Table of Contents Introduction The Work of Christ - Past and Present Dialectic Balance Jesus is Lord and Savior Differentiating Spirit and Soul Our Spiritual Condition Sinful Patterns in the Soul The "Flesh" 20 "Self" S.E.L.F. The Positive Swallows up the Negative The Process Positiva The Process Negativa The Process of Death or Crucifixion The Resurrection-life of Jesus Attempts to Deal with Sin by Self-effort Denial of the Need to Deal with Sin Personal Ability Personal Revelation God's Grace Activity Our Response of Faith Conclusion Endnotes

Introduction

            The superficiality of our culture has permeated into the mind-set of the Western church. The "cheap grace"¹ that Bonhoeffer warned about has fostered an "easy-believism" that has allowed a superficial assent to Christianity that requires no real change or sacrifice. In a culture that advocates "safe sex," we have similarly developed a "safe" form of Christianized religion wherein no one is responsible for his actions. There is no doubt that God hates this farcical masquerade of role-playing, for it is totally alien to the dynamic reality of the living Lord Jesus manifesting His life in receptive Christian people.

            Hundreds of thousands of people have responded to the evangelistic invitations of Billy Graham and other evangelists or preachers. They have joined various churches, attending catechism and new member classes where they learned the basic facts of Christian doctrine. Baptized and confirmed, they became "voting members" involved in their churches. They serve on committees, in leadership positions, and even behind the pulpit, but their faithful, loyal and dedicated "service" is often but a sterile form of "churchianity" that is devoid of the Christ-life that constitutes Christianity.

            How can genuine Christians be content with going through the motions of ritualistic religion? How can they be content with cultural accommodation that adapts to the world's ways under the pretext of "relevance" and seeking to "be all things to all people" (I Cor. 9:22)? How can they be content with periodic "highs" of emotional experience that are inspiring, exciting, and "moving"? How can they be content to have their ears tickled with inspirational pabulum and the panacea of peace that proclaims, "All is well?"

            Many who call themselves "Christians" seem to be oblivious to and unconcerned about the fact that the character of their behavior is selfishly misrepresentative of Jesus Christ, and fails to manifest the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22,23). Jesus clearly indicated that a person's spiritual condition would be evidenced by the "fruit" of his behavior (Matt. 7:16-23). Since a Christian is a "Christ-one" in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells (Rom. 8:9), if the character of Christ is not being evidenced in a person's life then it is legitimate to question whether that individual is a Christian despite his profession of such. It is not possible to be a nominal Christian "in name only," or a depository Christian who claims to have received Christ into his heart but has no evident desire for intimacy with the living Lord Jesus and no apparent growth in character expression. Those who seem to be content with a false hope that they have a ticket to heaven, or a pass to wave at St. Peter when they get to the pearly gates of Paradise must be confronted with the fact that it is possible to be a professor of Christ who is not a possessor of Christ. Christian salvation is not a static transaction whereupon one "got saved" at a particular point in time by engaging in prescribed activities. Salvation involves being "made safe" from the dysfunction of satanically abused humanity, in order to function as God intended as the expressive vessel of divine character. Genuine Christianity must not adapt itself to the games that the world plays with names, labels, and positions. Christianity is the dynamic reality of the living Christ within us functioning as Savior, continuing to save us from the dominations of sinful patterns in our lives as He overcomes such by His character.

            Christian literature throughout the ages has consistently explained that the superficiality of easy-believism does not constitute genuine Christianity. A.W. Pink cautioned,

 "Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply 'accepting Christ' as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."²

The missionary statesman, Norman P. Grubb, wrote,

 "The only infallible, inexorable consequence of a sinner receiving salvation is not always made plain by Gospel preachers. It is often easy to get the impression that it is certainly necessary to have our sins forgiven, to be delivered from the wrath to come, to receive an assured entrance into heaven; but to submit to the total control of Christ is something which may and should follow, but does not necessarily do so; and even that it is possible to enjoy the former without the latter. Nothing could be more false or absurd. There is no salvation conceivable, possible or actual, other than God's way in infinite grace of destroying the false form of life in which man lives, and replacing it by the true. The false form of life is that which has "self" in the centre; the true form of life is that which has God at its centre - Christ living in me." ³

            Though some who call themselves "Christians" seem to be oblivious to the misrepresentations of their lives, there are others who suspect there is "something more" to the Christian life than they have experienced. In the words of the song made popular by Peggy Lee, they are asking, "Is that all there is?" Sometimes they meet a Christian person who has a vital and vibrant personal relationship with the living Lord Jesus, and they make comments like: "Jesus seems so real to you. It's as if you believe that Jesus really talks to you, and walks with you, day by day." They ask questions like: "Do you really think that God is personally orchestrating your life? How can you be so sure that Jesus lives in you, and that God is working in your life?" The Spirit of Christ is often working in these individuals causing them to hunger and thirst for the fullness of what He wants to be and do in their lives.

            Many Christians seem to think that the work of Christ was completed and terminated when Jesus was historically crucified on the cross. If that were true, then Jesus was but another dead martyr to be remembered in history. From the cross Jesus exclaimed, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). That statement was not a cry of defeat or termination, but a declaration of victory. Jesus was declaring that redemption was accomplished by the remedial action of his death, as He vicariously and substitutionally submitted to the "power of death" (Heb. 2:14) and paid the price (cf. I Cor. 6:20; 7:23) of the death consequences of sin (cf. Gen. 2:17). Also inherent in His exclamation was the declaration that by His death He was setting in motion the inexorable completion of the full restoration of mankind to the intent for which God had created man. "It was impossible for Him to be held in death's power" (Acts 2:24), Peter explained, and God raised Him up in resurrection victorious over death. By His resurrection, the One Who is "resurrection and life" (John 11:25) made His risen life available to mankind in regeneration (I Peter 1:3). The receipt of the life of the risen Lord Jesus in regeneration is not the completion of the work of Christ in the Christian, either. "Made both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36), and "declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4), the living Lord Jesus seeks to administer His governance in the lives of Christians by continuing His saving work. His "saving death" was singularly and totally sufficient for redemption, but by His 'saving life" (cf. Rom. 5:10) the risen Lord and Savior continues to save Christians from the patterns of selfishness and sin that residually remain in the desires of their soul. The entirety of Christ's work in Christian experience, whether justification, regeneration, sanctification, or glorification, was encompassed in His declaration of the victory of His "finished work."

            When the person and work of Jesus Christ are limited to historical and theological discussions of the incarnated person of Jesus and His redemptive mission within history, there is a great restriction to the fullness of the gospel. The studies of Christology (the study of the person of Jesus Christ) and soteriology (the study of the work of Christ in redemption and salvation) are often allowed to constrict the work of Christ by failing to consider the continuing function of the risen Lord and Savior after His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecostal return in Spirit form (cf. II Cor. 3:17,18). Christianity was not intended to be just an historical society for the remembrance of the historical Jesus. Neither was the Christian community to be simply a theological society for the formulation of accurate explanations of the historical Christ event. Christianity cannot be properly understood apart from the eternal ongoing dynamic of the life of the risen Lord Jesus continuing His work as Lord and Savior of mankind.

            The Truth (cf. John 8:32,36; 14:6) of the Christian gospel must not be entombed in static categories of ideological conceptions. "Salvation," for example, must not be regarded as a static commodity that is dispensed by Jesus as a benefit to those who will assent to His Being. Salvation is not a static "eternal life package" that is placed "on deposit" within the Christian believer or in a heavenly repository for future enjoyment. Jesus Christ is presently and forever the "eternal life" (cf. John 11:25; 14:6; I John 5:12,13) of God, and He functions dynamically in His work as eternal Savior to cause His "saving life" to overcome sin. In His function as Savior, He does not simply "make us safe" from erroneous spiritual thinking, or "make us safe" from a destiny in hell, but He continues to "make us safe" from the dysfunctional humanity that derives from a spiritual source other than Himself (cf. Eph. 2:2,3; I John 3:8), in order that we might function as God intended by the presence and expression of the divine life and character in human behavior. There is no salvation apart from the dynamic function of the living Savior, Jesus Christ.

