σαρκί (Sarki): The Flesh and Its Death on the Cross

Throughout the Word of God, flesh stands as the great enemy of the Spirit. Paul warns in Romans 8:8: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” This is not a suggestion, nor is it a negotiable idea. It is an eternal reality: no work, no worship, and no effort done in the flesh will ever reach the throne of God. The flesh may win applause on earth, but it earns no credit in heaven.

Why does God reject the flesh? Because it is corrupt at its core. The flesh cannot be improved, reformed, or trained into holiness. It is not simply weak; it is hostile to God (Romans 8:7). God’s answer to the flesh is not rehabilitation but execution. The cross is His remedy. At Calvary, not only were our sins judged, but our very self—our fleshly nature—was crucified with Christ. As Paul proclaims in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”