Know Your Enemy: The Flesh Examined by the Worst of Sinners | 1 Timothy 1:15

The Flesh, the Body, and the Need to Mortify Sin

So, today we're going to continue harmonizing and examining the flesh with its interrelated doctrines, particularly in light of what the Chief of Sinners himself says. And as you all know, or might know, that is the Apostle Paul.

I want us to recall how John Owen explains that the physical body and its members are the seat and instrument of that corruption and depravity of our natures, of the flesh, in other words. It's primarily the body, the flesh.

The flesh itself consists primarily of our physical bodies and members, but also includes our senses and sensual appetites, or lusts, which also take place in our minds, right? And because our senses are what connect our minds to our bodies, so it's all connected and all of this is tied to the flesh and how it affects us.

And this is why we still have sensual and sinful thoughts, even as believers, because of our flesh. And our fleshly sensual desires regularly tempt us to commit sinful thoughts, words, and actions, all three.

So we're not exempt from any of those sins just because we're born again. That's still, those are all sins that we commit and that we have to repent of and mortify because of our flesh. Our flesh pervades, in a sense, every part of our being.

And also because one of the primary ways that the world and the devil attack and tempt us is through our flesh, our senses. So we must guard our minds and our senses, just like the Psalm says, I will set no vile, no wicked, no unclean thing before my eyes, right?

Because if you live according to the flesh, you must and will die. But if by the spirit you are putting to death, mortifying, putting to death the practices of the body, the soma, you will live, right?

Asceticism, Church of Rome, and Doctrines of Demons

And in my previous sermon, furthermore, we saw that there is a significant amount of confusion surrounding the flesh. What it means and what it is and what it entails, how to deal with it, all those things.

Even amongst influential evangelicals and church leaders. And I had also asserted that our physical bodies are not good, right? I mentioned that last time, which does need some explanation. Because we need to make proper sense of that.

Because there are some, like Joshua Harris, who I referred to again last time, who persistently misinterpret scripture to claim that our bodies are neither bad nor corrupt. That they are still good and cite passages like 1 Timothy chapter 4.

And let's turn to that passage now, 1 Timothy chapter 4, starting in verse 1. So in 1 Timothy chapter 4, starting in verse 1, God's word says,. But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith.

They will apostatize, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By the hypocrisy of liars who have been seared in their own conscience, cauterized, burned to a crisp. Who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God created to be shared in with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

For everything created by God is good. And nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. So here we see a big sort of conundrum, right?

This is one of the issues that we have to deal with today. Because here it says, for everything created by God is good. Now our bodies are created by God, right? So then that means they must be there for good.

So how do we make proper sense of this? How do we tie this together? Or did I just drive us into a ditch yet again? Have no fear. Have no fear. The sound principles of humaneutics are here to help us guide through this.

So we need balance. We need balance to deal with these matters. There is no doubt that God clearly condemns asceticism here, right? Clearly condemns it. Because these devilish practices, these devilish doctrines, claim that marriage and certain foods are themselves evil.

That they themselves are evil. And which is an affront. It's an insult to God's character, right? And this should start ringing some bells. It's kind of similar to when we insult or undermine the power of God in regeneration.

Because when he changes us, he makes us new creations who do good works and who are able to do good. So we cannot undermine his ability to change us for the better. And in the same way, we cannot undermine God's power to create good things.

Right? Amen? So because God himself is good, right? And created these good things for us to enjoy with thanksgiving and prayer. Now, however, many religions, like the Church of Rome, practice this kind of asceticism described here.

Monasticism or monkery, to use Luther's phrase. Vigils, that's when you stay up all night. And fastings and flagellation, that's when you whip yourself. You basically whip yourself and you cause yourself to bleed and stuff like that.

And forbidding their priests from marrying. And these ascetic practices and others, like the sale of indulgences back in earlier days and even now, are a false form of denying the flesh. And they kindled and led to the Protestant Reformation itself.

These doctrines of demons are what led to the Reformation. Martin Luther, the reformer himself, our good friend, the German reformer, says this regarding this verse. This must have been at the instigation of the devil, as was foretold by St. Paul in this passage, saying that there shall come teachers giving heed to seducing spirits, forbidding to marry.

This has been the cause of so much misery that it cannot be told. And has given occasion to the Greek church to separate from us. And has caused infinite disunion, sin, shame, and scandal. Like everything that the devil does or suggests.

Now what are we to do? Can't say amen, you ought to say ouch, right? And it gets worse here, so stay tuned. It gets worse. Because there is still, this is still true of Rome and her priests today. Many, if not most of them, are homosexuals and pedophiles and perverts.

