a fleshly mind under sins laws that broke their own flesh by harsh judgments. Subsequently, they adhere even closer to the rule of law they broke becoming fanatical to the point self-induced blindness too God's love, which is freedom in Christ.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 6:63 It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

Adherence to Faith

But as Christian's let set the foundation of Christ firm upon faith, let us not confuse breaking of our flesh with keeping the laws of our fleshly minds, or of our religion, better, and/or closer, leading us into the very destruction of our faith as not coming from God at all.

Romans 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

First, once accepting the Christ we are sinless, we are not a little sinless, or a lot sinless, by works of laws, we are instead sinless in Christ to his perfection and not our own. So lets stop here and ask what is a work of law, many religions use this phase/term, but often it has no real meaning too us?

Romans 3:20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

A work of law for a sinner, is any work they uses to justify themselves as not a sinner or better than others. There are times in the scriptures were it applied to the Jewish faith, having many works of law by God's righteous law given to Moses. Hence, at other times it can apply to those not of Israel, Gentiles, by laws of their own mind or country. Simply put, a work of law is a law we meet too justify our sinning.

In other words, if your pulled over by a policeman for speeding, if you hadn't sped, hence, kept the law, you would have been justified by the law, freed from its charges, conviction, and punishment of wrong doing.

Romans 4:15 For the law works wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.

The question begs can we be justified before God by His righteous laws, clearly, no we can't! We may keep some of His laws very will feeling justified in that specific area of our life, while break others commandments, which break our flesh because we cannot stop sinning in some other area of our life. Thus, thinking next time by faith I will be a little better at keeping that commandment, and be justified by my efforts, proving I love God. Hence, thinking erroneously that we are building up our flesh, ie., our self-control, and a good name with God by our fleshly efforts, but this in not faith in Christ, it is faith is ourselves in meeting a commandment.

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Loving God

Here is the problems for most of us, as shocking as this will be too many. We cannot prove we love God! We cannot prove we love God by keeping commandments, which commandments we could not keep in the first place. Yes, we can never keep God's commandments proving we love God by our obedience. Once a sinner always a sinner, what does this mean? It means, once created as fish, always a fish, the fish does not become a bird as some point in its life. It lives as a fish and dies a fish!

Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

We are born into sin, we have to be born again out of sin, not to be a sinners. We are born into sin, and must die in our sins unless God intervenes and saves us out of them, or out of our flesh. Which proves it is God love not ours. Hence, He loved us first, while we instead prove we don't love him, by breaking His commandments.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice{"atoning sacrifice" is from the Greek "hilasmos," an appeasing, propitiating, or the means of appeasement or propitiation--the sacrifice that turns away God's wrath because of our sin.} for our sins.

God is love, we cannot as human be love like God, because we sin, all sinner must have commandments to tell them how to love, which convicts us for not showing love. Now we come upon Christ breaking the bread, as already stated, Christ needed no commandments being sinless, he showed love too his Father, not because of commandments, but instead he walked in love, there are no rule of law against love. This is why love completes the commandments.

1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him:

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Romans 13:10 Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Sinners cannot complete the commandments by obedience to the commandments, hence, they cannot love God, as Christ Jesus did! Now understanding this, please take careful note. Once a person is a sinner there is nothing within their power of their flesh, for them not to be a sinner. If you are a sinner you cannot keep the commandments of God and earn your way out of sin, a person has to be sinless to keep the commandments. Keeping some of them only breaks all the commandments. In other words, the law is perfect like a mirror reflecting God perfect images, not ours, when we compare ourselves to God, we fall far short of His glory. If a person cannot entire into the race of life, for being disqualified for being a sinner. Hence, running the race unqualified will not win them the prize of eternal life.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

The Race Ran For Us!

Salvation is not a word thrown around like a good luck charm. Salvation is real, it saves your's, and my life, from death that we cannot get out of. Salvation, is God's love, and not your's or mine. Salvation is someone running the race of life for us while we broke his flesh in judging him wrongly by laws that applied only too sinners.

James1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

Once salvation is received, not by works for by breaking our flesh. We are sinless in Christ Jesus life, and we walk in love as sinless people do, without commandments convicting us of sin. Once sinless there is no law of the flesh that can make us obedient - we are not disobedient, because of Christ life making us sinless. In other words, harsh demanding treatment of the flesh, is of no value at all! Our flesh is dead having no value before God by its obedience.

The obedience God accepts is Christ Jesus, not ours, this is why a person must become a part of Christ Jesus own spirit body, receiving holiness by Christ, and through Christ life.

