Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Col.2:18 Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 2:19 and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God's growth.

Each of us have a spirit that is personified in our personality, each of us also have sinful flesh that puts on a personality for others. But those in Christ have the personality of the spirit of Christ working in them. They are dead to the flesh, and alive in Christ. Our flesh demands certain rules from others, and when they don't meet our expectation we bring them in line by words which punish or correct the person.

Romans 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

The flesh demands a religious person to act a certain way, and above all that way must be in humility, but if it is not from the spirit indwelling the person, which is the truth of us, it becomes a mocked humility. A mock up is a drawing, or an object that represent, and/or gives us a view of the reality we are going to build. But it is not the real thing. The question we must ask ourselves as a Christian is, what personality do we have, if our flesh should be dead in Christ?

Romans 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.

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.

There is a humility in the flesh, an act of being humble in the eyes of other human, which is expected from those serving God. This act is called putting on a hat for the occasion. Acting to the flesh is a god, which is why humans love movies, theater, and idolize those performing in them as god's. How wonderful to act like someone we are not! Putting the hat of authority on, or some other hat that is expected of us in a certain position to act a certain way. One goes to a fine restaurant and puts on airs of manners, one drinks a bottle of fine wine and acts highbrow.

Matthew 24:11 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Christ is the truth, he is not an act, and he hates a lie, which is an act of being something we are not. Christ being the truth knows the truth of us, what actually dwells in us as Christian's. We are saved in Christ, we have been given the life of Christ in dwelling us as a living Spirit that teaches us the truth, so how can a person put on a act of holiness while in a Christian's gathering? Why would a Christian put on the airs of humility when what dwells in them is not humility?

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.

Well, this is what Paul was concern with for those claiming to be in Christ, were they walking in truth, or were they walking in their flesh acting like they were in Christ? But this problems was not so simple for them or for us, because of a most powerful tool the Devil and our own flesh used to be righteous before men in their flesh, and what is that?

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Paul was demolishing the power of the law, showing these brothers and sister that keeping the law did not make them righteous, an act of righteousness demanded by the flesh in proving one was meeting the law. The law could not be meant by flesh that has been born into sin, it could not be keep it, but it could put on an act of humility as though it was keeping the law, how? By reverence in speech, by clothing, by acts of movements in projecting humility too others. By using the scriptures thinking such makes a person righteous.

1 Timothy 1:9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Truth was Christ gave each of them a righteous standing with God, proof they had received eternal life within them, which is Christ spirit indwelling them. Now if that was true without meeting the law perfectly by acts of humility, how could going back to a law they could not keep give them greater life? In other words, if they did nothing to deserve the eternal life of Christ indwelling them, than how could acting more righteous in a mocked humility gain them a better standing with God than Christ indwelling them?

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

Ephesians 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast.

Well, it could not! But that was not the point of bring back the law Christ had completed and/or fulfilled for them by his merit on earth. The point was pleasing the flesh of others more than God. This was the truth of the spirit of flesh found in them under sins laws causing competition, causing self-justification, causing them to act opposite of the truth in them.

2 Timothy 1:9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,

James 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
4:2 You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.
4:3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"?
4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34}

These brothers and sisters were proud to entertain others by acting like Christ, but not being Christ that should be indwelling them which life is hated by the flesh; the flesh is loved by the world. Such being in Christ brought them nothing from their flesh, no praise, no great honor, no power, no position, because it was dead without honor and glory. But these brothers and sister were wiser than God in killing their flesh for them, they wanted others to honor the good within their flesh, not the good indwelling them by Christ life, they had forgotten their cleansing from long ago?

1Cor.1:21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

1Cor. 1:26 For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; 1:27 but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 1:28 and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:

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