”Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” | James 1: 21

The Spirit of God summarizes all that went before.

The only thing that exists in man’s flesh is filthiness and overflowing naughtiness.

Our Adamic-nature manifests what it is by a refusal to hear the Word of truth which declares that all fullness dwells in Christ alone.

In the over-abounding naughtiness of wrath, the old man is quick to speak against God in defense of the filthiness called, flesh. “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4: 21-24)

Therefore, our King exhorts believers to “lay apart all filthiness and evil”. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

It is the same command as putting off the old man with his deeds of carnal sin against men and God, along with our fleshly self-righteousnesses wherein we glory in the flesh. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6: 6)

And receive with meekness the engrafted word.

The meekness spoken of here can not be imitated by the natural man.

It is simply characterized in the prior verse as being swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4: 25-32)

This meekness is the fruit of the Spirit by which you were begotten by the will of God.

The engrafted Word of Truth is sufficient, apart from any help from the flesh, to save our souls. “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3: 8-11)

Therefore, through the Holy Spirit, keep the old man and the new man separate and serve in the newness of spirit, not in the oldness of the letter.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “O Wretched Man”

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Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 13 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey