Grace Classics: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 2 by Paul Ellis Read Free Book Online

are trusting. Adam and Eve trusted their own good judgment and
got into serious trouble. So can we.
    “Paul,
can you give me some examples?” In this chapter we looked at one example of
walking after the flesh in the pursuit of something good, namely, trying to
keep the law. But there are plenty more, as we shall see in the next chapter…
     
     

8. How to Walk After the Flesh in Twenty Easy
Lessons
     
    If you’ve ever taken young
children to the zoo, you will know that the big animals tend to be more popular
than the small ones. Elephants, rhinos, and tigers get more attention than otters,
turtles, and geckos. And so it is with works of the flesh.
    Ask any
Christian to list the works of the flesh and they will likely respond with the
list found in Galatians 5:19–21: adultery, hatred, idolatry, murder, etc. Paul
calls these the manifest or obvious works of the flesh. They are the biggies,
the elephantine examples of what it means to live apart from God. But the Bible
also provides dozens of lesser examples that you may not be familiar with. I’ve
listed some of these lesser works of the flesh below.
    What
does it mean to walk after the flesh? Walking after the flesh is when you
attempt to get your needs met independently of God. It’s trusting in yourself
(your abilities, your understanding) and living solely from the basis of your
earthly experience (what you see, hear, touch, etc.). Now here’s something you
may not know: You can walk after the flesh in the pursuit of both good things
and bad things. Paul’s manifest works of the flesh—the biggies—are all clearly
associated with bad deeds, but some of the lesser works below are not bad at
all. This is a critical point. We are not comparing good deeds with bad, but
flesh with spirit. And when you’re walking after the flesh even good things can
be bad for you.
    As we
saw in the last chapter, a classic example of something that is good yet bad
for you is God’s law. It is not sin, it is good! But try to live by it and you
will find yourself walking after the flesh every time. Paul said his ability to
keep the righteous requirements of the law was ineffective because he tried to
do so in the puny strength of his flesh (Romans 8:3). Living under self-imposed
law is one of the main ways we walk after the flesh—hence its position at the
top of my list.
    Just a
reminder: The wrong way to read this list is the carnal way—identifying things
you should or should not do. We are less interested in the what than in
the how . So how do we walk after the flesh? Here are twenty ways:
     
    20 ways to walk after the flesh
     
    1.       Try to keep God’s law (Romans 7:9–25):
Think that you have to do stuff to be blessed and that you have to perform to
stay saved.
     
    2.       Set your mind on earthly things
(Philippians 3:19): Keep your eyes on the here and now. “What you see is all
there is” (see Colossians 3:2). Entangle yourself in the affairs of life (2
Timothy 2:4).
     
    3.       Think about how to gratify the lusts of
the flesh (Romans 13:14): If it feels good, do it.
     
    4.       Pursue your goal through self-denial
(Colossians 2:21–23): Don’t look, don’t drink, don’t touch. Fast twice a week.
Worship perfectionism (Galatians 3:3, KJV).
     
    5.       Make sacrifices to impress God (Hebrews
10:8): Be conscious of your debt to Jesus and consider it your duty to serve
him. Put your ministry or business before your marriage and family.
     
    6.       Load others with heavy burdens (Luke
11:46): Expect your Christian staff to work harder for less pay. Send the
message that the work is more important than their families or health. Shackle
them to your vision. Use emotional manipulation and scriptures to pressure
people to support you.
     
    7.       Take pride in your independence
(Jeremiah 17:5): Respect no one, scorn authority, flaunt your freedom. Say
things like, “Who needs fathers? I follow Christ” (1