            To explain how the living Lord Jesus continues His dynamic function as Savior, this study will be graphically formatted in the form of a dialectic tension (cf. Addendum A). An explanation of "dialectic" is probably necessitated. A dialectic format considers two concepts or realities and brings them into logical dialogue with one another. The objective is not to cause one to rise above the other and overcome the other, but to allow a "both-and" interaction of the two. They are not meant to compete with one another, but to complete one another. Both premises are required, and like "two sides of a coin," they cannot be separated one from the other. They exist in a co-relational balance whereby the one provides clarifying definition and context to the other, without attempting to overcome or suppress the other. This balanced tension of two premises is differentiated, therefore, from dualism, which in its classic definition posits two equal powers that are counterbalanced in a stalemate. A paradox posits two opposites that are juxtaposed to note their polarized distinction. An antinomy, meaning "against the law of reason," notes two concepts that form an unreasonable and irresolvable contradiction. Socratic synthesizing regards one premise as the "thesis" and another as the "antithesis," and seeks to bring them together in a unified "synthesis." A dichotomy, etymologically defined as "cut in two," creates a bifurcation of two ideas into an "either-or" polarity. Whereas dialectic necessitates a "both-and" counterbalance, the failure to preserve such balanced tension by allowing one or the other concept to be pushed to its extreme by overcoming, neglecting or denying the other, allows for the development of an "either-or" dichotomy. These dichotomous extremes are noted in the outer columns of the graphic in the addendum.

            Western thought in general, and Western theology in particular, has always had great difficulty with dialectic balance. Steeped, as they are, in Aristotelian logic categories, demanding clear-cut cause and effect syllogisms or synthesized conclusions, Western thinkers usually eschew the counter-tension of dialect, desiring that everything be figured out in logical categories. Western thought wants clearly defined presuppositions that allow for formulas and equations producing a patent result. The resultant systematization of thought creates static boxes of ideology that become settled fixations, wherein the adherents are unwilling to consider alternative ideas. Dialectic, on the other hand, requires a dynamic interplay of concepts and ideas kept in tensioned balance with due respect for the alternative.

            With this dialectic format in mind, we proceed to consider the completed victory that every Christian has in Christ, alongside of the continuing necessity of dealing with sin in the life of every Christian. By faith every Christian participates in "the victory that overcomes the world" (I John 5:4), and is able to "overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37), because we are all "complete in Christ" (Col. 2:10). At the same time, "if we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8), for we all have "sin which so easily entangles us" (Heb. 12:1), and must agree with Paul concerning the "sin that indwells us" (Rom. 7:17,20,21,23). How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory concepts without denying one or the other? Can they be maintained in the tensioned balance of dialectic thinking? The objective of this study will be to provide answers to those questions.

            The risen and living Christ is the eternal Lord and Savior. He cannot cease to be Who He is. He cannot refrain from functioning as Who He is. Christ's function as Savior extends beyond the historical action of submitting to execution by crucifixion on the cross of Calvary for the redemption of the death consequences of sin. Christ's function as Lord is more than a theological assertion of deity, sovereignty, or abstract authority. In His person and work Jesus Christ always functions as Lord and Savior, and certainly continues to do so as He indwells the Christian.

            A strange separation of Christ's being and function has developed in modern evangelicalism. There are some who advocate that an individual can "accept Jesus as their Savior" to become a Christian, and then later can "accept Jesus as their Lord" to become a disciple of Christ. This dissection of the being and function of Jesus into two parts became the issue of the "lordship salvation" debate of the late 20^th century in American evangelicalism. Unfortunately the debate tended to polarize the two sparring groups, rather than finding the balance of the two truths of the dialectic of Christ's work as Lord and Savior. Christ's function as Lord and Savior is always conjunctive, and neither can legitimately be separated from the other.

            In his book, I Call it Heresy, A.W. Tozer wrote:

"To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching for no one can receive half of Christ. Any message that presents a Savior who is less than Lord of all cannot claim to be the gospel according to Jesus. He is Lord, and those who refuse Him as Lord cannot use Him as Savior."⁴

"The Lord will not save those whom He cannot command. He will not divide His offices. You cannot believe on a half-Christ. We take Him for what He is - the anointed Savior and Lord who is King of kings and Lord of all lords! He would not be Who He is if He saved us and called us and chose us without the understanding that He can also guide and control our lives."⁵

            The "Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" (cf. II Peter 1:11; 3:2,18) always acts in accordance with Who He is in the entirety of His Being. He does not act as a Jekyll and Hyde (Savior and Lord) schizophrenic. The ontological dynamic of His "Being in action" will always combine His Being and function as Lord and Savior. The ancient Latin scholastics used the phrase, actio sequitur esse, indicating, "the action is in accordance with the being that acts." Since Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, He will always act as such.

            Experientially, there may seem to be a sequence of Christ's function, for in accepting by faith His redemptive work as Savior of mankind, an individual enters into a personal relationship with Christ wherein His function as authoritative Lord is accepted with submissive consent. Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, however, does not "make Him Lord," for He is eternally the divine Lord. Functioning as the Lord in a Christian's life, He continues to do His saving work of "making us safe" from the residual sin-patterns formed in the desires of our soul. His continued saving function in the Christian does not actuate His function as Lord, rather it is in the context of His Lordship that the living Christ continues to do His saving work of dealing with the sin in our lives.

            As Christ lives in the Christian, He exposes all that is not consistent and compatible with Himself, i.e. all that is not Himself. The living Lord demands exclusivity. He said in the Sermon on the Mount, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other" (Matt. 6:24; Lk. 16:18). As the loving Lord, He jealously desires that the Christian not be a slave of unrighteousness, but a "slave of righteousness" (Rom. 6:16-19), of Himself. The Lord of Righteousness will of necessity find all selfism, selfishness, egoism, and egocentricity to be antithetical to Himself and incompatible with His own Being. As such, it is intolerable, and His Holy character will act to "separate" such from His presence in us as He functions in grace to overcome such. If as the Holy Lord He did not deal with all selfishness and sin contrary to Himself, then He would present Himself as an impotent lord, a figurehead lord, a "lord in name only," a Lord that does not act in accordance with Who He is. This cannot be, for God does what He does, because He is Who He is.

            The Greek word for "Lord" (kurios) is the same word that is translated "Master" (cf. Matt. 6:24). The word implies ownership, as well as deterministic and functional control. In the ancient world a master owned the slaves and had a right to expect his slaves to submit to his desires with unquestioned obedience. Jesus asked, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). In obedience to Christ as Lord, the new covenant Christian is to "listen under" the instructional desires of our Lord, and to be receptive in faith to the grace dynamic of His activity in our lives. We are not our own (I Cor. 6:19,20; 7:23; Rom. 14:7), but we are His to do with as He wills.

            Thomas Merton explains,

   "Every baptized Christian is obliged by his baptismal promises to renounce sin and to give himself completely, without compromise to Christ.  As Paul reminds us (I Cor. 6:19), we are "not our own." We belong entirely to Christ. Out thoughts, our actions, our desires, are by rights more His than our own.

   Sin is the refusal of spiritual life, the rejection of the inner order and peace that comes from our union with the divine will. It is not only a refusal to "do" this or that; it is more radically a refusal to be what we are, a rejection of our mysterious, contingent, spiritual reality hidden in the very mystery of God. It is a refusal to be what we were created to be - sons of God, images of God

   All of us who have been baptized in Christ and have "put on Christ" as a new identity, are bound to be holy as He is holy. Our actions should bear witness to our union with Him. He should manifest His presence in us and through us."⁶

            Watchman Nee referred to the Lord Jesus in the Christians as "the resident boss," but He is more than just an authoritative ruler. Jesus is our life. He is the essential basis of who we are - our spiritual identity as a "Christ-one." He desires to be "all in all" of us, and to express His character in our behavior unto His own glory.

