In Touch Ministries

Dr. Charles Stanley: We're the sons and daughters of the living God. We have God living on the inside of us. We're not perfect. We're so imperfect. We have our weaknesses, our frailties. We sin against God. We confess it. We repent of it. We move on because we don't want that in our life. Do we have those tendencies? Yes. Do we always have them? Yes. Do we have to yield to them? No. Unless we choose to. We sin. We get in the flesh because we are tempted by something and we choose to yield.

Guest (Male): Anger, pride, materialism, lust, just a few examples of powerful temptations. Today on Intouch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley, we'll hear how believers can handle these and other common pitfalls by understanding the true nature of our struggle in part two of the troublemaker within us. Let's listen in to Dr. Stanley's message.

Dr. Charles Stanley: I want you to turn if you will to Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul has been talking about the freedom that we have in our life once we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. And so one of the things he says in this 13th verse, he gives a little warning of the his fifth chapter. He says, for you were called to freedom, brethren. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Then beginning in verse 16 he says, but I say walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you're led by the Spirit, you're not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envions, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Now let's look at it in this way. It's the heart at the heart of every single sin you and I commit. Whenever we commit any kind of sin, what we've said is we have decided to yield to the flesh. We have chosen to get in a position that is hostility toward God.

Now I'm not saying that God is all upset and angry and going to throw you in the fire. I'm not saying that. I'm simply saying this. He knows if you follow that path, you're going to be in trouble. Watch this. And when somebody says, well it's just natural, right. And the Bible says the natural man receiveth not the things of God. Watch this. Because something is natural and it deals right and feels good, because something seems to be you know, well that's just human, that does not mean it's right. Listen to what he says. Because what he does, he divides he divides Now watch this carefully.

He divides the work that is the work of the flesh in us in three different categories. In the first category, listen to watch this. Turn if you will now to verse 19. First category are sensual sins. Sensual sins. Listen to what he says. Now this is the way the flesh operates in people's lives. He says, immorality, impurity, sensuality. That is all kind of lustful appetites. And notice there's nothing wrong with eating, but there's such a thing as gluttony. There's nothing wrong with sex within the bounds that God has given us. There's nothing wrong Listen with power when submitted to the living God.

So you and I could take every single appetite or desire that we have and as long as it is subdued and brought under subjection to the Holy Spirit in our life, there's nothing wrong with those things. It's when they get out of control. Now watch this. So he says the first set of sins here are those sensual sins. Then he says the second are superstitious sins. Look, idolatry and sorcery. And somebody says, well listen, are those other things I may be guilty of once in a while, but never adult. I don't have any images in my house, they're not wood, they're not stone, not any of those things.

So I count me out on idolatry. No, count you in. How do I count you in? Simply this. Because idolatry is anything, whether it is a person, whether it is something you own, whether it is yourself, your self-image, or whether it your children, whatever it is. Whatever Listen Stands between you and the living God. Whatever you place above the living God in your life is an act of idolatry and it's hostility toward God. It is of the flesh. Idolatry is anything that you place before the living God in your life. Then if you notice, he says sorcery.

What does that mean? Witchcraft, all kinds of of occult, all the occult business, all the witchcraft, all of that is absolutely flesh in the eyes of God. And then there are those social sins. The things that relate to other people. Look at this. He says for example, he says now there is enmity, deep hatred for other people that looks to express itself. Strife is one of the ways enmity expresses itself. Jealousy is an act of the flesh. Somebody says, well but you just don't want to say I don't have to understand. Jealousy is a work of the flesh.

How do I know that? Because here's what he says. The deeds of the flesh are jealousy, outburst of anger. Somebody says, well now I have a temper, that's the way God made me. No, he didn't. God did not make you with a temper. You developed it. And you know how you developed it? Out of self-centeredness and selfishness. That is the heart and the root of a temper. I don't have my way. I must get my way. I've got to express myself. That's just pure flesh. When you says you fly off the handle, you fly right out of the spirit right into the flesh because you're living in the flesh when you fly off the handle.