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.

Born Again Killing The Flesh

1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.

Although, harsh treatment of our flesh causes us the feeling of release and redemption in our spirit, Christ did not break his own flesh, unrighteous sinner did under the law. We do not break our own flesh, by obedience to religious dogma, doctrines, rules of law, and/or commandments of God. Our flesh is dead in Christ Jesus, killed by not having God's judgment against it by laws of the flesh already stated.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

Yes, dead, dead to its deserved judgment, dead to sin, dead to works of law, dead to any righteousness outside of Christ righteousness found in his body, which we have been made a part of. Hence, born again from the sins of our flesh into a new life of Christ Jesus, made alive, free from sins of our flesh into the sinless imperishable life of Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.

Our sin are not removed from us, but removed from God's sight and His judgment, because He sees the righteousness of the passover lamb,Christ, which abolishes our deserved judgment.

Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

2 Timothy 1:10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.

Deception of Flesh

Rom.7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.

Our flesh is a deception to the truth, it distorts the truth of God like a huge tree of sin, when the sun crosses the sky casting every variation of shadow upon the ground, so goes the sinful flesh for deception. Thus, breaking the flesh in obedience of righteousness is a lie, it cannot be done. No human can put away the filth of their own flesh, from sinning. Redemption of the flesh is a lie, God did not redeem our flesh at all, he instead killed it in Christ as irredeemable.

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

Redemption from hard work of our flesh is not from God, although, it give great satisfaction leading to good mental health, and perhaps clear thinking about Christ, it is not of God. Being in a strict religion, which demands obedience is not God's righteousness, Christ Jesus is God's righteousness, not our flesh or making it obey a rule of law. Deceiving ourselves by looking into the mirror of commandments, turning away from God's judgment of breaking the commandments, than teaching others it is God's righteousness, is of no value at all. It has deceived the heart of the one forgetting their own cleansing us from sin in Christ Jesus.

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:

Faith Beyond the Curtain of Flesh

A Christian's can move no further than death if they live in God's laws for the sinful flesh, dead in Christ. Faith see beyond the flesh, which means; please note here, laws judging the flesh as evil, and/or a sinner, just as it is! Did you catch that point? If we judge by laws of the sinful flesh commandments or laws convicting us of sin, we have no faith in Christ Jesus, we are promoting, and trying to save this life by laws of the flesh dead in Christ. The flesh, is of no value at all for those in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

We cannot see Christ Jesus by laws of sin, laws convicting us of sin and death, we can only see Christ Jesus by faith, which faith is in God's love, a spiritual condition unseen by human eyes. The curtain of flesh veils our eyes too God, and His Son Christ. It is our putting off the flesh, in Christ that we walking in the law of love.

2 Corinthians 3:15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 3:16 But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

We are hopelessly in death, without faith, for without faith we are in the flesh, our being in the flesh, we are justifying our every action by some law giving us merit or reducing our merit. But by faith in Christ, God gives us the merit of Christ Jesus life, which means a sinless life justifies us as sinless making us God's children.

1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him.

Going The Whole Distance

The race of life was completed for us, the runner was a perfect man without sin, he ran for love of His Father completing for us that which we could have never done. In him is salvation, in him is the meaning of life, do you understand? The tree of life, is Christ Jesus, within him is our life without sin. But we must be graft into his life, receiving the life of the tree. If we must run without Christ we are dead to any good work that will give us the tree of life.

Matt.7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

Hence, we cannot go part of the way, we must go the distance accepting unmerited kindness as a complete gift of God's salvation. We cannot revert into breaking our flesh by works of law, feeling we are justified by such an illusion of righteousness felt in our flesh. We must see past the deception of the flesh into the reality of Christ by God's Spirit in truth. We must know that nothing good is found in our flesh, not even our good desire to be perfect by laws and rules, such desires are not of the life of Christ Jesus, whom has no laws of flesh judging him, our flesh and its desires are dead in him. Christ does not live in fear of judgment, he is free in the law of love casting all such evils of the flesh outside into the darkness. Christ perfected faith sinlessly for us.

We receive his life, his faith and righteousness which cleanses us from all dead works of the flesh. There is nothing we have not received through the life of Christ Jesus, the perfect will of God, for us undeserving commandment breakers.

James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water. 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth. 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

May each of us seek the wisdom of God Christ Jesus by Holy Spirit not the wisdom that comes from our flesh, in this planting of the Spirit we will reap eternal life.