“Fasting-Breaking the Carnal Man”

(Part 1 of 2)

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”

Philippians 3:17-19

Albert Haase, a contemporary Franciscan priest, is quoted as saying, “Fasting can be a painful admission that I am not free, that my life is enslaved, obsessed or addicted to external things such as food, drink, codependent relationships, sex, television, privacy and the like.”

Fasting, like no other discipline, exposes our carnal nature. It allows us to see just how carnal we have become and sadly reveals how much we have been catering to our flesh. This may be the true reason that many people do not like, want, or are even opposed to fasting.

However, it is only when we deprive our flesh that we truly see how strongly it holds us. The flesh, that has never been restrained, is like a spoiled brat of a child that throws a fit when it does not get what it wants. How many of us have seen this child in the grocery store. Kicking and screaming, throwing a tantrum because their parents told them they could not have something they wanted. Our first inclination is to think, “Someone needs to discipline that child!” We start judging their parents for their lack of parenting skills.

Yet, the moment our “flesh” rises up at the notion of not getting what it wants and begins to protest we either excuse it, or worse, cater to it! The word caters means: to provide with what is needed or required. Catering to our carnal man means that we provide it with whatever it needs to satisfy its appetites. Paul describes this above as “their god is their stomach”. Worshipping our “stomach” is no more than giving in to the demands of our flesh in order to silence its protests. When we cater to its desires we, in turn, displease God:

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

Romans 8:5-8

Fasting is one way that we tell the “carnal” man….NO!!! It is spiritual correction keeping us from serving our own appetites. When is the last time you told your flesh “No!”?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/