A SERIES ON THE PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION:
READ: JOHN 6:63 FLESH PROFITS NOTHING
... the flesh profiteth nothing...
Principle: gleaned from one/most
controversial passages/Bible. Not our intention to look at this debate
(Between Rome & Protestants on the so called Real Presence) but
suffice/say: That the spiritual interpretation (Protestant) will always
prevail over the RC one, because Rome wants us to take the fleshly road
& our text puts the nail/coffin: Flesh profits nothing. These
words/Jesus were spiritual words (v63) & intended to be taken
spiritually. But…a debate for another day.
When we come to Scripture, we must ever remember that anything done in
the flesh - even if done by an otherwise spiritual man/God - can never
profit. "FAILURE" written over it, even it appears to be succeeding.
Flesh can never profit.
1) HOW THE FLESH MANIFESTS ITSELF:
The flesh is anything done without the help of the Spirit/God.
Has its origins in the heart/man & although it might appear to be acceptable (heart/man is deceitful) yet it is not so.
A/ Sometimes the flesh is very blatant: Key passage: Galatians 5:19-21 (Quote)
Ought to be pretty obvious when these things appear that they are most unprofitable.
B/ But sometimes the flesh is not so noticeable/apparent.
Devil is a deceiver & where the most blatant fails to prevail, he will rework his approach & try to be less obvious.
If he succeeds in this, then although we might not be outwardly
fleshly, yet flesh it is & therefore seen or not, of no profit.
Please consider this:
[i] If you come across a passage where someone is fighting in their own
strength…you cannot interpret it as a profitable thing to do.
Do not imitate them. Examples:
Joshua/Ai (Joshua 7) Routed even with superior manpower.
David ordering the headcount despite Joab (2 Samuel 24)
Avoided: Gideon when Lord reduced army of 30,000 to 300.
[ii] Fleshly when men seek to do something in their own wisdom:
Distinctly told: Lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)
Joshua again failed here: Asked not counsel/mouth of the Lord (9:14) & spared the Gibeonites.
Paul excelled here: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 & so a profitable ministry.
"I kept back nothing that was profitable to thee" (Acts 20:20)
How was this? Avoided the flesh. He delivered not his own wisdom, although his Rabbinical training could've kept him supplied.
[iii] Becomes fleshly when men seek their own timing. Hence we are told
with great emphasise to "wait upon the Lord…wait patiently for
Him" (Psalm 27:14/37:7) Those men whose lives profited most were those
who walked with God i.e. walked in step with God. As we read of
Enoch/Noah…interpret/passage in light of our principle: Flesh
profits nothing. There was nothing fleshly in these men.
[iv] See/flesh…we read of those who adopted their own methods.
Never right to leave the Book. Emphasised to Moses: See that he do
according to the pattern shown him/mount (Hebrews 8:5) When Uzzah
helped introduce the new cart for the ark/God…introduced a
new/novel method & was so fleshly that he died. Ultimate loss.
[v] Flesh seen…we read of men seeking their own glory. Consider
men like Joab/Jehu. Men who fought on the right side, but there was
ever an undercurrent of self seeking. Subsequently, Joab failed to make
the list of David's mighty men. His glory was fleshly & therefore
unworthy of God's praise.
2) WHY IS THE FLESH SO UNPROFITABLE?
A/ If the flesh is the outworking of the heart/man (Those things which
are the works/flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 are said to flow from/heart:
Mark 7:21-23)…well the heart of man is sinful. It never pays to
sin. Sin is the ultimate loss maker. It costs to sin.
B/ The flesh cannot claim the purposes/God. When a man sets out to
promote the gospel & holiness etc., he can count on the help/God in
this matter…for it is God's declared purpose that one day
holiness will reign. Reign/holiness marks the ultimate passing away of
sin/fleshiness. Purposes/God oppose the flesh & since the
purposes/God always prevail…then flesh/unprofitable.
C/ Similar thought…the flesh cannot claim the support/God.
Practical outworking/purposes of God. God always sustains His own work.
So David is preserved while Saul perishes. David is supported/preserved
while fleshly wise Ahithophel hangs himself. Greedy Judas effectively
negotiates his own death. The very thing Ciaphas sought to avoid -
destruction by the Romans - came to pass. Why? No support from God.
D/ Flesh is so unprofitable because it will be burned up. Build your
future on those precious stones. To build it on the imaginations of the
flesh is to endure a great loss.
3) HOW CAN WE BEST DEAL WITH THE FLESH?
As apply these principles, we are forced to see how we can deal with
the flesh. To what end do we interpret our Bibles? Much more than to
possess mere head knowledge. As we come across the flesh in the
lives/various people in the Bible, we must be forced back to the same
Book for principles enabling us to deal with it in our own lives.
A/ Recognise our proneness to the flesh. Fleshly without the least
effort. The battle is to be spiritually. Every day, we must fight this
battle again. And the next day & the next etc.,
B/ Recognise & appropriate the reason why Christ came, died &
rose again i.e. that He might destroy the works/Devil i.e. the flesh.
We cannot fight the flesh in the flesh. The flesh must win! If you beat
yourself at chess…who won? Who lost? Yourself! By seeking to
apply the victory/Calvary, we will be able to resist the flesh &
seek to make our decisions etc., in the power/Spirit of God. That's
when we start to profit.
C/ Bible gives us an interesting/decisive instruction as to what to do
about the flesh: Best summed up in Galatians 5:24 They that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Pretty
decisive is it not? It needs to be done every day. OT illustration of
it was when Samuel hewed Agag in pieces. Despite Agag's heart wrenching
pleas. By contrast, Saul had let him live. Fleshly & through it
Saul lost his throne. Unprofitable.
D/ These things frighten us & we say: "I can't!" Cry to God in
prayer & tell Him & He has vouched you the help you need.
4) GOD'S ALTERNATIVE TO THE FLESH:
A/ Text: It is the Spirit that quickeneth. Galatians 5 & elsewhere
all point us to the help of the Spirit/God. We are to be spirit filled
etc., We are to walk in the Spirit etc.,
B/ The Spirit is there for every child/God: If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke
11:13)
So here is another principle/Bible interpretation. The flesh can never
profit. It may appear to be most profitable. The prosperity of the
wicked was a thorn to several/Bible (Job 21/Psalm 73) but ultimately
they died & perished while those who ever did God's will shall
never see death but reign with Him eternally.