Summary: An examination of 2 Corinthians 5:16 as it relates to our flesh and our misconception of it.

THE FRAILTY OF THE FLESH

2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-17

I have come to the realization that we don’t really understand the flesh…

Flesh: the soft substance of a human or other animal body, consisting of muscle and fat… the physical nature of humankind as distinguished from its moral or spiritual nature.

IOW, flesh is the outward cover of the inward man… (Problem…) We concentrate more on the outward than we do the inward… But there are some things you need to know about the flesh in order to stay lined up with the Word…

I. FLESH IS WEAK

- It has no value (John 6:63)

- It is fallible (Rom 3:23)

- It is corrupt (Rom 7:18-20)

II. FLESH IS WILD

- It is lascivious (lustful) (2 Sam 11:1-5)

- It is conniving (2 Sam 11:6-14)

- It is greedy (Luke 15:11-19)

III. FLESH IS WAYARD

(Jer. 3:6-18) There are many in the body of Christ that are wayward: turned or turning away from what is right or proper; willful; disobedient… Swayed or prompted by a wayward impulse; to be wayward in one’s affections… Turning or changing irregularly; irregular…

Just as the Israelites did, we have turned our backs on God and have become wayward… But I heard Him say in 2 Chron 7:14…

It’s a dangerous thing to move and operate in the flesh… Because flesh is I. Weak… II. Wild… III. Wayward…

(Text…) ”Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer...

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…”