May 16 2026 Saturday Teachings

Now, she talked about the flesh of man. Very true. Let us read Matthew chapter 26, verse 41, although he also spoke from Galatians chapter 5.

In Matthew 26:41, it says:

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Who was speaking here? Jesus.

We said that man is two in one: there is the flesh, and there is the spirit. Jesus knows that your spirit, your soul, is willing and desires to do His will, but the flesh is weak.

Many times, as Christians, we read this scripture and use it as an excuse, a justification, or a reason to relax. We say, “After all, Jesus understands. He Himself said that the flesh is weak. God knows my heart; He knows I want to do His will. It is only because of the weakness of my flesh that I cannot fully obey Him, so surely He will pardon me.”

But God is not like that.

Jesus brought this to our understanding so that we would recognize something important: between the soul—the spirit man—and the flesh, who is meant to rule? The soul was created to govern the flesh, to be its master.

Who is the real man? It is the soul. That is why the Bible says in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” At the end of the day, the flesh that is weak, the flesh that becomes our excuse, will pass away. When you leave this earth, that flesh will no longer exist.

So the flesh that you blamed for disobedience will not stand before God in judgment. You cannot point to it and say, “Lord, it was because of my flesh.” The flesh will not even be there.

Who, then, will answer before God? The soul.

So when the Lord Jesus said that the flesh is weak, He was teaching us something deeper. Yes, the flesh is weak, and the spirit is willing. But why is the spirit unable to overcome the flesh? Because the spirit itself is weak.

Jesus also had flesh. How, then, did He overcome the weakness of the flesh? Because His spirit was strong enough to subdue the flesh and do the will of the Father.

Even before verse 41, we see that His flesh resisted the cross. He did not want to go through the suffering. Yet because His spirit was stronger, He subdued the flesh and obeyed the will of the Father.

This means the weakness of the flesh is not meant to become an excuse.

Christ in you gives strength to your spirit. But how does He transfer that strength to your spirit man? Through the course—through the education of the Word of God.

This course is your training. It is your equipment and empowerment. If you want to empower someone physically, you train them. People say, “Do not just give a man a fish; teach him how to fish.” Once a person learns how to fish, he is empowered to sustain himself.

One of the greatest gifts you can give a person is education. Education brings knowledge, and knowledge is power. What you do not know becomes greater than you, no matter how small it is. As long as it remains unknown, it becomes a mystery and gains power over you.

That is why the principles of the Kingdom of God can seem impossible or beyond this world—because they truly are heavenly principles. Yet they only seem impossible because many people lack the empowerment to live by them.

Through the education of the Word of God, through this course and this “coursebook,” you are empowered to live the life that pleases God—the life that does His will.

And when that life truly becomes your nature, you no longer struggle.

Have you ever seen a fish struggling to swim? Or a bird struggling to fly? Or trees struggling to bear fruit? A mango tree does not struggle to produce mangoes. It simply abides by the laws of its creation. As long as it remains rooted and connected, fruit comes naturally.

It is not too hot or too cold, and it does not struggle. As long as it remains connected to its roots—its source of life, the soil—it continues to grow naturally.

In the same way, our own connection is through the Word, through the gospel. That is why you must continue hearing the message, because outside the message, you cannot know the Person behind it. And if you do not know Him personally, you cannot pass through the education. Outside that education, you cannot live the life.

And what is this life we are talking about? Let us go back to the very beginning. Let us read Genesis 1:26.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Thank you.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God. And in that image and likeness, he was given power, dominion, and authority. He was created to rule, to overcome, and to subdue.

So the life man was created to live is a life of dominion—a life of authority and power. And with this ability, man is empowered to live a righteous life, because outside of that power, you cannot truly overcome. Outside of that authority, you cannot conquer sin.

It is through this power that you are able to live a life of righteousness, holiness, and purity. And this grants you entrance into the Kingdom of God, to live eternally with Him.

It is not enough just to say you believe. You must live the life of the Kingdom in order to enter the Kingdom. And you cannot live the life of the Kingdom unless you have the power to do so.

That is why John chapter 1 says:

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.”

What happened to those who received Him? They were given power to become sons of God.

Who are the sons of God? They are those who live the life of the Son.

So the question is: are you living the life of the Son?