And don't think that this is only happening in remote, you know, third world countries somewhere out there. Here's a local news headline from our local paper. El Paso Catholic Diocese releases names of 30 accused priests in church sex abuse scandal.

30 priests that were abused in church sex abuse scandal.

30.

And that's just the ones they know about. Including David Hawley. Who was one of the most notorious sexual predators who wore the cloth. This is a direct quote from the article in that paper. Who was also part of the Boston Globe investigation up in the Massachusetts area that was an investigation featured in the movie Spotlight.

And just be careful with that movie because it is disturbing. It is not Christian, but it does have shed some light on those very disturbing reports that came out from the sex scandal up over there in that area with the Roman Catholic priests.

And in 2018, the Las Cruces Catholic Diocese released the names of 28 clergy who were credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Pedophiles. The list included clergy who served in Las Cruces and were accused of misconduct elsewhere.

Because that's what the Church of Rome would do. They start getting in trouble. We'll just ship you off somewhere else. We'll ship you off to another city, another state, another country. We'll sweep everything under the rug.

Problem solved. No, these guys leave a trail of destruction. This is doctrines of demons. This is what Paul was talking about. Exactly what Paul foretold, like Luther said. This is what's happening even now.

It is no wonder, then, that God condemns these practices as doctrines of devils. They fester into cesspools of perverts and perversion. Now, our other good friend, the second-generation reformer, John Calvin, his comments on this verse are also very powerful.

Still relevant and applicable for us in our day. He says, as soon as the purity of the worship of God is impaired, corrupted, distorted, there no longer remains anything perfect or sound. And faith itself is utterly ruined.

The doctrine of faith is destroyed as soon as the worship of God is infected by such corruptions like these, like Rome's. The controversy is not about flesh or fish, or about a black or ashy color, or about Friday or Wednesday, but about the mad superstitions of men who wish to appease God by such trifles, by falsehoods, and by contriving a carnal worship of Him.

They contrive for themselves in idol instead of God, because God is worshipped in spirit and in truth, according to John 4 .24, not according to these lies that are the devil's lies. So, who will deny, Calvin continues, that this is revolting from the faith?

Strong words, but amen to that. This in part is why it is so critical for us to have a biblical understanding of man, of the flesh, of mortification, as opposed to asceticism. Mortification is not the same thing as asceticism.

One is good, the other is bad. And, of course, of true worship, we must worship God according to the truth of His word. That is also known as the regulative principle of worship in the Reformed faith, and our confession talks about that as well.

Radical Depravity and the Corruption of Adam's Race

So, then, even though God is good and created these good things for us to enjoy with thanksgiving and prayer, and even though God condemns asceticism as doctrines of demons, and even though God initially created everything good, listen to this.

This is the distinction that we need to make. The fall and disobedience of our first parents, of Adam and Eve, as well as our own sin, has nevertheless corrupted us to the very core of our being. This is known as radical depravity.

We have been corrupted by sin, by the disobedience of our first parents. Every single part of us is corrupted, including our bodies. Nothing is exempt from the corruption of sin in this life. And we'll see more clearly this distinction in Ecclesiastes 7 .29.

If you turn with me there to the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verse 29, here we find in the book of Ecclesiastes much of God's wisdom. And in this passage highlights for us an important distinction that we need to know about man.

Chapter 7, verse 29. See, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices, many schemes. They've turned against God. And this is all over the Scriptures, not just here.

Romans 3, right? Isaiah, the Psalms, Isaiah. There is none that does good, not even one. Not even one. Proverbs 20, verse 6. Likewise says, many a man will call out his own lovingkindness, but a faithful man, who can actually find?

Who can actually find a good man? And let us not forget that God, speaking through Paul, the chief of sinners, refers to our physical bodies as that mortal body of sin and death. That is why, church, that is why our bodies are not good.

Yes, did God create them good? Yes, He did. But our bodies are stained and corrupted by sin. And that is why we must put to death, we must mortify our members, like Paul says. And we will dig into that more later on.

We must put it to death, mortify. Put to death what is earthly in you.

Okay?

So, very important to understand that. Now also, when I quoted John Bradford, the English reformer, I had made a joke about how self-debasing he was, to the point of demonstrating a complete lack of self-esteem.

No self-esteem. These guys sound like, wow. They sound just like Eeyore.

Right?

From Winnie the Pooh. I call it the Eeyore syndrome. You know that donkey that he's just always looking down. He can't ever, you know,.

He says,.

I was so upset I forgot to be happy. That's what these men sound like. They sound just like this. Wish I could say yes, but I just can't.

You know?

I'm just a filthy, wretched, vile sinner. That's what these guys say.

