Faith Like A Mustard Seed

The desire to please the flesh brings destruction upon itself.  When we put self at the top of the list, we are really making a decision to be enslaved by the flesh.  We only have two choices when it comes to who we will serve; self, or God. 

Can making ourselves the top priority really kill?

Surely it can!  Marriages are broken down, relationships are destroyed, and people can become slaves of their own bodies, and although they appear to be alive, they are dead inside. 

Have you ever seen a walking dead person?

Many people are walking around DEAD on the inside.  God is not a concern, love of neighbor is not a concern, yet self is the big concern, and how it may be pleased. 

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”  Revelation 3:1

How do we know when self is the top priority?

-What God wants, doesn’t matter

-Constant fighting, bickering, and arguing with spouse, family, and friends

-We want to look good in the eyes of men, even when we know otherwise

-We tear others down, in an attempt to build ourselves up

-We do what we want, no matter who gets hurt

There is war going on right now, between the spirit and the flesh.  The world says, “Do what feels good“, and other such nonsense.  However, God’s word says that if we love the world, we make ourselves out to be enemies of God.  When we are walking in the ways of the world, and the flesh, God is against us.  It’s a really bad thing to be found opposing God. 

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  James 4:4

What does it feel like to be opposed by God?  The truth of God is exchanged for a lie, created things are worshiped and served, sinful desires are fulfilled, minds are depraved, there is knowledge of wrong doing, and the enemy and the curse is released.  To put it plainly, there is suffering as a direct result of disobedience. 

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:  You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.   Deuteronomy 28:15-16

When we choose to sin, we are also choosing to pay the consequences, and not only that, but we become slaves to sin.  There are only two things in which we find ourselves enslaved, which are; sin, or Jesus Christ.  If we obey the evil desires of the flesh, then we are slaves to sin, but if we obey the righteous desires of the Spirit, then we are slaves to Jesus Christ, and in that we find true freedom.  Freedom is in Jesus Christ becasue He paid the price for all of our sins on the cross, that we might not be slaves to the flesh. 

Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:19-23

If you find yourself opposed by God, get back on track and out of miserable living, through repentance.  Much like finding life eternal, in Jesus Christ, through repentance and faith, we also need to repent of living for the flesh, and make the choice to turn to God, and live to fulfill instead, the desires of the spirit.  Even though we be children of God, we still make the choice each day, as to whom we will serve. 

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

Who will you serve today?

Dave Earley  

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Faith Like A Mustard Seed

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