Forget Yourself !

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Someone who is really holy, and close to God, does not talk about how holy they are.

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2 signs of Holiness

http://fatherrays.blogspot.com/2010/10/two-surest-signs-of-holiness.html

(1)

The first sign of holiness is “an insatiable desire to improve oneself.”

Insatiable means “incapable of being satisfied.” Holy people—truly holy people—are never completely satisfied with their lives, spiritually or morally.

In spite of the fact that they are very Christ-like, they are still very conscious of their sins—their little, nagging imperfections.

So they’re never morally complacent; they never make the mistake of thinking they’ve arrived spiritually. They are always striving to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

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(2)

The second sure sign of holiness is “an unquenchable concern for unholy people.”

Notice, again, the adjectives there: unquenchable and unholy.

Both are extremely important.

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Unquenchable is very similar to insatiable in its meaning.

And notice what the object of our unquenchable concern is supposed to be: other people—but not just any old group of other people, specifically other people who are NOT holy!

It’s easy to be concerned about holy people, is it not?

It’s easy to be concerned about people we like: people who are good to us; people who treat us fairly; people who treat us with respect.

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Even unholy people have a genuine concern for the nice people in their lives.

But truly holy people go beyond that, and actually manifest a deep concern for the salvation and well-being of those who hate them and hurt them and treat them unfairly and disrespectfully.

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So, holiness is all about love and service to God and others in need.

There is no room for the fleshly ego, and selfish needs.

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Scriptures related to holiness and death to self

http://www.openbible.info/topics/dying_to_self

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Scriptures related to being in the flesh

http://www.openbible.info/topics/sins_of_the_flesh

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Most consider being in the flesh the same as sins OF the flesh listed in the scriptures….like sexual immorality, anger, sorcery, drunkenness….etc.

But being in the flesh can be more subtle than that…..with behaviors we see every day but do not normally think of them as “sin.”

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When people are “in the flesh,” we will see these other traits:

1.  Need to be important

2.  Need to be superior over others

3.  Critical of others, attacks openly or by subtlety, by insinuation

4.  People see all events in reference to themselves. They are the center of their own worlds.

5.  Lack of control

6.  Resistant to change

7.  Resistance to obedience

8.  Everything has to be their way

9.  If others disagree, then they are heretics

10.  Denial of own behavior, do not admit to anything

11.  Self justification

12.  Constant need for reassurance or affirmation

13.  Un-teachable

14.  Easily offended

15.  Self centered. Life is all about them.

16.  Agitated. Cannot rest in the peace of the Lord

17.  Wrongly uses the Word of God

18.  Hides own sin, focuses on the perceived sins of other

19.  Their needs come first

20.  Their rights are more important than rights of others

21.  Little concern for the feelings or suffering of others.

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What does “being in the flesh,” or having too much “flesh,” look like?

Well, in the physical, it looks something like this:

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In the spirit , there is not much difference.

It is not attractive, yet people will continue on in this spiritual state.

It is repulsive to those around the person.

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The next time you are “in the flesh,” remember the picture above.

Your spirit looks like that to God, and to true believers.

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Subduing the flesh is not just a Christian concept.

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Subduing the Flesh

The Word teaches us to die to the flesh, and NOT keep it alive:

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Colossians 3:3

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

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We should die daily, and subdue our flesh, and forget how “great” and smart we think we are, and humble ourselves before God.

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As long as we are focused on OUR thoughts, OUR feelings, OUR rights, OUR reactions, OUR needs , we are “in the flesh.”

All our energy should be on God’s thoughts, God’s feelings, God’s rights, God’s reactions and God’s needs.

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Contribution by Denise

You ask: “What is the best way to hide sin from others?”

The simple answer is that the hypocrite is the man who hides his own sin, not the one who conceals the errors of others.

At His trial Jesus did not open His mouth. He accused no one.

He left such necessity up to the Word of God. For, It is by the Word of God that we all shall be judged.

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What are the unseen reasons which cause men to feel compelled to ridicule, expose the sins of others, and denigrate?

Could it be that a sense of superiority dominates their thinking?

Surely, in their own minds,  they feel they have not committed sins nearly as heinous as those they are exposing.

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Arbitrarily they categorize the laws of God.

And they determine the degrees and magnitudes of sin.

They believe the sins committed by others are of much greater magnitude than are those committed by themselves—if they admit to any sin at all.

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Is it possible that men censure, ridicule, and show contempt for others to cover their own guilt?

There is no man who does not sin.

The hypocrite is the man who hides his own sin, not the one who conceals the errors of others.

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Psalms 32: Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, who wrongs are pardoned; (2) Happy is the person whom the Lord does not consider guilty, in that person there is nothing false. (3) When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me, I moaned all day long. (4) Day and night you punished me, My strength was gone as in the summer heat. (5) Then I confess my sins to you, I didn’t hide my guilt, I said, “I will confess my sins to the Lord.”

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We have some choices to make.

First, we must choose to be the Bride, and not just someone with a Christian label.

Second, as the Bride, we must guard our spirit, so we don’t end up looking more like foolish virgins.

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We have to choose between the flesh and the spirit.

It is a war in our members, as Paul said.

We choose between holiness and being “in the flesh.”

We cannot be both.

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Final note

It is a difficult thing to do , to abandon the flesh nature.

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This is why the Holy Spirit has been given to us.

He can give us the power and comfort we need as we strive toward the mark of holiness.

We may never achieve perfection, and we will be a work in progress.

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The enemy is against us, as well as our own fallen nature.

But, both the Lord Jesus, who died for us, and his Holy Spirit are there for our victory.

We must abandon the flesh, and put our trust in God, to achieve holiness that is not just pleasing to God, but achieves a state in us, where we finally feel really free.

Holiness is ultimate freedom.

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We must forget ourselves, our egos, who we are, and focus on God , and Him in others.

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You have my prayers, love and support as you fight this spiritual war.

Do not give up.

The final reward is worth the battle.

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