            What a tragic misunderstanding some Christians seem to have concerning the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Some have stated, "I am willing to assent to His being Lord, but I just don't want Him to 'lord it over me'!" Some Christians shy away from submitting to Christ as Lord because they consider it to be a loss of personal freedom, a loss of personal rights, a loss of self-control. Indeed it is, but Christ desires to control our lives in such a way as to bring the ultimate freedom of functioning in the context of divine love. The final "fruit of the Spirit" mentioned in Galatians 5:23 is not "self-control," as many versions translate the word, but "Godly control of the self," whereby we submit to His desires.

            To affirm that "Jesus is Lord" (Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 12:3), the earliest statement of faith among Christians, is to submit to His every desire in our lives. When He is everything to us, and all we want is what He wants, then we have "sanctified Christ as Lord in our lives" (I Peter 3:15), and are allowing Him to function as "our sanctification" (I Cor. 1:30). This sanctification is the continued saving action of the Savior as he "makes us safe" from dysfunctional sin-patterns and sinful misrepresentations of His character. When the angel directed Joseph to name Mary's son, "Jesus," the explanation was, "He will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). We are His people who are being saved from our sins. Paul explained to the Roman Christians "Having been reconciled to God, we shall be saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10), participating in the ongoing "saving life of Christ." Serving as the permanent high priest, the living Lord Jesus is "able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). The Lord Jesus continues to function as the eternal Savior in the lives of Christians.

            To properly understand the work of Jesus within the Christian as He functions conjunctively as Lord and Savior, requires a differentiation of spirit and soul, of our spiritual condition and psychological behavior. What a disservice theology has done for centuries by attempting to amalgamate spirit and soul as synonymous terms, even to the extent of regarding their differentiation as heretical. The biblical evidence sufficiently differentiates these differing functionalities of our humanity. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul indicated that to be "sanctified entirely," our "spirit and soul and body must be preserved complete" (I Thess. 5:23). The writer to the Hebrews notes, "the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit. and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). When we fail to differentiate spiritual function and psychological function, we end up with a mushy merging of psychologized spirituality or spiritualized psychology. Christians are left with an inability to explain the fixed condition of their spiritual union with the Spirit of Christ, alongside of the behavioral conflict in their soul. This is the breeding ground of the false identities, insecurity, and hypocrisy, which are rampant in the contemporary Christian community.

            Many Christians have not understood what was brought into being in their spirit by spiritual regeneration. Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again," explaining, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5,6). If the life of the risen and living Lord Jesus has not been birthed in our spirit, then we are not Christians. "If any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9), Paul wrote. On the other hand, if we have received the life of the Spirit of Christ, "the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom. 8:16).

            Christians are those who are "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (I Peter 1:3). They are "alive unto God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:11), with the very resurrection-life of Jesus dwelling in them. A spiritual exchange has been enacted whereby they have been "converted from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18). Previously we "were by nature children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3), but now the Christian has "become a partaker of the divine nature" (II Peter 1:4). This is a radical spiritual exchange, not to be considered as a joint-tenancy of two natures that allows for a dualistic and schizophrenic basis of identity, as well as a paranoid uncertainty of servitude. "No man can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24), Jesus declared.

            Much of the evangelical emphasis on being "born again" has been shallow and misleading. People have been led to think that just because they have raised their hand, walked an aisle, and repeated a creedal statement, they are promised a ticket to heaven with the future guarantee of eternal life. Christianity becomes an "escape hatch," or a "fire insurance policy" to avoid the terrifying threat of hell-fire. If this is the extent of what it means to be "born again," then it is no wonder that many have accepted the possibility of being spiritually "still-born," with no life expression of growth, maturity, and developing sonship. Such a suggestion of spiritual "still-birth" is not far removed from that of "spiritual abortion" whereby those who are unwilling to go through the labor and pain of Christ being formed in them (Gal. 4:19) participate in the abortion of Christ's life, though they might be adamantly opposed to physical abortion.

            It is imperative that Christians understand that we are spiritually regenerated when we receive Jesus into our spirit, when His very Being is present and active in the spiritual core of our being. "This is the mystery," Paul advised the Colossians, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). He questioned the Corinthians, "Do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you - unless you fail the test? (II Cor. 13:5). "It is no longer I who live," he explained to the Galatians, "but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). But even this glorious truth of the indwelling Christ in the Christian can degenerate into mundane statements of the location and placement where Jesus is deposited as a static commodity, failing to understand and appreciate that the living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has become our life (cf. Col. 3:4). This dynamic of divine life within the Christian disallows spiritual regeneration to be viewed as a static end in itself, and requires that we view regeneration as an initial receipt of the life of Christ, which must be dynamically lived out in our behavior. Regeneration is a crisis with a view to a process.

            The spiritual relationship that the Christian has with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior must not be viewed as a casual acquaintance. In its broadest definition, a "relationship" is merely the locative proximity of two or more objects. The personal relationship of the Christian and Christ, however, is a dynamic relationship that goes beyond placement and proximity to a relational union with Christ. "The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (I Cor. 6:17). This is not an essential oneness of equivalence, but a relational union of interactive conjunction, wherein the character of God is allowed expression in human behavior. Thomas Merton wrote,

"Christian holiness is not a mere matter of ethical perfection. Sanctity is not constituted only by good works or even by moral heroism, but first of all by ontological union with God 'in Christ.' Our ontological holiness is our vital union with the Holy Spirit." ⁷

When the Christian is spiritually regenerated, i.e. brought into being again with the life of Jesus in the individual, and that facilitated by the receptivity of faith, a relational spiritual union is established that must allow for the outworking of His life in our behavior.

            Everything becomes new for the Christian. "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (II Cor. 5:17). Whereas once we were identified as an "old man" (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9), we have been spiritually transformed into a "new man" (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). The "old man" identity has been crucified (Rom. 6:6), "put off" (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9), and eradicated - replaced by the "new man" identity of Christ's presence in our spirit, allowing us to participate in "newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). The "new heart and new spirit" that Ezekiel prophesied (Ezek. 36:26) has been given to us by the presence of the Spirit of Christ in our spirit. This was not a "heart transplant" or a "parts replacement," but the enlivening of our spirit by Christ's life as the "law of God is written on our hearts" (Heb. 8:10; 10:16).

The Christian is not just redeemed, a "sinner saved by grace," but the Christian is restored to God's intent for mankind. We have "all things in Christ" (I Cor. 3:21-23), "all things pertaining to life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3), "every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:3). We are "complete in Christ" (Col. 2:10). We need to be aware of our spiritual identity as "sons of God" (Gal. 3:26), "children of God" (John 1:12; I John 3:10), and "saints" (Rom. 8:27: Eph. 1:18; 4:12), who are now "godly" (II Pet. 2:9), "righteous" (Eph. 4:24; II Cor. 5:21), and "perfect" (Phil. 3:15; Heb. 12:23). Every facet of Christ's character is available to us in the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22,23), and the entirety of His functional ministry is made available via the charismata, the gifts of the Spirit. Everything that God wants us to have for everything that He wants to do in us is accorded to us by the indwelling presence and function of the living Lord Jesus.

The saving activity of the Savior has been completed in reference to the spiritual condition of every Christian. "For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Spiritually, the Christian has been "made safe" from the dysfunction of satanic misuse and abuse. We are "safe sons," who are "dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:11), and the Christ who lives in us and has become the basis of our identity "does not sin" (I John 3:9), allowing for the possibility that we "may not sin" (I John 2:1).

This perfection of our spiritual condition must not, however, obscure the ongoing activity of Christ the Savior in our soul. As "new creatures in Christ, all things have become new" (II Cor. 5:17) spiritually, but this is not to deny or disallow that there is a continued renewing (cf. Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23) still necessitated in the soul. Joshua's victory at Jericho still required the people of God to "take the land and overcome the strongholds." In like manner, we who "have been saved" (Eph. 2:8) must still be "saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10). We who are "perfect" (Phil. 3:15) must still be "perfected" (Phil. 1:6; Col. 1:28). We who are spiritually "made righteous" (Rom. 5:19) must "present our members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Rom. 6:13). Paul explained that the "new man" (Col. 3:10) continues to be renewed as he allows Christ to overcome the old ways of "anger, abusive speech, lying" etc. (Col. 1:8,9).