The power to become sons of God is found in the Word. The power is in the education of the gospel. It is through this education that you are empowered to live the life God has called you to live.

Through the power of Christ in you, you can overcome the weakness of the flesh. Your flesh may be weak, but through the power of the Word and the dominion of Christ in you, you can overcome sin and temptation.

You are in the world, but you are not of the world, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. This is not just a quotation—it is truth.

Indeed, He that is in you is greater. No matter what comes your way, you can overcome because you possess the greater power.

And whenever a man falls, it is because he has not fully grown in that power. That is why you must continually give yourself to the education of the Word. Never become tired of hearing the gospel or listening to the teachings of Scripture, because they are meant to empower you.

As the power of Christ becomes active in you, you are strengthened to live the Kingdom life. And without living this life, you cannot truly enter into eternal life.

Eternal life begins here on earth. Jesus said in John 17 that eternal life is the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

So eternal life is not merely something future—it begins with knowing God now. And that knowledge comes through the education of the Word.

The more you grow in the knowledge of Him, the more you begin to live eternity even now.

This was how man was originally created to live.

Then Genesis 2:16–17 tells us about the command God gave to man:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Understand this clearly: man was created by the Word of God. And in order for him to continue living according to God’s purpose, he was also sustained by the Word of God.

But when man deviated from that Word in Genesis chapter 3, everything changed.

Keep increasing in your knowledge of Him so that you may live in eternity. For eternal life comes through the knowledge of God and the knowledge of Christ.

This is how man was originally created to live.

Now let us look at Genesis 2:16–17, where we see the command that was given to man:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

This was the Word of God given to man. Understand this clearly: man was created by the Word of God, and in order for him to continue living according to the purpose of his creation, he was sustained by the Word of God.

But when man deviated from that Word in Genesis chapter 3, everything changed. The moment man departed from obedience to God’s Word, he fell from his original state. He lost the status of dominion, the authority, and the power that God had given him. Why? Because he broke the law of his creation.

That is why today man no longer stands fully in the image and likeness of God as he was originally created. Sin entered, and because of sin, man lost the ability to overcome.

As Romans 3:23 says:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

So if something has been broken, it must be restored according to the original design. What was man first given? The Word of God. Therefore, for man to be restored, he must return to the Word of God.

This means there is no excuse for remaining weak spiritually. People often say, “My flesh is weak.” But are you the only human being? Have there not been people who served God faithfully in generations past?

Read your Bible. Even before Jesus came, there were men and women who pleased God. Think about the apostles—did they not also have flesh? They did. Yet they pleased God because they yielded themselves to the Word of God. They passed through God’s education in their generation and received the ability to live according to His will.

So man is without excuse.

Without the Word of God restoring you to your place of dominion, authority, and power, righteousness, holiness, and purity will remain mysteries to you. You will only admire them from a distance and say, “Wow, that is wonderful. I wish I could live like that. I wish I could be holy.”

But God, in His mercy, has not left you helpless. He has given you the same thing He gave them—His Word.

Sometimes when we read the Old Testament and see the Israelites journeying from Egypt to Canaan, we judge them. We say, “These people were stubborn and disobedient.” We may even think Adam and Eve should have done better so humanity would not suffer the consequences we face today.

Yet many times, we are doing the same thing ourselves. We have received the same Word of God, but we still resist it.

So what should make your own case different? The application of the Word you have received.

That is why the gospel is so important. The gospel message is the beginning of restoration. Someone said earlier that the gospel is the cry of God to help man. Let us put it another way: the gospel is God’s response to man’s cry for help.

Imagine a man trapped in a dungeon or stuck in a deep pit, crying for rescue. Through Jesus Christ, God throws down a means of salvation to bring that man out. That means is the gospel.

The gospel is the rescue plan of God. It is the ladder sent down to deliver man from bondage.

You may think you are free, but if there is no dominion, no authority, no righteousness, holiness, or purity in your life, then that itself is bondage.

If you are not ruling over sin, then sin is ruling over you. There is no middle ground. Either you dominate, or you are dominated.

So the question is: who is ruling in your life—you over sin, or sin over you?

The answer lies in the gospel message. The gospel is a spiritual message because it is the Word of God, and through it, God reveals His power to save and restore man.

