Willing Spirit Weak Flesh

Tomorrow we begin second semester classes. I will be preaching tomorrow in chapel to kick off our Spiritual Emphasis week. I will be preaching on Christ’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. Because Christ’s humanity is so apparent in that narrative, we are given a wonderful example of the thoughts and attitudes that we must have if we are going to be like Christ in the midst of our own struggle against our humanity.

One verse has highlighted for me problems with the types of applications that we usually here (and make) during messages at our churches: Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. As we preach, we look out at the congregation and see many people who we know are carnal in their daily lives. As we seek to apply our preaching to their lives, many times we limit ourselves to what are really exhortations. Some examples could be: be holier, be more fervent in your prayer, have more faith, be more disciplined, love God more, hate the world even more, etc. The main problem is that these applications are directed to the "spirit." Most believers that come to church have sincere desires to be more spiritual. In other words, their spirit truly is ready and willing. Other times we direct our application at their behavior, and we exhort them to change their behavior: don’t sin so much, don’t get angry, don’t gossip, don’t be bitter, etc. Again, most of the congregation doesn’t want to get angry, be bitter, etc., but they don’t know how to stop being bitter, getting angry, etc. The problem is that their flesh is weak and carnal. In our preaching we don’t need content and application that primarily targets their desires and motivations (we need that at times as well—but remember that the spirit is willing). Neither do we need content and application which exhorts believers to behave better (although practical application is good and needy—a balance is needed). What we really need is content and application that helps them counteract the weakness of their flesh. They need the power and grace of God to be victorious and to really be holier, more fervent, etc. They need to be made aware of and to avail themselves of the spiritual resources that God has placed at their disposal in order to gain victory over the flesh.

The question that we must ask ourselves is this: what are those biblical resources and means that God has given us to avail ourselves of His grace and power which will in turn result in true holiness? That is a question to which I would love some feedback (click on Comments below this post).

Here are a few ideas: 1) Divine activity: God has acted on our behalf, in order to solve the problems our human nature does not allow us to solve. 2) Truth. God’s character and God’s activity on our behalf is Truth, which is the biblical foundation upon which true spiritual holiness must be built. People must know and meditate upon Truth in order to have any spiritual basis upon which to construct a truly spiritual life. Too many times we attempt to change without knowing and personalizing the biblical truths concerning our struggles. 3) Grace. God’s grace is more than just favor (in the passive sense of "I used to not like you but now I do but I’m not doing anything about it"). It is the active provision of spiritual resources on our behalf. Of course, I must avail myself of those resources through means of spiritual disciplines: Bible study (provides me with Truth), meditation (personalizes and applies the Truth), unselfish and truly spiritual prayer, fasting, etc. While these things do not of themselves give me God’s grace (make me spiritual), they allow me to see God’s greatness and glory (2 Cor. 3:18) which in turn will bring about true spiritual transformation and biblical spirituality. I realize that there is some overlap between these elements.

This is an issue that I long to fully resolve in my own thinking in order to have truly biblical content and valid application in my preaching. Any thoughts? (Sorry about the length of this post.)