POINT OF CONTACT: Use - I Corinthians 10:12, as your opening verse. Ask if a great preacher (or great Christian) could preach a great sermon on Sunday and go into deep sin on Monday? Yes - here's why:

I. INTRODUCTION
     A. THINGS OF GOD - I Corinthians 2:9-14.
        1. Deep Bible truths - lessons from the Bible, life, etc.
        2. Blessings.
        3. Prayer and answers to prayer.
        4. Service for God - helping others..
     B. THINGS OF MAN - I Corinthians 2:11.
        1. Possessions - cars, microwave oven, computers, electric razors, etc.
        2. Worries - making a living, raising kids, maintenance of possessions, etc.
        3. Esteem and ego - pride, looks, keeping up with the Jones', etc.
     C. SPIRIT OF MAN - I Corinthians 2:11.
        1. This is how we communicate and relate to other humans.
        2. How we learn and understand.

ILL: Animals do not go shopping, care about their hair, muscles, etc. Mainly their only concern is eating.

ILL: Bozo the bull - If you could transfer a human spirit into the bull, you could communicate with it.

     D. SPIRIT OF GOD - I Corinthians 2:10-12.
        1. We receive His Spirit at salvation - Romans 8:9.
        2. He lives in us - I Corinthians 6:19, 20.
        3. By His Spirit we are able to understand God. His Godly Spirit is transferred into human beings!

II. TWO NATURES
     A. NATURAL MAN - I Corinthians 2:14.
        1. Receive at birth - Romans 3:23, 5:12. We inherit our parents' sin nature.
        2. It is NATURAL for the natural man inside us to sin, hate, steel, etc. He cannot do good - Isaiah 64:6, Romans 7:18. We are not taught to lie - Psalms 58:3, 4
        3. We still have the same nature / natural man even if we are saved and will have as long as we live in this body.
        4. He still rejects the things of God - accepts man's things.
        5. He likes the world, sin, flesh - movies, cigarettes, booze, TV - Romans 3:10-18.
     B. SPIRITUAL MAN
        1. Received at 2nd birth - John 1:12.
        2. NATURAL for Him to live pure, holy, separated, etc. He hates sin, etc. and cannot sin - I John 3:8-10.
        3. We will have Him for eternity = why no sin in heaven.
        4. He rejects the things of the world and flesh.
        5. He likes church, preachers, Bible study, soul winning, prayer, etc.

III. TWO CONTROLLERS
     A. YOU - natural man.
     B. HOLY SPIRIT - James 4:5.

IV. TWO CHOICES
     A. You control yourself and what you do.
     B. You allow Him to control you. ILL: Driving a car - Romans 6:11-13.

V. TWO MINDS
     A. Natural.
     B. Spiritual - I Corinthians 2:16, II Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 2:1.

VI. STATEMENTS
     A. At birth, we receive the old, sinful, NATURAL, nature.
     B. At salvation we receive a NEW nature - II Peter 1:4.
     C. These two natures battle for control of our minds.
     D. Sometimes the Spirit controls, sometimes the flesh.
     E. When the flesh controls = we sin.
     F. When the Spirit controls = we live pure and holy.
     G. Both cannot be in control at the same time.

ILL: Being filled with the Spirit = completely under His control, making no provisions for the flesh.

VII. FEEDING THE NATURES
     A. NATURAL = TV, jokes, worldly crowd, worldly places - movies, etc.
     B. SPIRITUAL - church, Bible, prayer, soul winning, etc.
     C. FEEDING ONE WEAKENS THE OTHER ONE - and assures victory!

ILL: What is wrong with the movies?

        1. Strengthens the flesh.
        2. Weakens the Spirit.
        3. Makes the devil's job easier - he can lick a week spiritual man and appeal to a strong natural man!

VIII. WHY JESUS DID NOT SIN
     A. He spent time building up the Spirit - Bible, prayer, etc.
     B. When He was tempted, the Spirit was strong enough to deal with it - Matthew 4:1-10.
     C. He always yielded to the Spirit and never yielded to the flesh.

XI. WHY WE SIN
     A. We feed and strengthen the flesh and weaken the Spirit.
     B. When tempted we yield to the flesh and say no to the Spirit.
     C. We do not spend time preparing the spiritual man.

X. CONCLUSION
     A. If you are saved, there is a battle going on between these two for control. If not saved, there is no battle going on.
     B. The strongest of these two will go the winner.
     C. If you build up the Spirit, you can and will sin less and be more pleasing to the Father.
     D. Sin is the result of allowing the flesh to build up and control when tempted – yielding to the flesh, not to the Spirit.

ILL: TV, etc. strengthens the flesh, etc. and when you are tempted = you fall!

ILL: Adam and Eve - had no sin nature for the devil to appeal to them. Eve was deceived into taking the forbidden fruit but Adam deliberately chose to disobey God = we all have been born with the Adamic nature!

     E. Our sin is a choice to deliberately disobey God.
     F. In order to sin less, we must choose to build up the Spirit, thereby weakening the flesh.
     G. You build up the Spirit by reading the Bible, pray, serving God, etc.