            The Christian who is a spiritual "new man" still retains old patterns of selfishness and sinfulness in the soul. These action and reaction patterns often present themselves in "old ways" of behavior that are not indicative of the character of Christ. These old patterns of behavior misrepresent who we are in Christ, but they do not necessarily cause us to revert to being an "old man." The "old man" is the unregenerate person, and while the spiritually regenerated "new man" may misrepresent the character of the One who is the basis of his identity, he is not in constant danger of apostatizing and becoming an "old man" again.

            Though the Christian is no longer identified as a "sinner" (Rom. 5:19), for his new spiritual identity is that of a "saint" (Eph. 4:12), there remains within the soul of a Christian many residual patterns of sinfulness. These are the patterns of how we learned to act and react as we dealt with situations and persons during our previous days of sinfulness. Yes, the Christian is "dead to sin" (Rom. 6:2,11) and no longer a "slave to sin" (Rom. 6:17), meaning that sin, with its personified satanic source (cf. I John 3:8), has no right to reign as master in our lives and hold us under its tyranny. In terms of forming our spiritual identity as "sinners" and exercising spiritual mastery of our lives, the power of sin has been expelled and exiled. But within the soul, Paul can still write of the "sin that indwells me" (Rom. 7:17,18,20,21,23). This "indwelling sin" is not a substantive "hunk of evil" within the Christian, nor is it the personified presence of Satan within the Christian, but it is the patterns of sinful action and reaction within the desires of our soul. Ancient Christian writers often referred to the Christian experience of dipsychia, the divided soul or psyche, divided by the "desires of the flesh" and the "desires of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:17).

            The apostle Paul could refer to Christians as "perfect" (Phil. 3:15), and yet just three verses previously he had confessed that he had not "already become perfect" (Phil. 3:12) behaviorally. The perfecting process, the maturing process, and the growth process of the Christian life is the continuing process of sanctification within the soul of a Christian.

            Writing to the Galatians, Paul asked, "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" The obvious answer is the latter, for we only receive the Spirit of Christ in regeneration by grace through faith. Following with another question, Paul asks, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:2,3). Again, the obvious answer is to deny that the ongoing process of sanctification and perfection can be effected by a fallacious "independent self" who falsely thinks it can auto-generate and self-produce divine character by the "works" of self-effort and performance in accord with some behavioral standards of conduct and morality that have been codified into "Christian law." All Christians are in the process of dealing with their idiosyncratic patterns of sinfulness and selfishness, but the means of overcoming our "indwelling sin" is not by legalistic efforts to conform, but by allowing Christ the Lord to overcome such by His character.

            Writing to the Christians in Asia Minor in the latter years of the 1^st century, the apostle John noted the necessity of Christians being aware of and admitting to their sinful behavior patterns. He was combating the nascent Gnosticism that advocated an elitism whereby one could be spiritually elevated above all sin. John replied, "If we (Christians) say (as the developing Gnostics say), that we have no sin (tendencies, propensities, or expression), then we are deceiving ourselves, and the Truth (Jesus Christ - cf. John 14:6) is not in us" (I John 1:8). But "if we confess (Greek homologeo - agree and concur with God that our sin is contrary to His character) our sins, then he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin (applying the forgiveness that resulted from the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (by the cathartic overcoming of Christ's character)" (I John 1:9).

            Thomas Merton declared,

"The Christian faith is 'extreme.' Once it has 'found' Christ, it sees the obligation to break completely with everything that is contrary to Him, no matter how much this break may cost. It sees the obligation of unswerving fidelity to His love, no matter how difficult that fidelity may sometimes appear to be. Finally, it sees the need to rely completely on Him in perfect trust, abandoning our whole life into His hands and letting Him take care of us without our being able to see how He intends to do so. This is the genuine dimension of Christian faith."⁸

            When the living Lord Jesus resides in and is vitally active within a Christian, He cannot and does not overlook the selfishness and sinfulness of a person's motivations, attitudes, and behavior. To do so would be to deny Himself, His character, the essential purpose of His Being. Since the personal relationship the Christian has with Christ is a relational union that establishes our spiritual identity as a Christ-one, the indwelling Christ must be allowed to express Himself in the Christian individual by overcoming all selfishness that is contrary to His character. "All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13), and He will lovingly expose and root out all that is not consistent with Himself. Christianity is Christ, and true to Himself He will counter and overcome all that is contrary to His absolute character until He is "all in all" of the Christian's life.

            This is the sure sign of being Christian - the Lord Jesus Christ functioning as Savior in the Christian, manifesting His "saving life" (Rom. 5:10) to "save us from our sins" (Matt. 1:21). To refuse this sanctifying work of Jesus Christ is to abort the objective of God's glorification in the Christian life, to sell our birthright for a "mess of pottage" (Gen. 25:29-34).

            British missionary, Norman Grubb, explained,

"Even when Christ has been welcomed within, that old self, largely unrecognized, will still reveal its presence in a thousand ways by self-will, self-importance, self-sufficiency, or by a self-consciousness, or a self-depreciation that paralyzes. God's Spirit has to take every forward-moving soul through a drastic process of self-exposure. That root of sin has to be looked in the face. Its presumptuous claim to be a sufficient source of wisdom and ability has to be exposed in its falsity." ⁹

            The subtleties of our selfishness seem to be endless. When we are angry, it is often a selfish response to being offended. When we insist on being happy, it is but a selfish desire to have everything "go our way." When we are bored, it may be evidence that we selfishly expect life to be constantly exciting. When we are critical, it may be a selfish expectation that others should be perfect. When we worry or react in panic, it is often a selfish denial that God is capable of controlling the situation. When we are disappointed with our own failure and feel condemned, is it because we selfishly think we could have done it better? When we snub another person and refuse to talk to them, we might selfishly think that the other person is not worth relating to or communicating with. When we talk too much, we selfishly clamor for attention and think that people should listen to us. When we are tardy, it may be because we selfishly think that others' time is not as important as ours, and they should wait until we decide to arrive. When we overeat, is it because we selfishly think our tastes and hungers should be satisfied to the fullest? When we drink to excess, it is often because we selfishly think we can drown our pain, and ironically feel in control of the situation. Our attempts to get rich are often evidence of our selfish trust in Mammon. When we ogle pornographic images, we selfishly think that titillating images can satisfy our desires for intimacy. Is it not obvious that the self-stimulation of masturbation is a self-pleasuring, driven by the same self-gratification that pursues improper sexual activities outside of the God-ordained marriage relationship? We could go on and on.

            Contemporary Christians are amazingly adept at glossing over and covering up their sin patterns. In the disavowal of "denial," they refuse to consider their selfish motivations. Many think that it impinges on their "spirituality" to admit weaknesses, inordinate cravings, fantasies, preoccupations, besetting sins, etc. The unregenerate world is sometimes more honest in owning up to their obsessions, compulsions and addictions, as well as their phobias, denials and fears, as they gather together in accountability groups, sensitivity groups and anonymity groups and seek to deal with their destructive propensities by self-help and self-improvement programs. Christians must face up to their selfishness patterns, without any attempts to minimize or rationalize, and without any delusion of their ability to overcome their sinful propensities by their own power and effort.

            Sometimes Christians think they can keep their sins secret and hidden, at least from other Christians, if not from God (cf. Heb. 4:13). Behind closed doors they indulge their selfish sins, or even within their minds they engage in fantasies rationalizing that if they do not "act out" externally they have avoided sin. Jesus explained that sin is internal before it is ever externalized, when He said, "Everyone one who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). When the will of man consents by saying, "I would if I could. I'm willing," the sin-decision has already been made by a volitional choice, constrained only by the unavailable opportunity.

            Many Christians only want to consider sin in their lives when distressing situations threaten. In situations of calamity, affliction, illness, or medical emergency, they vow and resolve to cease from their patterns of sin. They may be temporarily quieted within by such relinquishment to God's way in their lives, but it is often a temporary victory over their sinful tendencies, for when the ordeal is over, the sinful patterns break out again. The same pattern is evident in those who address their sin only when "the sin has found them out," and their guilty actions have been exposed to those around them. Appearing contrite and ashamed, they vow to reform their behavior. When we seek to deal with sin only because of the consequences that are troubling us, it is only a selfish desire to be relieved of the consequences of public shame.

