The Choice Between Flesh and Faith

 The Battle Within Against Pride

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

How Self-Centredness Blocks Divine Connection

The statement "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" serves as one of the most sobering "hard stops" in the New Testament. It is a definitive boundary line between human effort and divine acceptance.

“The flesh" is not merely your skin, bones, or physical body.  No unsaved or unregenerated living human could ever please God. “The flesh" refers to you fallen human nature, the part of you that is self-centered, self-reliant, full of pride and has no fear of a Holy God.

• The Body: A neutral vessel.
• The Flesh: A rebellious orientation.

Your instincts guide you. Your appetites define you. Your identity is built on what you achieve, what you control, and what you can secure for yourself. Even your good deeds may still orbit around the gravity of self—seeking approval, security, recognition, or the quiet satisfaction of feeling morally superior.

The Problem of "Good" Works

Perhaps the most jarring implication is that even "good" things done "in the flesh" fail to please God.

• Philanthropy in the flesh may be for social status.
• Religion in the flesh may be an attempt to bribe God or manage one's own guilt.
• Morality in the flesh is often just a sophisticated form of pride.

Think of it like trying to grasp a handful of sand: the tighter you squeeze, the more it slips through your fingers. Similarly, when you try to please God through your own efforts and fleshly endeavors, you'll inevitably fall short. Your human nature is like a filter that taints even your best intentions, rendering them unacceptable to a holy God.

The Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Spirit-Led Living

God is not seeking polished versions of human self-sufficiency. He desires hearts that are alive to Him; hearts transformed by His Holy Spirit.

You are invited to a gravity stronger than your cravings. It asks not perfect performance but a reordering of love. Choose the path that loosens the grip of the flesh—repentance that is real, small acts of obedience, persistent prayer, and sacrificial love—and you will find that pleasing God becomes not an impossible burden but the truest shaping of your life. In that change, what once felt like loss becomes the opening of your life into mercy, purpose, and the deep, unshakable joy you were made to hold.

The Lord’s Supper Is For You

1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Necessity of Fellowship

At its core, this passage underscores the importance of fellowship among believers. The act of eating and drinking together is more than a mere ritual; it embodies the shared faith and the fellowship that is essential for spiritual growth.

Elements of the Lord’s Supper

• The Bread represents Christ’s body, broken for you.
• The Cup represents the New Testament in His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
• Showing, it is a declaration of a historical event. By partaking in the elements, believers identify themselves with Christ’s sacrificial death and affirm the reality of that death.

“Til He Come”

• The phrase points to the eschatological hope of Christ’s return—when he sits on the throne of his father David.

Summary

In essence, fellowship in the Christian faith through the ordinance of the Lord’s supper is absolutely necessary. It serves not only as an ordinance of remembrance but also as a means of fostering good fellowship and spiritual anticipation of Christ’s eminent return. 

Are you in good fellowship with the brethren? When is the last time you had the Lord’s supper?