For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.
Before we can climb the spiritual ladder we have to get above the first rung. And the label on the first rung is “No good in my flesh.” That is, in my old nature there’s nothing that can please God - at all. All we have to offer to God that He can and will accept is what He gave us when we got saved. We always like to think that there is a little bit of good in man. Not so! The Bible is very clear - the old nature is unacceptable. As soon as we learn that, then we can turn completely to Him and allow God to work in and through our new nature.