Sam Allberry: Winning the Battle of Body and Soul

I called avoid the truth that Jesus love spending our Savior and maybe will if I fail Jesus again. And this is the nighttime number 374 with this particular sin.

Jesus still loves being a Savior we will never announcing his grace. Welcome to family life today.

We want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most and will think that I'm Dave Wilson and you can find us@familylifetoa.com or on our family life.

This is family life today so when I first began to follow Christ and again I you know you know this and I had really read the Bible and Roman Christian home didn't really read the Bible you went to church and another Bible and I fell asleep at church so I didn't listen. So I'm start to read the Bible as a as a young college-age man, and I thought there's nothing in the Bible that I can relate to. I thought about it, this book that's it's not real, it just doesn't talk about real life and on their forget in my first month I'm reading it on my own and I stumble across Romans chapter 7 and I did know what I was reading at the time.

Now I'm an astute master divinity scholar. Okay, so you're a brand-new believer in your reading Romans seven – and I read this and I remember thinking to myself, that's exactly my life right now. He said Paul wrote in Romans 714 for we know that the laws spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand my actions. For I do not do what I want but I do the very thing I hate. He wants to do the right thing, but he's being so honest to say but I struggle. I actually do the wrong thing and I remember going to my mentor and said, what is this about, because this is what I feel I this is my daily struggle.

It was like this body of flesh and desires that my body had compared the price.

Though spiritual life and the Holy Spirit guy live in the meat. There was a war going on that was described in Scripture that I didn't know what it meant and how to win this war because prior to knowing Jesus even given into all of your bodily desires then.

Now I'm in Christ. I'm still struggling. I thought that would all go away, but it's still there so I mean ER brings up the topic of the body, the spirit, the flesh, the spirit and what I think we all deal with this and we need help. So we got help in the studio with us today.

We got them all very who's with us to join us again a family of today welcome back Sam is always good to be busy. You're looking at a smiling about our little struggle here that we deal with, but obviously I want to hear what you think about that.

But let me introduce Sheila, but you've written a book called what God has to say about our bodies and it's a fascinating theology of our bodies that I don't know if I've ever read anything else like this think it's fairly unique but really needed and the subtitle is why the gospel is good news for our physical selves. We know that it's good news. We know that the good news of Jesus affects our spirit or soul, but we often don't connect the body to that, yes, let's talk.

Sam your sound about my little struggle with my physical body. I'm guessing we all have that you talk about that a little bit this this body we live in. In the spirit that lives in us. There is a war there is always modeling and purity enzymes of recognition because are you neurotic amazing what we old you'll feel you're not laughing at me, you're laughing with me will think this is even his hazel problems with Emily.

We have some hits it to fix it so I was wondering if I could Potenza 120 rooms on it, passages that in Romans seven and there there all the parts of the Bible, but you get the same cognitive renewal, this is close going on under the hood and each of us. It's so reassuring, isn't it because I think we sometimes get all heads to the point where we think the Bob, this is kind of like an episode of the Waltons. It's United churches like this and you could have a life together and then you can come and open the Bible and sensitive have a residual life together being affirmed and he realized that the people in the popular mess on their mess just in the way that we are a mess and Brightman seven gives expression to what every single person on the planet feels in some way, which is, there is a there is something about my desire is that is not until he writes even the most fun of cynical fall from Christ, person still would recognize that not every instinct and impulse within them should be indulged and we feel that battle profoundly.

It's an interesting pool uses the language of of the flesh is a kind of shorthand for all, sinful instincts. By doing so he's he's not meaning to suit the site of the body is evil and I need the spirit within us is good because the boat is affirmed throughout the Bible and unbuckled himself, but I think it's because so much of our experience of our own worst instincts has taken place in our bodies properties of often being the vehicle for these impulses and instincts being the crime scene of Austin and of all the peoples on we we bear in all flesh, not just the skulls of the sins that we have committed as well that the shame of sins of the been committed against us. And of often being committed and all and all parties so I think porters using the flesh for that kind of reason. But in a then A, crescendos who can rescue me from this body of death, and it can feel like that all impulses is so heading in the in the wrong direction and insight many ways.