            Self-selected categories of submitting our sinful patterns to the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ are another ploy that Christians often employ. We conveniently compartmentalize our lives, thinking that we can selectively offer one self-chosen area of sinfulness to the saving function of the Savior, and reserve others for another time. In this way we seek to control our own sanctification, rather than allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to control what He wants to do in our lives. Our pride knows no bounds in seeking to avoid what Jesus Christ wants to do in dealing with our selfishness.

            We are often blind to what is happening within us when we tolerate selfish patterns, particularly when God has revealed His desire to deal with them. Our heart can "be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:13). Our conscience can be seared by repetitive unwillingness to surrender to the Spirit. We develop an indifference to God's desires, and insensitivity to God's direction. We wonder why we do not seem to have any constructive creativity of thought, and do not participate in the joyous spontaneity of being "used of God." Lack of comfort, peace, and rest leaves us unsettled. The overflow of genuine Christian ministry is thwarted as we "quench the Spirit" (I Thess. 5:19).

The "Flesh"

            These patterns of sin within the Christian that we have been referring to are identified as the "flesh." Perhaps no other word in the Christian vocabulary has been more confounded and confused than the word "flesh" in reference to Christian behavior. This merits a closer look at how the writers of scripture, particularly Paul, use the word "flesh."

            Centuries prior to Paul the Greek language had used the word sarx to refer to the muscle or meat of living animals and human beings. It was often associated, as we still do today, with "flesh and blood" or "flesh and bones." This close association with the physical body was transcended when the Greek philosopher, Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) began to employ sarx as the "seat of desires," merging physical and psychological desires, especially in reference to pleasure and sensuality. Sarx was linked with hedone, in reference to the indulging of desires in selfish and sensate ways of moral corruption. Still today, Epicurianism and hedonism are used synonymously as the indulging of our desires in selfish pleasure.

            For three hundred years the Greek word sarx had evolved with a connection not just to physicality, but also to the internal desires of man. So when Paul employed the word in the first century A.D. he used the whole range of then contemporary usages of the Greek word. Sometimes he used sarx almost synonymously with the Greek word for "body," soma (cf. II Cor. 4:11; 12:7; Gal. 4:13). The meaning is expanded when Paul uses sarx to refer to humanness or creatureliness (cf. Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; I Tim. 3:16), and then to all that is earthly or worldly (cf. I Cor. 1:26). In conjunction with the usage in Genesis, Paul also refers to the "one flesh" of marital union (cf. Eph. 5:31). In the widely debated passages where Paul uses sarx in reference to Christian behavior, he utilizes the meaning that had evolved in Greek philosophy from Epicurus onwards referring to the selfish and sinful patterns within the desires of man (cf. Rom. 7:18,25; 8:4-13; 13:14; Gal. 5:16-24; Eph. 2:3). To understand this background of Greek word usage will prevent us from the over-generalization that indicates that Paul uses the word "flesh" in terms of the physicality of the body of human beings. When Christian interpreters so define "flesh," they easily fall prey to the Greek dualism of regarding the body as evil and the spirit as good. There is nothing in scripture that regards the physicality or corporeality of the physical body (soma) as evil, bad, wrong, or sinful in itself. On the other hand, there is definitely an ascription of sinfulness, selfishness and evil to the word sarx as Paul sometimes employs it. Paul does not fall prey to the Greek dualism of physicality vs. spirituality (sarx vs. pneuma, nous, or logos), but he does set up an either-or antithesis of "flesh" vs. Spirit (sarx vs. Pneuma) in behavioral conflict. These are not substantive entities, but behavioral impulses that are connected with human desires.

            Before we attempt to define Paul's behavioral usage of the word "flesh," it will be instructive to consider what the "flesh" is not, and what the "flesh" is.

            The "flesh" is not related to one's spiritual condition, and is not equivalent to spiritual depravity. The "flesh" is not to be personified as the presence of Satan in the individual, whether non-Christian or Christian. The "flesh" is not substantive or partitive, meaning that it is not an entity, like a "hunk of evil," within the individual. The "flesh" is not a generative source of evil within the individual. The "flesh" is not inherent or intrinsic to humanity, even fallen humanity. The "flesh" is not nascent or congenital, meaning that no person is born with the "flesh," and there are no hereditary patterns of fleshliness. The "flesh" is not eradicated at conversion or during the Christian life. The "flesh" does not become better or reformed. The "flesh" is not to be identified with, equated with, or used as a synonym of "inherent sin, sin-principle, law of sin, old man, old self, old nature, sin-nature, self-nature, Adam-nature, human nature," etc.

            Conversely, the "flesh" is related to behavior, and relates to the psychological function of the soul. The "flesh" is related to the "desires" of man within the soul, allowing for the phrases "fleshly desires," and "desires of the flesh" (cf. Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:24; Eph. 2:3; I Peter 2:11). The "flesh" refers to how these desires are patterned toward selfishness and sinfulness within the soul. The "flesh" patterns are developed throughout the experiences of our lives, and are individualized in idiosyncratic patterns of selfish action and/or reaction. Some of these "flesh" patterns become deep-seated habituated patterns of addictive, obsessive, and compulsive behavior, sometimes called "besetting sins" or "strongholds of sin." All human beings have developed these patterns of "fleshly desires," with the sole exception of Jesus Christ. Every Christian still has these "flesh" patternings of selfishness and sinfulness in the desires of their soul, even though completely regenerated spiritually, and these patterns and propensities will remain throughout the Christian's earthly life.

            As "flesh" is connected with desires, it is necessary to recognize that God creates every person with a full set of God-given human desires in their soul. These desires are amoral; they are not wrong in themselves. They are God-given behavioral conduits - intended to be pipelines that allow God's character to be expressed in human behavior. Examples of such needs, drives and desires are: the desire to be loved and accepted, to belong, to be nurtured, sustained, and provided for. We have a desire for security, order, communication, belief, meaning and purpose, contentment, excitement, uniqueness, and identity. In addition we have a desire for freedom, worship, appreciation of beauty, creativity, motivation, and responsibility. We even have a desire to work and achieve, a desire for significance, a desire to possess, to give, to serve, and a desire for hope and expectancy. The basic desires to eat, drink, sleep, and for sexual expression must also be included. There is nothing wrong with any of these God-given desires.

            The Greek language had two primary words for "desire." The first of these was epithumia, which meant "to be moved upon, to urge upon, or to have passion upon." The second word was epipotheo, which meant "to yearn upon, to experience upon (usually from outside)." Our God-given desires could be "urged upon" or "yearned upon" by the Spirit of God, or they could be "urged upon" or "yearned upon" by the tempting influence of Satan as he sought to fulfill the God-given desires in God-forbidden ways. Though every person is born with clear, pure, and sinless desires, our desires are "urged upon" and "yearned upon" by "the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). "Dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1,5), and "slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:6), this is the only "operating system" that the unregenerate have work with. They are caught in the vortex of satanically inspired self-orientation that inevitably develops selfish and sinful patterns of action and reaction in the desires of their soul. The desires of every person become bent, warped, twisted, and kinked in individuated patterns of selfishness and sinfulness - personalized patterns of selfishly indulgent desires. The particular warp of the various desires, and the strength of the selfish twists are unique and different in every person, but there is no doubt that some selfish patterns of desires have more social consequences than others. Everyone seems to have one or more deep-seated and habituated patterns that become "besetting sins" (cf. Heb. 12:1) which we cannot conquer, try as we might.

            When an individual becomes a Christian by spiritual regeneration, and the Spirit of Christ comes to live in the spirit of that individual (Rom. 8:9), their spiritual condition is complete (Col. 2:10) and "all has become new" (II Cor. 5:17). The "flesh," the selfish and sinful patterns of action and reaction in the desires of the soul, remain in the new Christian, however. This sets up the conflict whereby "the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). This is not a conflict of contrasting natures in the Christian, but a motivational conflict between our old patterns of selfish action and reaction, and the prompting of the Spirit of Christ to express His character in our behavior.

