Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Is the body of Christ flesh? Is Paul saying here for us to present too God a clean holy flesh as Christ, that is, as a fleshly members of the body of Christ? These are important questions, because many practice through religion presenting to God a clean holy flesh as their spiritual service.

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don't wage war according to the flesh;

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

In other words, the whole purposes and structure of religion is to perfect the flesh upon earth, believing that was the perfect sacrifice Paul is referring to here. First, let it be noted, Christ the leader of our faith, was perfect in his flesh, it was his sacrifice of his flesh, not ours, or any other person to every live on earth that allows us to be in Christ and which declares us sinless in Spirit, and not our flesh. But the question remains how are we sinless in Christ? Because remember Christ made it abundantly clear that our flesh born from Adam was of no value at all?

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.

We are in Christ, not by works from our fallen flesh, once a sinner, we do not become a non-sinner by some work from our fallen flesh. Our thinking we can perfect the fallen flesh is the equivalent of saying that a thorn bush can produce good fruit, or a polluted well can unpolluted itself by reading God's word the bible, and/or by feeding a dog cat food makes the dog a cat! So what makes a person a non-sinner? It is the death of their sinful flesh, the putting it to death in Christ. Man does not put his own flesh to death by his personal will so he/she can live in Christ, such claims are impossible! One would have to kill themselves, but then who would resurrect them back into life? A new life without sin? Would it be the power of their own fleshly will, their philosophical mind, the wisdom of the world, or a religion? Would it be their own goodness that they boast in while in the fallen flesh? Is this the power needed to bring one back into life without sin? Yet, many in religion boast in flesh, in controlling the flesh by strong biblical judgments, as if the old flesh can be made righteous, or it can be perfected into righteousness by works of law.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.

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.

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

This concept of self-salvation is a lie! It is the first lie promoted by the pride of Satan. That his own beauty and goodness would give him life, stating he did not have to be under God headship that he created himself by his good motive. and/or heart, by some work he had done. However, death in Christ means we accept fully his ransom sacrifice by putting faith in him as our new life alone, not in our old fallen flesh, but our life in Spirit and truth, which is the living spirit person of Christ Jesus. Knowing that nothing in ourselves from our sinful flesh is good enough or will ever be good enough to declare us sinless which means righteous. Who is good, only one is good, God our Father!

1 John 5:20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue;

James 4:14 Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

Hebrews 7:16 who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Ephesians 4:22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

Christ life kills our sins, blotting them out, killing them because we are dead to sin "in Christ",by no other way! Our flesh is of no value in this process, our faith in Christ is everything nothing of our will or good works is righteous. Once dead in Christ, that is, the judgment of our old self is finish by our death in Christ, we are raised up new, in spirit, the flesh and all that was in our old self no longer exist to God (judgment), it is buried in death, cast into the sea, to be what? Remembered no more! What is left of us, a mere vessel of flesh clay (one does not have a judgment against clay because it has no will of its own.) which contains what is holy and righteous the life of Christ. The tent is not Christ, the vessel is not Christ, or his life, what is in the tent and/or vessel filling it and sanctifying it? It is the life of Christ coming from the Spirit, which life purchases us from this earth for God's glory. We no longer live in the flesh, like the world and conform to its desires which world glorifies the flesh, living to do the will of the flesh, building empires by uses of laws for the flesh that control and in disciplining the flesh, but those in Christ live and walk by the Spirit and their tent follows.

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.

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.

This is the context of Paul's words above, he not saying take laws condemning the flesh, make it obey those religious rules trying to make it perfect and teh fallen flesh you will be holy. That would contradict the entire letter of Roman's, the flesh cannot please God, now it either can or it can't? The push of all those of the world in building a life on earth, putting down roots deep into this life for a name after they die by making the flesh clean and righteous to appear beautiful before men. Looking good; make it better by some new scheme then hanging names on new self-help program by putting some new decoration upon it, boasting of its goodness in some deed, letting everyone know how great thou art so many will glorify self, after death.

2 Corinthians 5:4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Isa.53:2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 53:3 He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn't respect him. 53:4 Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.

This is the key to the mystery of idol worship started by Satan in the garden of Eden. Satan did not show Adam and Eve future kingdoms of the world, or the many books and glorious building mankind would created and accomplished, he went to the core of all idol worship to the heart. Is mankind heart God's heart? Does it sustain life, does it have life because of what it can do in the will of the flesh by its own good motives? Not according to God, life is not found in man at all, nothing in his works or ways of life is perfect enough to give him eternal life without God sustain his life. The Son of God is life, and God gives us life, in Christ whom when he dwells in us, that is of course, if we are dead too our flesh in Christ, and not part of this world.

Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Rom.3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.
3:11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 3:12 They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one."{Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20}
3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit."{Psalm 5:9} "The poison of vipers is under their lips;"{Psalm 140:3} 3:14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."{Psalm 10:7} 3:15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways. 3:17 The way of peace, they haven't known."{Isaiah 59:7-8} 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."{Psalm 36:1}

James 3:5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
3:6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.{or, Hell}
3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. 3:8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. 3:10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 3:11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 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.
3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.