Outburst of anger. Then he says disputes, dissensions, factions. And you see all that's flesh. All that stuff is flesh. It does not fit who we are as children of God. Now listen. Then he says envying. Now you say, well does that mean that I'm not to desire anything? No. The only way progress is ever made in life is somebody has a desire to build a bridge. Somebody has a desire to build a computer. Somebody has a desire to fly. So we have many many wonderful wonderful things because of desires. Nothing wrong with desire, but what's the difference between desire and envy?

Here's the difference. I may desire that and be nothing wrong with having that. But when I desire yours and I want what you have, then all of a sudden I've gone from spirit to flesh. We never have a right to desire what somebody else has. Something like they have, fine, but not what they have. And then if you'll notice, he says the flesh is also expressed in drunkenness. Let me ask you a question. How can you justify drinking? You know what he says? He says drunkenness is flesh. Where does that start? It doesn't start with the fifth.

It starts with a taste. And my friend, what you do when you start to drink, you're choosing a dangerous pathway. Drunkenness is of the flesh, is of the devil, and it's sin anyway you name it. I don't care what kind of label you put on it. You say, well I just do it for this reason, that of the other. Why do you do it? Don't you know that God can satisfy any hunger of your heart? Whatever is motivating you to think that you've got to have a drink over here so you have a little peace and quietness, that's the flesh.

Look, you cannot have peace and quietness and contentment in your life without Christ. And this is why people take one drink, keep drinking. Why? Because they're still looking for maybe a little bit more will help, won't help. Then he says carousing. Now you know what carousing is? That's just act natural. Just do your thing. Just have a big time. And you think we Christians can't have a big time without carousing? Yes, we can. You see, none of those things fit who we are. It doesn't mean that we are less than anybody else. We're the sons and daughters of the living God.

We have God living on the inside of us. We're not perfect. We are so imperfect. We have our weaknesses, our frailties. We sin against God. We confess it. We repent of it. We move on because we don't want that in our life. Do we have those tendencies? Yes. Do we always have them? Yes. Do we have to yield to them? No. Unless we choose to. You can't ever say what the devil may be do it. He can't make you do anything as a child of God. We sin. We get in the flesh because Listen, we attempted by something and we choose to yield.

We don't have to. You say, well you have a richer stage, you don't. It's not going to happen. Long as we're in these fleshly bodies of ours, we're going to hit those moments of weakness and frailty and we're going to yield. The difference is we deal with it. We know it doesn't fit us. We step out of that back into the Holy Spirit. So how long does it take you to get from the spirit to the flesh? Well it takes you just a a thought if you choose to follow that thought. How long does it take you to get from the flesh back in the Spirit?

Father, thank you for showing me that was not right. Forgive me of my sin. I truly repent of that, God. Your own. God isn't going to say because you sin well well well well. Now let's stir that up and you got to just feel bad enough and you have enough pity party and you got a wallet in that long enough to like thank you deserve to be forgiven. You know why I know that I'm instantaneously forgiven? The cross. He took our sin dead in full once and for all at the cross. I don't have to wallow around in sin, rather to step back into relationship with God because he says the blood of Jesus Christ his son is continually cleansing us from all sin.

So what I want you to see here as you look at these, you say, well I don't see my particular sin in there. You keep looking. You'll find it. It isn't a matter of what it's in there, not a matter of whether you willing to be honest about it or not. Because most anything that you and I would commit For example, somebody says, well it doesn't say anything about gossip. Oh yes, it does. It says something about disputes and dissension and factions. And besides, if you want to follow list, go to Romans chapter one. Now we don't have time to do that.

It's a long list of the flesh. What I want you to see is what he's saying is he says now this is the way to express itself now. Now let's talk about the deceptive part of it. Somebody says, well now you know I do a lot of good deeds. People know I do good deeds. They appreciate my good deeds. You say, how could I perform good deeds and be in the flesh? Here's the reason. Because you're doing them because you want approval. You not do them because you love somebody. You want approval. You like that.