And,.

What else does he say? Don't worry about me. Go and enjoy yourself. I'll stay here and be miserable.

Man.

Oh boy. Or worse yet, worse yet, we must be careful, beloved, not to wear the attitude that John Milton's Satan wore in his famous epic poem, Paradise Lost. Excellent epic. I highly commend it to you all for your reading.

It is an excellent, excellent poem. That one in Paradise Regained as well. A little hard to read because he uses very archaic language, but it's very, very good stuff. Richly rewarding. The moral of the story here is do not be like Milton's Satan.

Okay?

Who says, in one of his monologues, me miserable. Me miserable. Which way shall I fly? Infinite wrath and infinite despair? Which way I fly is hell. Myself am hell. And in the lowest deep, a lower deep still, threatening to devour me, opens wide.

To which the hell I suffer now seems a heaven. Oh, then at last, relent, or ease up. Is there no place left for repentance? None for pardon left.

Man.

That's just no amen there. That's just ouch.

Right? So,.

Does that sound, doesn't that sound almost exactly like what we read from these men? These pastors.

Of old.

You know,.

John Bradford, who said, the sinful John Bradford, a very painted hypocrite. The most miserable, hard-hearted, and unthankful sinner. You know, like, oh me, oh my. You know, like, just so down on themselves, you know.

Jonathan Edwards, who said, when I look into my heart and take a view of its wickedness, it looks in abyss infinitely deeper than hell. Okay, these men sound just like Milton's devil. There's something seriously wrong with that.

Charles Spurgeon, who said, there is tender enough in the saint who is nearest to heaven to kindle another hell. What did the devil say? Myself am hell? If God should permit but a spark to fall on it.

In the very best of men, there is an infernal and well-nigh infinite depth of depravity. My goodness. I think they overstated their case just a little bit.

Amen?

We gotta really have a balance here. We need to check ourselves and not fall into this dangerous imbalance. Okay, so turn with me now to 2 Corinthians 10. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 13. In 2 Corinthians 10, verse 13, God's word says, but we will not boast beyond our measure.

This is going back to the issue of self-esteem. We will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the area of influence which God apportioned to us as a measure to reach even as far as you.

For we are not overextending ourselves as if we did not reach you. For we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ. Not boasting beyond our measure in other men's labors, but having the hope that as your faith grows to be enlarged even more by you within our area of influence.

So as to proclaim the gospel even to the righteous beyond you. And not to boast in what has been accomplished in the area of influence.

Of another.

But he who boasts is to boast only in.

The Lord.

Only in God. For it is not the one who commends himself that is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. The one whom the Lord commends.

Amen.

So, in other.

Words, okay,.

Our aim, our goal, our chief end, as the catechism says, is not self-debasement. It is not to beat yourself up, but self

Humiliation.

Humility, right? Not self-confidence, but God-confidence.

Amen?

Not self-esteem, but spiritual esteem. Spiritual esteem.

Amen.

Regeneration, the New Heart, and the Limits of the Flesh

So, tying all this together, we had also asked about regeneration last time. Does regeneration somehow affect the flesh of believers now that we are born again and new creations? What is the source and seed of corruption in man, and the extent, the influence, the dominion, and the power of the flesh, of the flesh, especially in born-again, regenerated believers?

We need to be careful to not over-emphasize the power and extent of the flesh in this life of believers, in the life of believers, especially those who are in our Calvinist tradition. Because I just quoted you a sample of, and this is just a sample of men who speak like this, who overstate and go to an extreme that is just unbiblical and dangerously imbalanced.

Because there are counterpoint book-end doctrines that balance out our understanding and warn us when we over stress one end or one doctrine over the other, over another. That's how we test our doctrine.

We say, hey, am I stressing something too much to the point of compromising something else? The other doctrine that balances it out. Just like this. Regeneration with the flesh. God's sovereignty. Man's responsibility.

Right? These are book-end doctrines that balance each other out. And we need to correctly understand both of them so that we do not fall into error or imbalance that will lead us astray.

Right?

So there is a tendency, a very clear tendency in some, not all, but in some Reformed and Lutheran writers to over-emphasize human depravity and wickedness in believers. Even after they have been regenerated and converted and made new creations by God.

Okay?

So,.

Are we believers who are new creations in Christ really as bad as these men say we are?

Are we really?

Is there really hell in us?

Are we hell?

Is the depths of our.

Hearts.

An abyss of hell? I mean, that describes the abyss where the fallen angels are locked up. Are we really that wicked as believers? And I mentioned again last Sunday two extreme views of regeneration. The first being instant or entire sanctification, also known as perfectionism which was started, well, a lot of it was promoted by John Wesley.