Site there is there is great comfort that experience is expressed by an apostle in the pages of Scripture, we can take some comfort from that every single one of us is a mess.

If if we are going through that Brightman seven experience ourselves go to saints with you on not only will running you will note the free kit on the top of this particular meeting checksheet. We can look around is never looks as though all the people of gold along smoke together than we have. That's because by comparing the outsides of the insights if I can put it that way worse if we could see inside of him we would see the very same struggle and battles as well and asleep as you come to faith you, you begin to realize why that's the case, and how that's been the case you more aware of the battle now because you have more of a sensitivity to sin and the more exotic articles ways but as you as you said we.

We often think I will numb a Christian.

This will get sorted out will be fixed myself a couple weeks United but basically these things will sort themselves out in all all kind of move forward.

Sin nest of happy coherent kind of way. We realize that's not the case. We do have the gift of the spirit.

We do have new hearts, but as I sometimes put it, we have new creation software that on old creation, hardware for as long as we are in these bodies we will still be wrestling with with all sinful nature with overlays instincts of the flesh support is talking about.

Let's talk about you know from your experience in and biblically. How do you win that battle with the flesh you know you go to another book that Paul wrote in Galatians, you know, verse 16, chapter 5, he says, you know.

But I say, walk by the Spirit S Holy Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, and I can remember one of my first years of ministry every I've written about this standing in front of the TV that had pornography on it. This is back before there was the Internet and feeling this I felt like overwhelming desire to look you know it was like why I member standing are gone. I don't know if I've ever felt a desire this strong against what God wants me to do.

I mean I just thought I was a struggle little bit but in Christ. The struggle won't be as strong as before and I'm standing there going. This is a powerful urge, the flesh, the desire to do the wrong thing to be to look at some I shouldn't have any reason look at. I'm a married man will follow Christ was so strong it struck me that wow this is a battle and at the same time I know Paul's words. You know, walk by the Spirit you will not gratify these desires. I was having. It can be food anything and getting it Paul saying I beat my body and make it my slave, and those words are so descriptive of the battle to talk about that honey how you walk by the Spirit and win this battle. I'm guessing you never struggle like that, like we did talk about it. If you have other just three very easy steps which I took 20 years ago and I haven't seen this nice it's very counterintuitive and again. It's where we need to just have the gospel repeats in our own hearts, because all again. The flesh has its own fleshly way of dealing with the flesh I'm rethinking right like I need to man up on the two yeah dude equivalents of gulping down some spiritual protein shakes and just come to fight hard yeah out of my own strength. And that's just not the onset pool shows a sudden Brightman seven that the more you try to do that in your own strength. The deeper and you guys want to flail your way out of quicksand and up going down more moral so it's tightest to says it is the grace of gold that teaches us to say no to uncle penis so the only way we can fight these very very deep-seated impulses that we find within us is we need to keep receiving the grace of God. We do that pool shows us because you know that the general shape of polls letters is to show us who we are in Christ and then to tell us how to start living that out.

So we we need to kind of receive and understand all new identities as Christian men and women.

Brightman six is low in this heat. He wants us to realize that sin is no longer who we all so the very first come onto comes in the holiness roof of Romans. This is Raymond's sixth month of this 13 writing or something out that what he says consider yourselves dead to sin. He doesn't say stop sinning he says consider yourselves dead to sin. In other words, you need to think about yourself in any way. Now because you know that guy 1 of our sinful nature tells us what the devil tells us is you nice don't want to be this Christian version of yourself that you clearly not to you all. This is what you do. This is how we roll. Have at it and poorest want to say that that is who you will, but that you has died. Now this and you you on the block and the new US is the real you. And so it is now not holiness that is going against the grain of who you really are.

It's it's sin that's now going against the grain of who you really are. You will never be more truly to you all.