And so you work because you want approval. You want acceptance. You want people to look up to you. You can even sacrificially serve God. Pay the price, serve God and be in the flesh. Well how in the world could you serve God and be in the flesh? Well that's real easy. Because you want promotion. So you you sacrifice, you work hard, you want promotion, you want acceptance. You want people's applause and that praise. That is pure flesh. And you know what? You get no reward because you have it. Somebody says, well now I give a lot to the Lord's work.

Well wonderful. May you keep on giving. What's your motivation? You tell people how much you give, you just lost your reward. That 's flesh. You can do good deeds but the Spirit, you get rewarded. You can sacrifice the Lord's work, you get rewarded. You can give large sums of money or small sums and get rewarded. Whenever my motivation is other than because I love God, because I love the person I may be serving, because I love to give and because I have a generous spirit. If it's anything else than that, it's pure flesh. That is the deceivedness of it that some people think, well surely God's going to reward me.

When the reason they're doing it is absolutely totally of the flesh. Because the truth is self is at the heart of all flesh. Now here's the big question. The big question is this. How do I deal with this big troublemaker on the inside of me who is always in conflict with the Holy Spirit? Look if you will in this fifth chapter and the 16th verse. Here is a promise from God. But I say, Paul says, walk by the Spirit. That is follow his direction, his promptings, his leadership, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

And notice what he says and what he doesn't say. Are you listening? Say amen.

Guest (Male): Amen.

Dr. Charles Stanley: He says you will not carry out the desires of flesh. He did not say you would have bad thoughts. He didn't say you would be tempted. He didn't say that. He said when you and I walking by the Spirit, when these things hit us, we will not fulfill them. We will not carry them out. You can't keep something from hitting your mind. You can determine how long it stays in there and what you do with it. You can determine that. So notice what he says now. Watch this. But I say walk by the Spirit, that is follow his direction, his promptings.

You'll not carry out the desires of the flesh. What do I mean by promptings? Now watch this. Here's what I mean by prompting. Let's say that I'm heading in some direction and I'm getting ready to make a decision about which way I'm going and I just say, Lord I just need some help here. And he give you a little prompting. And then what do I do? I ignore the prompting and choose my reason. You know what I do? Take the wrong turn every time. That's just one simple illustration. What I want you to see is this.

He is so interested in your personal life, he will prompt you about many things, not just some big temptation, but the promptings of the Spirit. Now with that in mind, I want to give you three words. If you will jot down these three words and if you will understand how simple but how profound and how meaningful and powerful they are, you will find your Christian life taking on a whole different perspective. And what you'll find is this, you'll find less defeat, fewer defeats. You'll find more peace, more contentment, more success, more joy, more self-control in your life than you've ever experienced.

So that the Christian life is no longer burden. It becomes a buoyance in your life to lift you up every day. Three words. Are you ready? Number one, persuaded. What do I mean by persuaded? You have to be absolutely persuaded. You cannot live the Christian life in your own strength. Once you start doing it in your strength, you're gone. Persuaded. Persuaded that I cannot live the Christian life myself. I can't do it. I don't have the strength to face that kind of temptation. I can't do it. He says I can't. Now I'm coming to the place I realize I can't.

You say, well I think I can handle it. Then you know what? Your flesh will present you with something you cannot handle. This is why people come to counselors and this is why they come to pastors saying, I never would have believed it of myself. I never would have I never thought I'd do I that I I just can't believe I would do that. Sure you can. Anything you try to do in your strength, you going to blow it. Not going to work. You got to be fully persuaded that you cannot in your strength live the Christian life.

The second word is a tough one. Surrender. Surrender what? Surrender your mind, your will, your emotion, your conscience, your consciousness, your body, your soul, your spirit. Surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit. You say, how do I do that? Let me tell you how you don't do it. You don't run down some church aisle and say, well I just want to yield everything. No. If you want to yield everything, this is the way you yield everything and it takes courage. You have to say to the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, reveal to me every aspect of my life.