This has serious problems and errors because this is an unbiblical view of sin and of the flesh. It is an overly optimistic or triumphalist view of sanctification, of growth and holiness, because we still stumble, we still fall, we still sin.

We all stumble in many ways. Like James says, right? We all stumble in many ways. We need to be humble about that and repent. Repentance, like Luther said, the believer should be marked by repentance.

Marked. It's a lifestyle because we sin. The second extreme is the belief that Christians are forgiven but don't really change after their conversion. They remain wicked, perverse sinners in constant rebellion against God.

And that's what we've been reading from these men, right? This view undermines, it really insults and mocks the power of God in our lives and implies that believers never really mature or grow in holiness.

It is an overly pessimistic, defeatist view of sanctification. It's that Eeyore, right? Oh, you know, things are never going to get better so I might as well just be miserable.

And.

The men I quoted above or previously obviously lean far towards this second extreme, this imbalanced view. Along with Dave Harvey, whom I mentioned last time, he wrote a popular book on marriage called When Sinners Say, I Do.

And it's highly recommended in Reformed circles, in Calvinist circles. But look at what he says.

We are all.

The worst of sinners. He's basing this off of 1 Timothy 1 .15. So anything that we do that isn't sin is simply the grace of God at work. As the worst of sinners, I should be primarily suspicious and regularly suspicious of myself.

My heart.

Has a permanent tendency to oppose God and His ways. You see, your wicked heart and mine are amazingly similar. They both crave vindication and excuse. They want to insist that something else made us sin.

Something outside of us, beyond our control. Aha! Our circumstances.

Okay?

Boy!

When I read this, I was so disturbed. It's like, where is the hope? What happened to the power of God?

Is there.

Anything wrong with the picture that they're painting of us, born again believers? He's talking about you, you, you, all of you who are known by God. He's talking about.

Us.

Are we really this vile and bad? Permanently opposed to God. What sayeth the Scripture? Because, on the other hand, the Apostle Paul, the chief of sinners, himself affirms the exact opposite of what Harvey claims.

In Romans 7. Believers sin, in other words, not because of their circumstances, but because of the law of sin. Paul calls it the law of sin, the principle of sin. Something that is outside of the believer.

But, which works through our.

Flesh.

What does he say? So now, it is no longer I.

Who do it,.

But sin that dwells within me.

For I know.

That nothing good dwells in me. But what does he say? He doesn't just stop there and say, therefore, we're completely vile, wretched sinners. We have an abyss of hell in our hearts. No, that's not what he says.

He continues. It is no longer I who do sin, but sin that dwells in me. For nothing good dwells in me that is in my.

Flesh.

In my flesh. Now, if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Amen? Romans 7. 17 through 18.

Paul.

Makes it clear. Amen. Amen,.

Baby. We.

Sin is when we are born again, sin becomes an external problem now because we are made good by God. We are renewed and given a new heart. So we are therefore good. The problem, of course, is our flesh because our bodies are yet to be redeemed.

Our bodies are still fallen. Our bodies are still corrupt. We have not received our glorified resurrected bodies yet, right? That ain't happening until the resurrection. So we must still struggle with sin because of our mortal bodies.

Remember the question that I asked you all to meditate.

On.

When we die and we leave our bodies, do we still sin? Do our spirits still sin? Think about that carefully, okay? Hopefully this is becoming more clear now as we continue to unpack this. So then, believers do still sin, but not because their hearts are wicked and vile and abysses of hell, but because our unredeemed bodies and our senses can still be triggered by the law of sin that takes hold of our members, physical members, our sensual sinful temptations, which is why we are called and commanded to die daily, right?

Die daily. 1 Corinthians 15 31. Because we have past sense and one sense crucified the flesh. Galatians 5 24, which we covered a few weeks ago.

Right?

Paul’s “Chief of Sinners” and the Context of 1 Timothy 1:15

So, let's turn now to one of the main proof texts that these men use in our key text today. 1 Timothy 1 15. This is where we will see everything either come together or completely fall apart. 1 Timothy 1 15.

So,.

In 1 Timothy 1 15, the Apostle Paul says, The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the.

Foremost.

Of whom I am the foremost, the chief, the worst, the worst of sinners. Dave Harvey claims that Paul here is saying in effect, look, I know my sin, and what I've seen in my own heart is darker and more awful.

It's more proud, selfish and self-exalting, and it's consistently and regularly in rebellion against God than anything I've glimpsed in the heart of anyone else. Anyone else. Including what? Including Hitler?

Like seriously, including unbelievers who are clearly not saved? You're worse than.

Them.