Your deepest cools Emmanuel following Christ. I needed to know that because one of us have various besetting sins. It didn't feel like that the big-ticket sins in our lives and I remember having a bit of a breakthrough with with a particular sin in my life and I realized what I have, to commit that sin anymore pulses him I'm no longer under the mastery of that sin among the Christ. Instead, it doesn't mean I don't sin but it does mean that every time I do's and I didn't have to, because sin doesn't have federal authority is minimal so that that's part of it is is trying to understand who we now all in Jesus and realizing that actually eats that who Christ is made us to be in him that that helps us sensitive to walk in his ways be for you. Now all in Jesus nothing. The other thing is is simply remembering that our righteousness is in Jesus. This is not a matching grunting where he will put up most of the righteousness if we kind of at all. Writing little bits or of our righteousness is in Jesus and so as I'm wrestling with certain impulses in my heart I can think Jesus has already lived righteously and that area of life for me.

This particular oil can feel my body wanting to be misused and said to commit sin. Jesus never did that.

And in that particular area of life. He was always righteous. He obeyed God and on the go perfectly with his body because he knew that I couldn't and say there is a completion that it is is already being prepared for me that I have now stepped into so I think needs to fight this in order to be in God's good graces and some of my heavenly father and the I took my Christian brother and sister in the eye. God has already counted me righteous in Christ, which then as she makes it safe for me to say to God answer to other Christians.

This is what's going on in my heart right now.

It's safe to say that this is not threatening my standing with Golda Mike, my place in his family and so is is my friend and imposter. Roy opened I've heard him say this a few times a week we don't defeat sin by the city of Christine Ortiz and an force of willpower. We confess it to death. I have often found that it's been the articulation of hey this is this is the crazy going on in my heart right now that I'm dating ways just articulating that feels like it is already done something to that sin, because not been able to step outside of it and name. It's to show it in its true light to another Christian brother and that does change my relationship to that sin. Ray can insist on talking about having a men's group and having teaching that that the porn yes yes that was right and then we walk in the light with one another. Obsolete, we receive the teaching week to walk all heavy doctrine and then like I yeah not now we confess our sins to each other and that's when he talked about confessing sins where guys would just confess their sins to one another and how it was setting men free. Yet, because as they're talking about their hearing the word there confessing to one another.

It was like, but I was gonna be my question to you Sam is that what you would say to the person who has made mistakes with their body. They've sinned with their body library against the banner or against them. They've lost that flesh spirit battle often and they just feel defeated and they hide often but they've sorta given up like I've tried it doesn't work, it's hopeless.

What would you say to them, and even the parent is maybe watching their child struggle with that. How would you counsel you been listening to David and Wilson talking with Sam Mulberry on family life to a where in here. Sam's response in just a moment but first let me just say that we'd love to send you a copy of his brand-new book what God has to say about our bodies. We love to give you a copy when you make a donation of any amount this week to support the work of family life today. You knew that in a couple of ways one@familylifetodate.com or you can give us a call with your donation at 1-800-358-6329 that donation to be a one-time gift or a recurring monthly gift.

Again the number is one 800 F as in family L as in life, and then the word today. Right now, let's get back to Dave and Anne's conversation with Sam Mulberry. I think I would say you were describing every single human being every single Christian media is true we are, by definition, people who been defeated by sin.

That's why we Christians that's what qualifies us to be Christians because we needed to champion succumb and to find that enemy for us because we couldn't find that enemy on our own and the father. Jesus is done at first doesn't mean that we are now kind of okay impervious to send file formats, but it does mean that that the grace we've received from Jesus. We receive a fresh every single day, every single day. We can stand again in the righteousness of Christ has provided for us through his death and resurrection and every day we can come to him and all need and that's what he expects.

I was thinking of the day of of that wonderful verse in Hebrews 12, where for the joy set before him.