            In like manner as Paul explained that we are "dead to sin" (Rom. 6:11) and 'freed from sin" (Rom. 6:7,18,22), he also declares, "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24), and "the members of our earthly body are dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed" (Col. 3:5). Christians are "no longer in the flesh" (Rom. 7:5; 8:8,9), in the sense that they are enslaved to the satanically inspired "operating system" that makes them "slaves of sin" (Rom. 6:6,17) and "sinful passions" (Rom. 7:5). Converted "from the dominion of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18), the "flesh" patternings, energized as they are by the tempter, have no legitimate claim or mastery over our behavior as Christians for we have received the greater power (cf. I John 4:4) of the Lord Jesus Christ within our spirit. Christians are "under no obligation" (Rom. 8:12) to respond by means of the selfish action and reaction patterns of the "flesh," but are instead to "make no provision for the flesh" (Rom. 13:14) by capitulating and catering to those selfish desires.

            Underlying the particular selfish bent of our desires is a twisted mind-set that pervades and provides a selfish motivating perspective to the self-concerns of our "flesh." Alienated from God in our unregeneracy, all fallen men have developed the premise that they are an "independent self" that is inherently capable of self-generating character and behavior that is self-righteous, and that by means of their own self-sufficiency and self-reliance. This presupposition of human potential to perform and produce all that man needs is the humanistic lie that fallaciously prompts man with a self-motivation to "be all he can be." When an individual becomes a Christian this fallacious humanistic mind-set of being an "independent self" is the most difficult part of the "flesh" to overcome, because we cling tenaciously to this fallacy of auto-generative human performance and self-effort, even transferring this thesis to the alleged Christian ability to live the Christian life by performing in accord with God's expectations. This foundational premise of all fleshly thinking can only be overcome as the Christian submits to the Spirit of Christ within, allowing Him to generate His character expressed through our desires in godly behavior. When that liberating transitional process begins to take place we can experience the freedom that God intended for man.

            It is not the responsibility of the Christian to identify and fight against the "flesh" mind-set and patterns. That would of necessity entail the self-effort that is intrinsic to the selfishness of the "flesh." In the midst of the motivational conflict of the "flesh" and the Spirit, Paul advises that "the Spirit sets its desires against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). The "battle is the Lord's" (I Sam. 17:47); for the living Christ is the only Victor Who can overcome sinfulness and selfishness in the Christian life. Evangelical Christian teaching has often failed to understand this basic premise of divine action in the Christian life. Admonishing Christians not to "walk according to the flesh" (Rom. 8:4) and "live according to the flesh" (Rom. 8:12,13), by manifesting the "deeds of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19-21), the religious teachers often advise the human resolve of commitment to overcome the "flesh" and live the Christian life. In a dyslexic reversion of Paul's gospel of grace, they read Galatians 5:16 backwards: "Do not carry out the desires of the flesh, and you will be walking in the Spirit." What an abominable mistranslation. Paul says, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh, .for the Spirit sets its desires against the flesh" (Gal. 5:16,17). By the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ (cf. Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; II Tim. 1:14), the Christian is "led of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18) in order to "walk by the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16,25) and manifest the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22,23).

            As a final statement about the "flesh," it is important to note that the "desires of the flesh" do not tempt us to act out in sinful behavior. The patterns of selfish and sinful action and reaction are well entrenched in our soul, but they have no inherent power to energize and actuate sinful behavior. The Evil One is the only energizing source of the evil character that actuates sinful expression. Many English translations of James 1:14 appear to indicate "we are tempted when we are enticed by our own desire." A more careful translation will read, "Each one is tempted (by the tempter), being enticed and lured under his own desire." Satan, the tempter, goes fishing under our idiosyncratic patterns of fleshly desires, which he knows so well, seeking to attract and ensnare us to make a choice that will employ his evil character via those old patterns of selfish action and reaction. There is nothing in scripture that indicates that the Christian is self-tempted by the desires of the "flesh," by an old-nature, or by some evil "self."

"Self"

            In conjunction with the sinful patterns of the "flesh," religious teachers often admonish Christians of the necessity of dealing with the "self." Some religionists make it appear that there is an evil "boogey man" lurking down in a person's psyche, or a "dirty old man" hiding in a cave deep inside of us. "Self" is often identified with an alleged "old man" within, or a residual "old nature." What is this "self" that is so often alluded to in religious teaching? Sometimes we are admonished to accept ourselves, love ourselves, control ourselves, and behave ourselves. Conversely, we are encouraged to surrender ourselves, humble ourselves, deny ourselves, and die to "self." This abundance of self-talk creates an ambiguity that leaves Christians scratching their heads about how they are to consider themselves and what they are to do with themselves.

            We must attempt a clarification of how the word "self" is used in the English language. As a word that stands alone it is of relatively modern origin, being a truncation of the word "selfishness" or of the pronominal references to "myself, yourself, himself," etc., referring to a person or individual. Current linguistic usages of the word "self" can be separated into the following five categories:

(1)   Personal identity. Who am I? Many have sought to find the basis of their identity in personal abilities (humanism), personal associations (socialism), and personal acquisitions (materialism), but these provide only a fleeting sense of identity that can fall prey to the circumstances of life. A more permanent basis of personal identity must be established at the spiritual core of our being. The Christian's identity is established in identification and union with the living Lord Jesus, whereby he becomes a "Christ-one," a Christian.

(2)   Personal individuality. Every person is distinctive and unique - myself distinguished from yourself. We are not Xerox copies that think the same and act the same. Even when we become Christians by the receipt of the Spirit of Christ within our spirit, we still retain personal individuality. Just think how monotonous the church would be if there were absolute similitude and conformity. An old truism states, "Variety is the spice of life." We have varying personalities, which are to some extent patterned by our idiosyncratic patterns of selfishness and sinfulness in the "flesh."

(3)   Personal embodiment. We are not disembodied spirits darting around in a "spooky" or "ghostly" interaction. Every human has a physical body that is the "house" we live in. It would be a very superficial view of mankind to propose that the primary essence of a person was their body, for this would fail to take into account the identity and individuality of the person who lives in that body. But there is nothing inherently evil or sinful about our bodies, and they are not to be regarded as "prison-houses" of the real "self," as Greek dualism advocated.

(4)   Personal interest. Man is not inherently sinful or selfish, but the egocentric character of that one who declared, "I will be like the Most High God" (Isa. 14:14), has invaded fallen humanity. "The spirit that works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2) has caused his character of self-orientation and self-concern to pervade the desires of our soul, creating patterns of selfishness and sinfulness. Paul advised the Philippian Christians, "Do nothing from selfishness.do not look out for your own personal interests" (Phil. 2:3,4).

(5)   Personal resource. The Evil One suggested to original man, "You, too, can be like God" (Gen. 3:5), introducing the lie that man could self-determine good and evil apart from the character of God. Fallen man has accepted the humanistic fallacy that man can be his own god, the cause of his own effects, and the solution to his own problems. God created man as a derivative and contingent being, always dependent by receptivity from a spirit source. The fallacious thesis of "personal resource" is that man is an autonomous self-generating, self-actuating, self-achieving being - an "independent self." There is no such thing as "personal resource." It is a lie!

With the foregoing categories in mind, which "self" is the Christian to deny? We must not disavow our spiritual identity, our personal individuality, or our physical embodiment, but we can disavow the possibility of any personal resource of "independent self." The intent of Jesus' admonition to "deny yourself" (Matt. 16:24; Mk. 8:34; Lk. 9:23) was obviously that we are to disallow the selfishness of personal interest.

            Which "self" are the religious teachers encouraging Christians to crucify or die to? To die to our spiritual identity in Christ would be apostasy. Surely we do not want to exterminate our personal individuality. To crucify our personal embodiment would be to commit suicide. Since personal resource is but a fabricated "straw man," it cannot be put to death. The only possible meaning of their unbiblical inculcations is that they are suggesting that Christians terminate their selfishness, but this is often cast as another religious performance technique of self-effort, a masochistic attempt at self-crucifixion of selfishness.

