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1 Corinthians 13:10-12 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (KJV)
When you think back to your childhood, much of how you view life, the way you talk, relate with others, and your priorities change as one matures. When I was younger, not only physically, but spiritually young in the Lord, instead of being quicker to hear, and slower to speak, I to would usually speak first, then come to an understanding of what I just said, finally thinking, wow I shouldn’t have said that. When one matures in the Lord, and is able to come to a clearer understanding of how to walk and talk in the Spirit, then the order is changed; you think about what you are going to say, understanding it is words of life, before speaking them forth. Perfect refers to maturity, and the more one grows in the Lord, the more they can relate to Him, as well as He with us. After all, how much of a conversation can an adult have with a child? It is limited to where their understanding is. And if you have ever worked for a construction company, how well could a four year old read a blueprint, let alone work a job? So like a child, when one is young in the Lord, their vision, their understanding is limited, or in part, but as one grows, then they are able to look in the mirror and see a mature Christian looking back at them; having a clearer vision into the realm of the Spirit, as well as resembling more and more their Father. Ephesians 4:11-15 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (KJV) Many, tell children of Santa Clause, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy, which makes them wide eyed and excited, but does nothing for their spiritual growth. Many of what man calls preachers and teachers of the word of God do the same thing; which unless one is mature enough in the Lord, grounded and settled in the truth, they will end up falling for the same gimmicks. In order to speak the truth in love, one needs to be honest with themselves first so that they can stand clean before the Lord, before He will entrust them with His work. Though many wonder ’why Lord, don’t you use me more?’ they need to ask themselves if they would entrust their riches with an immature liar and a thief. I use the term immature liar because many hold man to be true instead of God. I use the term thief, because many rob God the opportunity to work through them, because they hang on to their old childish ways, and thus limit Him. 1 Corinthians 11:28-31 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (30) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (KJV) It takes someone mature in the Lord who is willing to examine themselves; that when they look in their spiritual mirror they see Christ looking back at them. Here’s a thought, could you imagine your walk with the Lord, and where you would be if you were as willing to scrutinize yourself as you do others? What if you could see your own shortcomings and faults as good as you see it in others? Or maybe you do and that’s what irks you, things that reflect your own life. You wonder why Christians become weak, sickly, and are asleep at the wheel heading for a ditch. It’s because they don’t come clean with God, but rather live in a state of denial, which if we deny Him access to our life, He will deny us access to His eternal life as well. James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (KJV) Being Christ like is a way of life, not some part time occupation to appease others. Many have the talk, but not the walk. Is your walk with the Lord in line with the talk, or has one gotten ahead of the other? I have found those that I consider mature in the Lord are those who let their walk do the talking for them, so that when they do share their insights, it has substance. Are you a continual doer, or a casual hearer, like a child hearing only those things that appeal to the flesh, and not the things that will set one free, and keep them free? Grow up, so that your life will be a mirror reflection of our heavenly Father in a dark and obscure world. God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (KJV)
Whenever there is an outbreak of a deadly virus, the first priority is to find the root cause of the deadly disease. Though many misquote this verse, saying money is the root of all evil, it’s not the money that caused the destruction, but rather the love of it, that is the downfall of many. So if money itself is not the problem, then why do so many think that money itself is the answer? After all who hasn’t turned on the TV, or a radio program, only to be indoctrinated with money pitches and schemes, especially the religious ones? Even this seed faith doctrine, which is based on the more you sow, the more you will reap, is basically nothing more than a pyramid scheme; those on top get the gold, and the others get the shaft. The reality is that there is only one seed according to the Bible, and it is not a physical one. Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (KJV) Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (KJV) They that sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; in other words those that try to manipulate and twist the truth to fit their own greedy lifestyles in the name of God are in for a world of hurt when they have to stand before Him and give an account of how they pilfered and stole from His people. 2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (KJV) The Lord Himself warned us about the many false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing that would rise up and deceive many. Be on the lookout, because if we allow something to overcome us because we were asleep at the wheel, that same thing will keep us in bondage until it is dealt with and pulled up by the roots. Many of these preachers, who end up being nothing more than auctioneers selling the word of God to the highest bidders, are prisoners of their own devices. To quote an old phrase, a fool and his money are soon parted; so don’t be fooled or lulled into sleep by these cheap hucksters. Haggai 1:5-7 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. (6) Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. (7) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. (KJV) Years ago when I got into a financial situation which had become a burden and was pulling me down; my first thought was ‘God give me more money’. My