He endured the cross, and it made me thinking I Jesus knew the pain we know that from the garden of Gethsemane. He knew what he was stepping into and dying for us and yet he process for the joy set before he could he could see through that pain to the far horizon. On the other side, and he knew that that would be a place of joy I can't avoid the truth that Jesus loves being our Savior and so all all defeated friends listening to this and it may be when I fail Jesus again. And this is the nighttime number 374 with this particular sin. Jesus still loves being a Savior we will never out sin, his grace, you may feel as though you'll sin is going to be the one that actually crosses that redline and is going to be just too much for Jesus to deal with but in the nicest possible way. You know that special topic is Romans five, but where sin abounds. Grace abounds with normal there's always more grace in Jesus and sin in us. He's bigger than all sin and his spirits within us so we don't have to do with us on right now we can talk to him about it.

It's okay to succumb before him, but with the worst things in our lives and to do that with his people and is is is healing to do that it just like as you're talking it just brings tears to my eyes, I think. So often we think of Jesus as a God of judgment and we know that he hates our sin, but I think we often think he hates us when we sin that he hates the enemy.

Yes, he hates the enemy to get ready say it because I think if were not in God's word for not with God's people were confessing were in a healthy place. People are reminding us of the great love of the father and son we can get lost and I think a lot of us want to just give up because we keep getting defeated the gospel that you're presenting you so attraction that it makes me want O'Brien to Jesus and that's what Jesus does he think come company, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Yeah, and there's not a limited number of runs that we were allowed to have. So that's not a one and done the thing that's every day food with fresh weariness. There is fresh grace and rest available to us in Christ you know I think the thing that I didn't realize that day. Standing in front of the TV with the struggle of my flesh that I learned and I hopefully earned never going to stop learning is I was standing there as I said and thought wow, the power of this desire to do wrong is beyond powerful. I didn't realize it would be that strong. I did not know the other side, which is the power of God in me that resides literally in this temple. This body is more powerful then my power. My struggle to sin and I you know I became one of my life versus Ephesians 320, where Paul says now to him who is able right to do immeasurably more than what we even imagine or think, according to the power that is within us. He thought about the Holy Spirit power of God and again is that this perfect thing they'll never sin again. But there is a power of God in us that can enable us to win over the flesh and all the things we talk about are part of that. That winning heaven community confessing.

We can never underestimate the literal power of the Holy Spirit of God in us is a powerful victory that we can access and live out in our struggle against her body and I think for our listeners to realize I keep glancing he's longing to be with you and so for us to be with him to be in the word. It brings us life brings us hope brings us help you been listening to family life to a if you know of anyone who could benefit from today's conversation with Sam Mulberry and I'm sure you know someone once you go ahead and tell them about this station or you could share today's episode from wherever you get your podcasts and while you're there. It really help us out if you'd rate and review us and I got with me today, the president of family life, David Robbins, David, how great is it that we can have guests like Sam Albury on to discuss such important topics that are relevant to all of us know really appreciate.

We can have conversations like we've had today at family life is one thing that family life. We are most about is helping families experience time together around timeless truth. It's one thing to hear truth like Sam did so beautifully today about what God has to say about our bodies, but it's another thing for a parent and a kid to have time look at each other in the eye and processing it together and what it means in our everyday lives is why one of the resources family life is most known for is passport to purity. Megan, I have used it with our three oldest kids to phenomenal resource allows you to get a weekend away and talk about with your kids.

They are changing body. This formative time in their life, so I would encourage you if you are a parent. Whether it's picking up Sam's resource about what God has to say about our bodies or passport to purity is another resource available to you.

Take time and not just read, but process it together with your kids. Yeah, it's all about intentionality and again we believe in this book so much that with a donation of any amount will send you a copy of Sam all buries what God has to say about our bodies. Now I'm a runner and I remember when my coach would say to me what do you do when you see the finish line in the answer was always you speed up that's good workout advice. Of course, and it could also be good. Life advice Robert welcome with wrote a book called gun lab will join Damon and tomorrow to talk about running well and finishing well that's tomorrow. We hope you can join us on behalf of Damon and Wilson.

I'm shall be added. See back next time for another edition of family life today like today is a production of family life accrue ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most