"So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (they don't belong to God)"(Romans 8:8-9)

The phrase 'In the flesh' or...
'walking according to the flesh’
is a term Saint Paul uses to
describe those who seek to be
righteous and obtain salvation
the Old Testament way - through
their own religious behavior
and works...

Instead of accepting the freely
imputed righteousness, apart
from their works, provided by
Christ's new and better covenant.
(Romans 4:4-8, Romans 5:15-21,
Titus 3:5-7 Hebrews 8:6-13)

• THE FIRST GROUP consists of those who mix both Old and New Testament programs together in countless different ways. This illegal practice is often justifed by claiming that the New Testament program is just an extension or continuation of the Old Testament program. This "mixing" creates a theology that declares eternal life to be conditional upon an individual's obedience to various laws and commandments of the Old Testament; specifically the Ten Commandments.
  
  
  

  But, the Bible warns that if
  you choose this path, you
  must keep all of the law which
  consists of 613 commandments
  and ordinances - and not just
  the Ten Commandments.
  

  
  
  Romans 8:2-4 refers to this works-based theology as "the law of sin and death". Saint Paul warned that those who embrace this theology, "are walking according to the flesh" ... a practice that God does not honor after the cross. Unfortunately, a vast majority of the institutional Christian Church is in this group.
  
  
  
• THE SECOND GROUP consists of those who align themselves with the principles of Christ's New Covenant, which warns that God no longer operates according to the rules of the previous - and now obsolete Old Testament program (See Hebrews 8:6-13, Galatians 3:10-12, Romans 3:20, Galatians 5:4 and 2 Corinthians 3:4-6). According to the New Covenant, eternal life (or salvation) is now made freely available to the believer - apart from behavior, works or merit ... as God's gift. This unmerited characteristic is called "Grace". Romans 8:2-4 refers to this grace-based theology as "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus."
  

"For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do in the it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us (or imptued to us) who do not walk according to the flesh (or trying to qualify/earn salvation through works, behavior or religious merit) but according to the Spirit (or having faith in the finished work of Christ that does not require our works)." (Romans 8:2-4 – Emphasis and Comments Added)

(v23) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

(v24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (v25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, “This cup is the new testament (or new covenant) in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

(v26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, Ye do show the Lord's death till He comes.

(v27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (v28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (v29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (v30) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (v31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (v32) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:23-32 -- Emphasis and Comments Added)

“For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself ...”

• The congregation attended the Lord’s Table, but were divided into factions because of their acceptance of various doctrines of heresy, which undermined the New Covenant. (Note: Paul said that the factions were caused by these “heresies”, which is a word used in the original King James Version, but omitted in other modern translations. A heresy is a teaching that appears to originate from Scripture, yet changes, modifies and redefines Christ's New Covenant salvation. Read V17-19 in the original KJV)
  
  
• Some in the congregation came to the Lord’s Table because they were hungry and treated Holy Communion as a way to get a free meal.
  
  
• Some came to the Table of the Lord drunk.
  

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses (sins) to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)


"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)


“Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:4-8)

Peter said it this way;

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Peter 2:1-2)

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless indeed you are disqualified." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Notice that this “self-examination” is about judging and discerning the kind of faith we possess. It is directly related to the same self-examination required for The Lord’s Table. If we are found to be “in the faith” (possess authentic New Covenant faith in Christ); we pass the test. However, if a “counterfeit faith in Christ” is discovered (as previously discussed) - we are disqualified unless we make some important and painful changes in the way we believe the Bible. God does not honor all types of “faith” just because it carries the labels of “Christian, fundamentalist or Bible believing”.

Most of the critics, who attempt to discredit divine healing, often point to a person’s inability to get healed as evidence that God no longer performs these miracles. One pastor lamented; “If I’m healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ, why am I still sick?” The correct answer to this question angers many self-described Bible believers, various fundamentalists - and even some evangelicals. The failure this pastor is describing is often the result of being disqualified (cut off) from the blessings of Christ, which is caused by embracing some variant of this “counterfeit faith in Christ” (or a 'different gospel' connected to a conditional Old Testament works-based salvation). The failure is also a result of refusing to “examine himself” as the New Covenant commands.

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?" (Galatians 3:1-4 - Emphasis Added)