thinking was that if I got more money, looking to something physical again to solve my spiritual problem, then I would be home free. The answer I received was quite different than what I expected; why would I give you more so you could go farther in debt? In other words, if you can’t manage what you have now, acknowledging who truly is your source and walk in Father’s wisdom, why would God fill up a money bag full of holes? In conclusion, the answer wasn’t more money, but rather seeking God’s wisdom on how to manage what He provided and not allow myself to be overcome in this area again. James 1:5-7 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (KJV) In the end it wasn’t a lack of money that was the problem, it was a spiritual issue that needed to be addressed and dealt with in order to move forward in my walk with God. Don’t be afraid to ask God for help, that is what He is there for. In fact His word says that we have not because we ask not. Spiritual issues require a spiritual answer; and if you look to the physical for the answer you will end up on a not so merry go round spinning in circles and dizzy. God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. Proverbs 14:29-30 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. (30) A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. (KJV)
Another manifestation of wrath comes in the form of envy. Envy is described as a jealous anger, as well as contentious rivalry. James 4:1-3 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (KJV) When all is said and done, and in many cases more is said than done, the bottom line is these distractions, ill wills and contentions were things you allowed in; unhealthy decisions based on personal gain rather than what is best for the body of Christ. The mindset of the world is to climb the corporate ladder to get to the top no matter who one has to step over, which is the opposite of what the word of God teaches us. Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (KJV) Are we really as concerned about the things of others as we are for ourselves? The Bible speaks of the first being last and the last first; in other words when we put ourselves first, we end up last on the list, out of order so to speak. So why all the fussing and fighting? If you don’t like the person you see in the mirror, you have a choice to do something about it. But blaming others or being envious of what someone else has is not going to get you where you need to be in your walk. James 1:13-15 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (KJV) And by the way, don’t blame God for your own situation. You have a choice each and every moment of the day; you can react in the flesh, or respond in the Spirit. The words that we speak are either Spirit and life or just the opposite; as the tongue is described at times as, unruly evil full of deadly poison. 1 Corinthians 3:1-5 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (KJV) Even in the church, somehow someway, mankind decided serving the Lord was going to turn into a contest. Wasn’t the whole idea of the church in the first place to build up the people, not man’s personal shrines, in many cases worshipping the creation more than the Creator? Just like when I see people that put their own names on ministries; which basically tells me whose image and likeness people are following. Brother so and so’s worldwide ministry, which I agree is their ministry and not Father’s. Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (KJV) What kind of path are you walking this day? What things do you truly desire, the things of God or that of man? One is a path of life; the other is a path of the blind; which one will end up in a ditch spinning their wheels? God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their workship. God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. (The Message John 4:23-24)
My dearly loved brethren, don’t let the world and its ways shape you; instead simply be yourself and who God desires for you to be in Christ. This is where you will find and follow God’s will, being your true self before Him in Spirit and in truth. Stop living in accordance with the customs of this world, but by the new ideals that mold your minds, continue to transform yourselves, so as to find and follow God’s will; that is, what is good, well-pleasing to Him, and perfect. (Williams New Testament Romans 12:2) Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (KJV)
The beauty of Christ is that of a sunset shared with all. And all those who are attentive will be blessed with an unspeakable gift given just for them. The beauty of Christ is that of a droplet of rain or dew on a flower pedal that is shared with all. And all those who are attentive will be blessed with an unspeakable gift given just for them. I say unspeakable because, have you ever tried to explain the beauty of a sunset or the beauty of a droplet of rain or dew on a flower, to someone who has not seen it? There are not words to describe it, a person has to experience for themselves to understand that beauty. The joy, peace, love, and beauty that we were blessed with when we accepted Christ is unspeakable; and trying to explain it to someone who has not experienced it will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes. No man, who has not the Spirit of Christ, can see the things of God neither can He know them for they are Spiritually discerned. Instead of trying to describe the love of God, why not let others experience it through you, by your manner of life in Christ, so that they might seek and desire to see and experience His love on a continual basis for themselves. Our Father in heaven makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. God desires that none would perish but that all would come to repentance. That all would desire His love in which He loves us, Christ His Son, an unspeakable gift given just for them. John 3:16-17 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. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. So today and always my beloved brethren… be a ray of sunshine, a droplet of rain on a dry and barren earth that life may spring up and glorify our Father in heaven. Till where He asks you to till, plant where He asks you to plant, water where He asks you to water, but let Him give the increase. God bless. Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap, if you faint not.
Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (KJV) 1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: (KJV) 1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. (KJV) 1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. (KJV) Acts 20:16-24 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. (17) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. (18) And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, (19) Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: (20) And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, (21) Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (22) And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: (23) Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. (24) But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. (KJV) 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (KJV) My beloved brethren, His grace is sufficient; be not wearied, but strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and continue in well doing for great is your reward in Heaven. Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (12) Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (KJV) 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (KJV) God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (KJV)
Strong’s definition for ‘walk’: KJV—be occupied with Thayer's definition for 'walk': a. to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities b. Hebrew for, to live 1) to regulate one's life 2) to conduct oneself 3) to pass one's life Interesting definitions for the word walk isn’t it? Are you making your way in the Spirit through the strait gate, and in the narrow way which leads to eternal life in Christ? Are you occupied with and making due use of opportunities in Christ who is your life? The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; so if you are receiving His instruction you will be occupied with being a doer and not just a hearer. Walk is active; it means that you are doing something, not being idle. Walk implies moving forward; we are to forget those things which are behind and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Today, make due use of the opportunities that you have been given in Christ; the opportunity to continue on into eternal life as a child of God; the opportunity to worship and serve our Father, in Spirit and in truth; the opportunity to be an example of the believers, being a representative of who God is through the leading and guiding of the Spirit; the opportunity to demonstrate the ministry of reconciliation that you have been given in Christ. These are just a few of the opportunities that we have been given in Christ. I could go on and on, but I know that you see what other opportunities there are which are unending in the Spirit. Regulate one’s life; regulate means to adjust to a state of constancy, and regulation means the act of adjusting or state of being adjusted. Walking in the Spirit adjusts us to a state of constancy; being consistent in the truth of the gospel of Christ, not being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, holding God and His word to be true and every man (including our old nature) a liar; being consistent in the application of now faith, staying in today, right now where Christ is so that you are able to receive His instruction and you are able to allow Him to mold and shape you into Their image and likeness; taking on the divine nature of God. And so it goes brethren, regulate your life according to the Spirit and not the flesh, so as to continue in the truth of the gospel of Christ and in the faith, becoming grounded and settled in Him and in His truth which will set you free and keep you free indeed, for then you will not be stuck in the mud, idled by the leading of the flesh, but set free to move forward and continue walking in the Spirit of life in Christ. Ephesians 2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (KJV) My beloved brethren, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let the Spirit lead and guide you into all truth which will regulate your life in Christ, and enable you to overcome the idleness of the flesh and continue in the Spirit seeking always to do those things which are upright and well pleasing in our heavenly Father’s sight. Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (KJV) God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:3-8 For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). 4. By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. 5. For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution or determination, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), 6. And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control (in knowing the truth there is self-control), and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety, commitment & obedience), 7. And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection (laying down your life), and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love (Christ formed in you). 8. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full, personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). AMP
