Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

1Pet.2:11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 2:12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

No part of the world, as Abraham lived in tents as foreigner, or pilgrim in the land, waiting upon God's promises in faith, so are God's living stones in this world. Many Christian's try to make an everlasting name for themselves in a world or system of things they are no part of, because of lacking faith in God's promises, they want a secure place in the history of mankind. However, the apostle Peter says we are just passing through of little, or no value to the land or the people living life as though its the only life they will every have in this world. Than Peter speaks fruther words that may shock legal minded Christian's, saying we are to abstain from fleshly lust, but why?

Genesis 12:8 He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.

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.

Shouldn't people like Peter and these first century Christian's be free of such lust of their flesh, if they were strong Christian's? In other words, after many of years of faithfully applying the rule of law shouldn't our lust be contain where we have none? Moreover, why would Peter need to remind us at all, isn't this one of the primary doctrine of the Christ, repentance from dead works?

None of this makes much sense to the logic of the fleshly mind, but to impute evil too others by laws created for our flesh, theres the logic. However, let us be mindful here that our flesh is dead in Christ, meaning without judgment. One does not dig up a dead body draging it before a court of men to judge it back into death, now does one? These brothers and sisters were living stones with the life of Christ giving power to their mortal bodies still in the fleshly tents, like a pilgrims living as foreigners of the land, temporary aliens, not a part of this world. Freed as it were, from the laws of this foreigner country, the world.

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

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.

They were not being judged by laws of the flesh, their flesh was dead to God's judgments, they were not being judged by what they drink, or ate, where they lived, by something considered dead in God's eyes their flesh. Now if we take the apostles Peters words from this context they make perfect sense, yes! Remind the brothers and sisters not to uses this freedom in Christ as an excuse to sin, offending those people of the world living by the laws of the nations. God does not condone evil, he has not freed us to make us workers of unrighteousness. But on the other hand, neither let us become like the world judging by laws of sin created for death our brothers and sisters, so that we become the world.

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.

We are freed from judgment of our flesh, but yet residing in our flesh having lust, which flesh is our temporary tent, but let us not condone lust of our flesh, let us live in faith, walking in Spirit, that is, the mind of Christ, our truth knowing these sufferings in our flesh perfects our faith causing us to live no longer for the will of men, in our flesh, but to the glory of God by our faith in God's promises of a better city having real foundation for us.

Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.{NU omits "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"} 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the 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,

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;

1 Peter 4:2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

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