            When religious teachers refer to "self" they are often using the term as a synonym for the "flesh" patternings of selfishness and sinfulness. On many occasions, though, they have lapsed into an "evangelical humanism" that subtly accepts the thesis of "personal resource," explaining that the unregenerate individual has "ego" or "self" on the throne of their life, and that an alleged "carnal Christian" reverts to behaving out of self-resource. When they operate from this false premise, their admonitions to "deny self" or "die to self" become the absurdity of denying or crucifying a non-existent apparition that is but a logical fallacy.

S. E. L. F.

            The fleshly "personal interest" patterns in the desires of our soul can form bundles that are identified as personality or individuality characteristics. When the selfish and sinful patterns of our fleshly desires collect into pattern-bundles, we can observe four distinct categories of how individuals express their selfishness. Because these categories represent generalized groups of selfish expression, we will identify them as the "S" pattern-bundle, the "E" pattern-bundle, the "L" pattern-bundle, and the "F" pattern-bundle.

            As graphically illustrated in Addendum B, the S.E.L.F. pattern-bundles of selfishness are placed in four quadrants. The two axes that separate the quadrants represent contrasts of pace and priority, energy and orientation, or activity and direction. The two quadrants to the left of the vertical axis represent pattern-bundles that are independently task-oriented, while the two quadrants to the right of the vertical axis represent pattern-bundles that are relationally people-oriented. The two quadrants above the horizontal axis represent pattern-bundles that are active, self-motivated change agents, while the two quadrants below the horizontal axis represent pattern-bundles that are reserved, self-conscious, and introspective.

            Those with an "S" pattern-bundle of fleshly selfishness have a high-energy task-orientation. They crave self-significance as they seek self-success by means of their own self-sufficiency. Their greatest fear is that they will fail. They exude self-confidence as they assert, "I can do it. Just give me the project, I will organize the tools and the people and get the job done." In the process they are competitive, confrontational, assertive, and bossy. They demand that others assist in their endeavors, and declare, "We're going to do it my way, even if we have to bend some rules to get it done." They are firm believers in "the end justifies the means." They are strong-willed, impatient, and proud, wanting others to see and admire their accomplishments and achievements. Because everything is a "project to complete," they tend to view their Christian life as a project, and seek techniques to make the Christian life work.

            Those with an "E" pattern-bundle of fleshly selfishness have a high-energy people-orientation. They crave the self-stimulation of exciting involvement with other people. Their greatest fear is loneliness and isolation. They are extroverted, energetic, expressive, and entertaining. In the process of this self-exposure, they desire to be noticed by others, so they often spend an inordinate amount of time on physical externals of "image" and "impressions." They want to be the center of attention, the "life of the party," so they often display themselves as people-pleasing show-offs. They demand to be heard, and seem to talk all the time, dominating most discussions. They will often exaggerate and embellish the subject at hand in order to make things appear more exciting. They will often promise more than they can deliver, and are often undependable, but quick to make excuses and blame others for their failures. Their approach to the Christian life is to seek a social interaction of exciting fellowship.

            Those with an "L" pattern-bundle of fleshly selfishness have a less-active, more pensive people-orientation. They crave a calm, serene social environment, wanting everything to remain as it is in the status quo. Their greatest fear is the unknown of change. They stubbornly hold on to what they are comfortable with in their "comfort zone." They hate surprises, wanting to know what is going to happen in advance, and wanting everything predictable. Though they dislike it when people mess up their plans and routine, they are not likely to tell you because they "stuff" their feelings and stifle communication. Eschewing all conflict, they do not want to offend anyone or "ruffle any feathers." Overly worried about what others think of them, they are often compliant and complacent, taking the path of least resistance and too quick to compromise. They desire a Christian life of conservative traditionalism in a group where everyone gets along with one another.

            Those with an "F" pattern-bundle of fleshly selfishness have a reserved and pensive task-orientation. They crave accuracy and correctness, demanding what is "right and proper." They intensely seek to know all that they can know, in an attempt to get everything figured out and know all the facts. Their greatest fear is the embarrassment of being wrong, or not knowing the answer. Believing that there is a "right way to do everything," they self-righteously seek to be right in everything, demanding the highest standards for themselves and for others. In the process they are often hard to please, critical, faultfinding, and censorious, sometimes with a "know it all" attitude of superiority. They can be suspicious and distrusting, skeptical of anything they have not figured out logically. They tend to view the Christian life as a rigid alignment of doctrinal accuracy and behavioral propriety.

            These S.E.L.F. pattern-bundles simply reveal how different individuals tend to function naturally in the selfish action and reaction patterns of their soul's desires. They become, however, the basis by which persons are "known" by others, the basis by which the world evaluates a person's individuality or personality, and even the false basis of personal identity. Even Christians, when they seek to excuse and justify their behavior, will often say, "Well, that's just the real me. That's the way I am." Even when advised of their true spiritual identity in Christ, some Christians will retort, "But you just don't know how bad the 'real me' is." When these pattern-bundles of selfishness are made the false basis of one's identity, they are basing their identity on their soul-condition rather than on their spirit-condition, on their sinfulness rather than on the Savior. It is a sad state of affairs when people are basing their identity on their selfish "flesh" patterns, believing that they are helpless victims of a fateful natural selection of personalities. When Christians fall prey to this irresponsible escapist thinking, it simply reveals how uninformed they are of their spiritual identity in Christ, and all that is theirs "in Christ." These S.E.L.F. bundles of selfish "flesh" patterns in the desires of our soul do not constitute who we are, but merely the grouping of our "fleshly desires" that the Spirit of Christ sets His desires against (Gal. 5:17) and seeks to overcome by the expression of His divine character.

            Do these S.E.L.F. groupings correspond to the Hippocratic body fluid variances, the temperament types of choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholy, or the other personality profiles that have become popular? Though there may be similarities, the fundamental difference is in their presuppositions that the personality traits constitute one's identity, and that there are inherent strengths and "good points" to each personality, necessitating that you "accentuate your positive, eliminate your negatives, and live up to your self-potential." The humanistic premises of self-potential must be rejected. The apostle Paul explained, "In me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing" (Rom. 7:18), and since the S.E.L.F. categories are but bundles of our fleshly patterns of selfishness, we must submit to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ within us to overcome these natural propensities by expressing His life and character through our desires.

The Positive Swallows up the Negative

            Much of the emphasis of religion is on the prohibitions of avoiding certain sinful activities in order to engage in other pious activities that will result in what God wants in our lives. The "thou shalt nots" are alleged to lay the groundwork for the "thou shalts." The fallacy behind all such religious incentive is the false premise of an "independent self" that is capable of overcoming sin, and consequently capable to manifest godliness. Impossible! Writing to the Colossians, Paul revealed the impotence of religious prohibitions,

"If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" - in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Col. 2:20-23).

Notice that Paul declares that the "do nots" of religious prohibition "are of no value against fleshly indulgence." How much good do the religious "thou shalt nots" do? None! They are exercises in futility. How much good do the "thou shalt" commandments of self-made religion do? None! They are equally as futile in effecting the manifestation of the character of God in man.

            But religion never gives up in their admonitions for self-reform. Century after century the preachers have admonished their parishioners to "be not conformed to this world," without telling them the good news that if they are "transformed by the renewing of their mind" (Rom. 12:2) they will not have to concern themselves with being conformed to the world. Innumerable have been the temperance sermons chastising listeners to "be not drunk with wine," without advising them that when they are "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) the control of the Lord Jesus Christ will supersede any escapism into drunkenness. Urging zealous Christians to "resist the devil, and he will flee from you," the teachers failed to explain that when a Christian "submits himself to God" (James 4:7) the devil is resisted by the only One competent to resist him. Many have made the call of Jesus to "deny yourself, take up the cross, and follow Me" into a commandment of self-resolve and self-effort, without recognizing that when we "follow Jesus" in utter abandonment, we will consequently be denying ourselves and taking up the cross (Lk. 9:23). The religious dyslexia of admonishing people to "not carry out the desires of the flesh, in order to walk in the Spirit," rather than encouraging people to "walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16) has already been noted.