Look, we have to, this has to make sense, right? Something's not adding up. Hopefully by now this is becoming more clear. This sounds like the description once again of an unregenerate, unrepentant God-hating sinner.

Not like a born-again blood-bought redeemed believer who is being actively progressively sanctified by the Spirit of God through His means so that we more and more conform unto His word, His law, and more and more put to death sin, mortified,.

Like our.

Confession and catechism say, like the Word says. And what does Scripture clearly say? 1 John 2 4, whoever says, I know Him, but does not keep His commandments is a liar. And the truth is not in.

Him.

Didn't Jesus say, if you love me, keep my commandments? How are we going to keep His commandments if our hearts are perpetually in rebellion, vile, wicked abysses of hell? And I hope the point is can I say case closed now?

Amen? You know, so how then how then can a born-again Christian's heart be consistently regularly in rebellion against God? Especially when God Himself promises to sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, all of it, and from all your idols.

I will cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

I will equip you to obey me and to love me and I will make you good. Ezekiel 36 ask yourself this. How can we delight ourselves in Yahweh so that He gives us the desires of our heart? According to Psalm 37 verse 4.

How can He give us the desires of our heart if our heart is perpetually rebellious and constantly desiring sin, wicked, vile, evil? Just like Harvey and these men claim. Okay? This is just a sample. We can keep going all, we can keep going for weeks.

Beloved.

On how diametrically opposed this understanding is to scripture. Now let's turn to the passage in context and see what we find. Okay? Let's read 1st Timothy chapter 1 starting in verse 12. Let's get the whole context.

See what else sticks out for us. Okay?

Because.

The difficulty of course is that Paul here is calling himself the chief of sinners. Present tense. He says I am the chief of sinners. So we need to make proper biblical sense of that. Okay? So 1st Timothy chapter 1 verse 12.

The apostle says I am grateful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened me.

Because.

He regarded me faithful, putting me into service even though I was, notice the tense, I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet.

I was.

Past tense shown mercy because I acted past tense ignorantly and unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant more than abundant with the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Amen to that gospel promise and indicative right there.

That is gospel beauty right there. Verse 15 it is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Among whom I.

Am present tense.

The foremost.

Yet for this reason.

I was.

Shown mercy past tense. So that in me. Here's why. So that in me as the foremost as the chief, as the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all his patience as an example for those who are going to believe upon him for eternal life.

Okay so he answers the reason right in this passage that is our answer. The answer is clearly there. He's simply making the point that me being the worst of sinners. In other words if God can save me if God can save Paul he can save you too.

Amen. God can save any one of us because he has already predetermined to save us and he will do so because he is an almighty all powerful, all sufficient.

God.

It's his work that saves us not ours. Amen.

So.

Notice previously in verses 12 -14 because Paul says I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord because he judged me faithful appointing me to this service though formerly I was. He's not saying he is still a blasphemer, he is still a persecutor and he is still an insolent opponent.

Okay this is the error of the pietists.

Of.

These imbalanced men who overstress their sinfulness their wretchedness in order to come off as pious or holy. Oh I'm just a wretched sinner. Oh I'm just so I'm just so sinful and look at me I'm so pious and sinful.

It's like no you're not no you're not you are undermining and insulting and mocking God's power to work in your life. So don't do it. Don't say those things because they are not true. They are false. Formerly he was and get again the power of look at how many times the apostle himself says but I received mercy.

I received mercy three times in this passage and then.

Was.

Shown mercy was shown mercy all through that passage and and the grace of our Lord overflowed overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. What is he saying? What is what do we sing in these hymns?

Grace grace God's grace right grace that is greater than all.

Our.

Sin. Amen. God's grace is greater than all our sin and more powerful than all our sin. Both before and notice. Two both before and after he says he's the chief of sinners. He says I received I received I was shown mercy past tense powerful stuff powerful stuff.

And this passage had originally given me a hard time because again this is the passage that people pointed to defend this view that we're just wretched sinners but notice also.

That.

God promises that he will remember our sins and lawless deeds no more. That is a covenantal promise sealed by the blood of his son given to us and sealed by the regenerating power of God's spirit working in.

Us.

So.

If God forgives and forgets our sins why then did Paul call himself the present tense chief of sinners. It is because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but and he who humbles himself will be exalted. So Paul was humbling himself because he is saying that God's apart from God's grace he is the worst of sinners.

But even so as the worst of sinners God can save you too because God's power is that powerful. So we boast then not in ourselves and in what we can do or in our ability to keep ourselves pure. Because can we keep ourselves pure.

No we cannot not apart from God and his means right. We boast only in the Lord right.

Only in the Lord.