We are sustained by the Word. It all began with the Word, because:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

All things were made by the Word of God. You were created by the Word of God, and the Word of God was the commandment given to sustain your creation.

So when man fell away from the Word, he also fell away from the purpose of his creation. And the only way to restore man is through the Word again.

That is why the message of salvation is contained in the Word of God. Through the Word, something is revealed to you. And what is first revealed? The love of God.

The gospel first reveals the love of God toward mankind.

Let us read Romans 5:8:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And then John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the love of God is revealed.

Jesus Himself said:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

And then He added:

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

This is found in John 15:13–14.

So the gospel reveals the love of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He laid down His life for His friends, and He says we become His friends when we obey His commandments.

This means that although Jesus died for the whole world, not everyone will benefit from His sacrifice. The benefit belongs to those who accept His Word and walk in obedience to Him.

And this is the depth of God’s love toward us: even when we did not deserve it, even when we were living in sin and acting as enemies of God, He still chose to die for us. Sin makes man an enemy of God because it works against His purpose for creation. Yet God still extended mercy, hoping that man would accept His sacrifice, return to Him, and become His friend again.

The love of God should never be taken for granted.

When you read Matthew chapter 26, you see the agony Jesus went through. He was in deep sorrow, pain, and distress because He understood the suffering that awaited Him. He saw the weight of the sacrifice He was about to carry.

And we must understand that the sacrifice of Jesus was far greater than merely being flogged or crucified physically. He was not the only person crucified in those days. Crucifixion was a common Roman punishment for criminals. Others were crucified before Him, and others after Him.

So what made the sacrifice of Jesus different? Why was His crucifixion unlike any other?

If you do not understand this, you may take the cross for granted.

Jesus came to pay the price for sin. And what is the price of sin? Romans 6:23 tells us:

“For the wages of sin is death…”

What is the price for sin? Romans 6:23 says:

“For the wages of sin is death.”

But what kind of death is this? It is spiritual death—separation from God.

God is life. He is the source of life to the soul. So when a person is separated from God, that person becomes spiritually dead, even if physically alive.

So what exactly did Jesus do? What was the price He paid?

The price He paid was spiritual separation. Jesus experienced separation from the Father. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly said, “I and the Father are one.” Yet because of you and me, that oneness was broken.

Let us read Matthew 26:38–42:

“Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death… O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

And in Luke 22:42–44, it says:

“Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done… And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Why was Jesus in such agony? Because He saw the weight He was about to carry—the sins of the whole world. Not only the sins of people alive at that time, but the sins of all humanity: past, present, and future.

We already know from Romans 6:23 that even one sin brings separation from God. Now imagine the sins of billions upon billions of people placed upon one man. Every act of rebellion, every evil thought, every transgression of humanity rested upon Him.

That was the burden Jesus carried. That was why His agony was so intense that His sweat became like drops of blood.

He knew He was about to experience separation from the Father with whom He had eternally been one.

Think about it this way: imagine taking one living person and tearing that person apart while both halves still remain conscious. Imagine the pain and agony of such separation. In a far greater spiritual sense, this was what Jesus endured.

Then in Matthew 27:46, Jesus cried out:

“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

The One with whom He had always been united now turned away from Him because He carried the sins of the world.

God had once declared concerning Jesus:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Yet on the cross, because of our sins, the Father forsook Him. God could not look upon the sin He bore.

This is the depth of God’s love: He gave His only begotten Son so that humanity would not perish. He allowed His Son to bear rejection so that we might be accepted.

If you truly live with the awareness of this sacrifice, it produces reverence and holy fear toward God.

God is not merciful toward sin itself. He has already demonstrated the seriousness of sin through the sacrifice of His Son. Jesus went through suffering, separation, and even hell itself so that mankind would not perish eternally.

So what excuse will a person have on the last day if, after all Christ suffered, they still reject Him and choose sin?

Grace is not a license to continue in sin. Grace was revealed through the cross. And if you refuse the cross—if you refuse obedience, transformation, holiness, righteousness, and purity—then you cannot claim the benefits of His sacrifice.

The purpose of grace is to change you into His image and likeness, to empower you to live the life of Christ.

That is why the teachings of the Word are so important. Through them, God is transforming you.

Praise the Lord.

Do you have any questions?