            The religious cause-and-effect reasoning that sin must be overcome so Christ can rule as Lord is utterly false. We do not have to first empty ourselves in order to be filled with Christ. We do not have to excise the cancer of sin in order to experience a healthy expression of Christ's life. We do not have to die in order to live - Jesus already took care of that! The good news of the gospel is that life overcomes death, light overcomes darkness, good overcomes evil, and love overcomes selfishness, because God overcomes Satan. "Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world" (I John 4:4). Jesus is the Overcomer. The process of "dealing with sin" is not the requirement but the evidence of Christ's lordship in our lives. Jesus said, "You shall know the Truth (Himself - John 14:6), and the Son will set you free" (John 8:28,32), inclusive of all our selfish and sinful patterns of the "flesh."

Religion is "put out of business" when the gospel of God's grace activity in Jesus Christ reveals how "the positive swallows up the negative." Oh the liberating freedom of understanding that godliness swallows up sinfulness, and the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22,23) will swallow up the "deeds of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19-21).

The Process Positiva

            The positive side of the sanctification process - what we are calling the "process positiva" - sets in motion the negative side of the sanctification process - the "process negativa." Once again, it is important to remember that salvation is more than a static conversion event of a punctiliar regeneration experience. Salvation is the entire process of "being made safe" from the dysfunction of "the spirit working in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2) to the functional manifestation of the life of Jesus Christ in our mortal bodies (II Cor. 4:10,11). Salvation is inclusive of the process of sanctification. Christians are "chosen of God, holy and beloved" (Col. 3:12), "created in holiness" (Eph. 4:24) by the presence of the Holy One (cf. Acts 2:27; 3:12; 13:35), the "Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:4) within our spirit. We are "saints" (Eph. 1:18; 4:12), "holy ones," engaged in the process of behaving like who we have become. Progressive sanctification is that process of "perfecting holiness in the fear of God," and thus "cleansing ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit" (II Cor. 7:1) by His overcoming action.

            There is now doubt that there is a process of growth in the Christian life. This is not, however, to be conceived as our getting better, growing stronger, or growing "more spiritual." The growth process is the process whereby we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" (II Pet. 3:18), and "grow up in all respects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Eph. 4:15). We submit to the daily process of allowing "our inner man to be renewed day by day" (II Cor. 4:16) to participate in a growing manifestation of Christ's life.

            Paul's plea for the Galatians was that "Christ be formed in them" (Gal. 4:19). This was not a desire for regenerative new birth, for they were already Christians, but Paul labored for the inner formation of Christ's life in the Galatian Christians that they might be "conformed to the image of the Son" (Rom. 8:29). Just as the formation of the embryo in the womb is a process, so the formation of Christ's character in the Christian is an ongoing process.

            John Wesley correctly explained the process of sanctification as the restoration or renewal of the image of God in man. The imago dei, the "image of God," is not an image by representation or an image by reflection, but an image by the very reality of the presence of God in man for the purpose of making visible, or visaging, the character of God in the behavior of man to the glory of God. Jesus Christ "is the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15; II Cor. 4:4), the only means of making visible the character of the invisible God and "conforming us to His image" (Rom. 8:29). Although the Christian is initially "sanctified" (cf. I Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:14) in spiritual regeneration, we continue in the process of sanctification whereby "Christ our sanctification" (I Cor. 1:30) sets us apart to manifest His holy character in our behavior.

The Process Negativa

            Whereas the "process positiva" is the positive side of growing in the formation of God's holy character in Christian behavior, the "process negativa" is the process of negating all expression of sinful character that is contrary to Christ, the propensities toward which have been patterned into the selfish action and reaction patterns of our "flesh." Having already asserted that "the positive swallows up the negative," we can, nonetheless, examine some of processes (or metaphors seeking to explain the process) whereby sin is dealt with in the Christian life. Since religion focuses almost exclusively on the development of formulas and procedures for the eradication of sin, one must be constantly on guard to avoid allowing discussion of the "process negativa" to degenerate into consideration of religious performance techniques for dealing with sin.

            Numerous explanations of the "process negativa" have been proffered throughout Christian history. We will construct a brief list of several of these:

(1)               The purgative process. Recognizing the need to purge sinful unrighteousness from the Christian's life, many writers developed elaborate theories of purgation. Beginning with Evagrius Ponticus, and further developed by St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, the "three ways of spirituality" were identified as (a) the purgative way, (b) the illuminative way, and (c) the unitive way. The "purgative way" was usually inculcation to self-purgation through various self-disciplines in order to develop "purity of heart" and "union with God." Later emphasis on the need of indulgences and penances for present purgation and the place of an intermediate place of purgatory for future purgation developed the explanation of the "purgative process" even more. The Protestant reaction to "works" of performance for righteousness caused them to eschew mention of purgation in lieu of other explanations.

(2)               The purification process. God's absolute character of Purity desires to purify His people from the impurity of their selfish and sinful "flesh" patterns. Elaborate religious purification rites like those practiced in the Judaism of the first century do not accomplish such inner purification, however. The means by which we "purify our hearts" (James 4:8) is to allow Jesus "to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). Divine purity must drive out impurity, just as God drove out the inhabitants of Canaan for the Israelite peoples.

(3)               The refining process. Just as the smelter reveals the dross, the base, and the impurities in the ore, it is argued that the divine furnace of God's purifying love will burn away that which is base and impure in our lives. "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), writes the author to the Hebrews, and "the spirit of burning" (Isa. 4:4) will "test us by fire" (I Pet. 1:7). "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver" (Mal. 3:13) "refining us as silver is refined" (Ps. 66:10). Notice that it is God's action of refining, not our action of self-refinement.

(4)               The cleansing process. The filth of our selfishness and sin requires the cathartic action of the Spirit of God. This is not accomplished by religious ceremonial cleansings, but "the blood of Christ cleanses our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). The "perfecting of holiness by the fear of God," enacts the "cleansing from all defilement of flesh and spirit" (II Cor. 7:1). "He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

(5)               The healing process. Although religion has often emphasized ministries of physical healings, we must not overlook the necessity of psychological healing among God's people. The diseases and infectious cancers in our soul need more than the salves of psychological techniques. They need the work of the Great Physician who alone can restore health to our desires and behavioral function.

(6)               The finishing process. By the "finished work" of Christ (cf. John 19:30) everything is set in motion to accomplish all that God intends to do in man. The finished work of redemption continues in the finishing work of restoration. Christians participate in God's "finishing school" as He desires that we be "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:4).

(7)               The overcoming process. Evil is overcome by good (Rom. 12:21). The overcoming of our tendencies, propensities and habits of selfishness will not be achieved through self-effort at personal housecleaning. He who overcomes (cf. Rev. 2:7-3:21) will only do so by submitting to the One who has already "overcome the world" (John 16:33) and desires to continue His overcoming action in Christians' lives (cf. I John 5:4,5).

(8)               The discipline process. "Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines" (Heb. 12:5), and only illegitimate children escape divine discipline, the author of Hebrews advises us. "He disciplines us for our good, that we might share His holiness," and participate in "the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:10,11). Discipline is not to be viewed as punishment or chastisement, nor is discipline to be identified as difficult and unpleasant circumstances. Discipline is God's process of making us the disciples He wants us to be, ever following and learning of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(9)               The process of resignation. Many writers have encouraged Christians to surrender all defiant self-will by submissive resignation to God's will in their lives. The abandoning of self-will will never be accomplished by self-will, however, for our selfish desires clamor for attention and expression. Resignation should not be understood as passive acquiescence that fails to recognize the constant responsibility of Christian faith that is receptive to God's activity.

(10)           The process of poverty. Since the selfishness of our desires often includes the desire to acquire and possess material things, as well as knowledge, and position, etc., Christians are often advised to engage in a process of personal impoverishment that repudiates all acquisition and ownership. "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3), Jesus taught, but this does not imply that a self-imposed state of material impoverishment will necessarily beget godliness.

(11)           The process of humiliation. In like manner as the Son of God "humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death" (Phil. 2:6), Christians have been urged to overcome pride and self-exaltation in their souls by humbly accepting disappointment, perplexity, and failure. The experience of being humiliated does not in itself remove our self-concern, though, for often it