Show me my errors of weaknesses and my frailties because I want to yield every aspect of me. I yield my mind to you to thank your thoughts. I yield my will to you because I want to do your will. I yield my body to you. Every aspect of it. My eyes what I look at. My ears what I hear. My lips what I speak. Every aspect of my body is yours to guide, to control, to discipline anyway you see fit. I want to walk and to live in absolute submission to your will. Now what will make all of that happen?

One thing. The third word is trust. I've got to believe that he will do exactly what he says he will do. Listen to what he says. Walk by the Spirit. Submit it all to him. Fully persuaded that only he can do it. You will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Now watch this carefully. So do I just do that once? No. You do it today. And it's a wise thing every morning to wake up and just say to him, Father today I'm totally yours. I can't live the Christian life today. I can't do the things that I'm facing today.

Because is it not true that there are things in your life that you feel inadequate? What do you do? You can oh God I can't handle this. Lord if you don't help me today, it's going to blow it bad. You know what he wants you to say? You can't do anything very well apart from him. The truth is Listen. Think about this. Here's almighty God who is willing to live out in your life every single day what is necessary in order for you to become the person you ought to be and to accomplish the work that God has set up for you to accomplish in your life.

And yours for the asking. And all you have to do is to make that decision. Would you ever fail again? Yes. But now you going to know the difference. And you know what? You'll never be satisfied hanging around and lounging around in the flesh once you have decided and once you have experienced what it means to walk in the Spirit.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today on Intouch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. The Holy Spirit enables every believer to have victory over sin. That doesn't mean you'll never fail, but when you pursue righteousness, your attitude will change and you'll no longer be satisfied to live in the flesh. To learn more about the power of God available to believers in Jesus, check out our resources at intouch.org. And listen again by clicking on today on radio on our homepage. If you'd like a copy of Dr. Stanley's complete message, the troublemaker within us, open the store and place your order.

You'll find these resources and more at intouch.org or call or text us at 1-800 intouch. And to write to us, address your letter to intouch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia 30357 or toll-free 1-800 intouch. Many people live with self-imposed strife. Thankfully, there's a remedy for that. Today's moment with Charles Stanley is just ahead.

Guest (Female): Tired of faith feeling like a performance? Worn down by constant striving? Jesus never meant it to feel that way. His call was always to something more, to a life that's generous, vibrant, joyful, and sustainable, a real life with him. That's the heart of follow me, our new book created to help you answer that call. Get your copy at intouch.org/followme.

Dr. Charles Stanley: What are you living for? What is your goal and objective in life?

Guest (Male): For 60 years, Dr. Charles Stanley's sermons have blessed us and today his teachings continue to enrich our walk with Christ through the new Charles Stanley Institute. It's all built so you can live a more abundant Christian life and it's completely free. Visit us at charlesstanleyinstitute.org. The Charles Stanley Institute, empowering disciples worldwide.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Intouch. Is your life not what you had hoped it would be? Hear how to find lasting peace and true joy with a few thoughts on Galatians chapter 5 in a moment with Charles Stanley.

Dr. Charles Stanley: Which of these would you prefer in your life now? This is the first section. Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissension, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing. How much peace and joy and happiness do you think you're going to have with that? Not any. Or you can wake up the next morning like this. Depends on what you want to do. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Which group do you think will bring you contentment and happiness in life? Certainly not the first one. So this is why I said to you if you're an unbeliever.

You know why you'll never find what you're looking for in life? You can't. There's only one place to find it. Just one. And that isn't a personal relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit works within your life. That's the only way.

Guest (Male): Once you trusted Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin, you're adopted into God's family. Receive that gift today and log on to intouch.org to learn more. Is there a new insight you received from today's program that helps you grow in your faith? Tell us about it today. Up next on Intouch, hardship is never a welcome companion. But believers can benefit from adversity when we learn to see it from God's perspective. To hear how to actually profit from suffering, join us for more on Intouch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of Intouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia and remains on the station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.