we’re actually told that he that suffers in the flesh is finished with sin - he won’t live the rest of his life for the lusts of men but for the will of God. Jesus is the perfect picture of a life lived like this. and he lived that way consistently before his ultimate suffering on the cross.

see what i mean? the blood deals completely with the “old man of sin.” the willingness to suffer is our armor in terms of living uncompromised lives that offensively destroy the works of the devil in a compromised world. light shines in the darkness and the darkness may persecute it all the way to the point of death; but darkness can never overcome it.

But don’t you think His people have; so therefore the way he deals with His people has changed? Holy Spirit dwells within rather than coming upon, the curtain is torn. It’s not 10% it’s all.

And what do you think about suffering in this new thing, in regards to purity?
It’s a crazy/scary/awesome/refreshing thing is how God often uses pain/dispare/overwhelm-ment to reveal the next layer — deep calls to deep (Ps. 42:7). The blister cries out beneath the uncomfortable work — pretty soon the old dries up and if you stop to look at the state of your hands you can’t wait to rip off the dead flap. And there it is, the new/better life.

it’s really true, & it’s demonstrated all through the new testament. i think it’s very safe to read “old wine” as man’s religion & tradition (that makes void the word of God) - it’s basically what Jesus is warning against when he says “beware the leaven of the Pharisees…” fermentation, corruption, leaven - they all pretty much get dealt with the same way in the Bible.

so is old wine better than new wine? no, Jesus is only stating that people used to old wine prefer old wine. why would people prefer it? there are so many verses about this…but it all comes down to a cozy but deadly drunken stupor. which none of us is immune to - which is why Jesus makes his warning so clear.

& yes, 2 Corinthians 3 (all the way to the end of the chapter) is the key to keeping your wine new >>

Also, as I was reading the above posts, something reminded me of 2 Cor 3:7-11=> Old vs. New

“Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.”

You’re right. I do that all the time. It’s rediculous.

I haven’t been good at memorizing Ephesians, so I’m retyping the whole thing and paraphrasing the sentences that are long and (for lack of a better word) circley. It’s fun to have a Bible reading project, rather than just reading. I read through too fast.

it’s sooo important to keep it simple and straightforward. in Christ = new creation = new covenant.

i’ve seen people get hopelessly dizzy in pointless “am i dead or alive” or “which part of me is saved” questions. Jesus is always answering us with “you’re in me, & i’m 100% alive and 100% saved.” there’s really not too much point trying to engage God in a discussion on the limits of repentance. he purposefully leaves it at clear reassurance for those who are genuine about repentance, and ominous warnings for those who really aren’t.

it’s funny how people ask the question from the gray side of things when their hearts are growing numb to God. you’re looking at it from the point of view of absolute honesty before God, which is where you get real answers >>