These are all attributes or characteristics of the divine nature which was formed, brought to maturity, within Jesus of Nazareth. He decreased by dying daily to the wants and desires of his fleshly nature (the nature of man) so that Christ (the attributes or characteristics of God) would increase and over take the old corrupt fleshly nature. Jesus Christ left us an example to follow: to put off the old man, and put on of the new man who is renewed in the knowledge of Him who created you, and to do this continually. As you do these things (put off the old, put on the new) the more you see who God is; you begin to understand His nature through experience in your own life in Christ; you begin to understand His love, His grace, and His mercy for us and how lovingly He provided us the way of fellowship with Him, and escape from this corrupt and dying world through Jesus Christ. As you do these things you will not be blind to the truth, the full personal knowledge of God and Jesus Christ who He sent; and you have His promise that you shall never fall. 2 Peter 1:9-12 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. (10) Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (11) For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (12) Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (KVJ) My beloved brethren, I pray that you will continue to make these qualities yours and let them increasingly abound in you, so that you are not idle or unfruitful in your walk but that you do come to a full personal knowledge of the truth that is in you. Isaiah 55:7-9 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (KJV)
The nice thing about salvation is that we no longer have to be bottom feeders, which is where this world and its way of thinking is located, at the bottom. You can go as high as it gets which is all the way to heaven to get your instructions. The more you realize how much higher our Lord and His way of doing things is, the more you will not keep lowering yourself back to this world and its fallen ways. I John 2:26-28 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (KJV) So how far do you want to go in your walk with the Lord? According to verse 27 you can take it all the way if you desire. Your good standing with our Lord is based on how much you allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and not be seduced by mans’ limited knowledge. His wisdom is there for the taking and not something that you should be taking for granted. You have been granted access to the things above; and that will only take place when you walk away from your own desires. Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (KJV) Sometimes the church spends so much time blaming the devil for all their mishaps. The devil is a defeated foe, a being who had the keys of hell and death taken out of his possession. The truth is we are our own worst enemies when we lean back to our own understanding, looking more to the outward for confirmation than inward. It goes without saying then that the enemy will come along when he sees or hears weak prey who have forgotten how to pray and hold fast their profession of faith. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (KJV) Sometimes we become filled with imaginations when we associate ourselves with the wrong crowd, you know those pretenders and wanna be religious people? Our Lord is ready to work on our behalf, but only when we are willing to make the proper changes, which is what verse 6 is referring to. Our Lord is not going to take you into the new with an old way of thinking. Galatians 2:20-21 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV) Maybe that frustration you have been experiencing lately is a reflection of how you have been treating our Lord and His plan of salvation. It’s time to take up your spiritual cross again and nail all that doubt and unbelief back on it, and then walk in a resurrection of victory. God bless and let the dead bury their dead. Have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord dearly loved. Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (KJV)
We all came into this new life of faith with some old baggage, stuff that needs to be discarded if we are ever going to really take off toward our heavenly goal. Sometimes we ask the questions “does it ever get easier and when will it end”. Well yes, it does get easier, but it doesn’t end until we cross the threshold into our eternal reward and receive a glorified body. Until then it will be a tug of war between the Spirit and the flesh, with the Spirit having to continually put the flesh in its place of subjection. Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (KJV) As long as we are in these carnal bodies we are still subject to the law of sin and death which is why the enemy keeps attacking and trying to pull us down again. We have been redeemed from the curse of the law; however, we now need to walk in the new law of faith in order for this to be accomplished in a way that is pleasing to our Lord. People who think once saved always saved, or who think they have eternal happiness when one makes an emotional commitment during an alter call, boy are they in for a surprise if they think that’s all that is required of us. Romans 7:21-25 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (KJV) Just because you were saved years ago doesn’t mean that is the end; it should only be the beginning of a new life in Christ and an end to the old disappointments of the flesh. Paul was able to see what was hindering his walk because he chose to examine himself and not blame someone else for his shortcomings. He realized that his joy and peace was not based on others changing first, rather the change had to take place within him. The reason it is so vital to spend quality time with our Lord first thing in a day is so that you can arm yourself with the mind of Christ which is the only way to understand the law of faith. 1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (KJV) You will find it is a lot easier to put your lower nature under arrest when you are armed with the mind of Christ. Instead of grieving the Holy Spirit how about not letting the flesh whine and fuss by putting it in its place. God bless dearly loved, and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
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