What you think about; what you talk about; the things you meditate on are very important! For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! (Matthew 12:34b)
Until we realize the impact the things we take in (watch, read, listen to) has on us spiritually, we compromise not only our relationship with the Lord but our testimony as well! Not only is God watching, but so is the world; i.e. our family, our friends, our acquaintances, even total strangers!
"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. (Psalms 19:12-13 NKJV)
"pre·sump·tu·ous
prəˈzəm(p)(t)SH(o͞o)əs/
God gave us His Word to teach us what He considers sin! If you never read His Word, you will sin unknowingly (ignorance of the law is no excuse). It is your responsibility to find out what sin is and avoid it at all costs! It is your choice to either follow Jesus or follow the devil! "You can't have your cake and eat it too", comes to mind here, for that is the very mindset of most of the church! The world rightly labels us as hypocrites and even the Bible calls us double-minded! (James 4:8)
We have bought the enemy's lie that says "we can live like we want"; that "Jesus paid for our sins"; we can touch, taste, experience, "all the world has to offer" and will not be contaminated by its evils! These are some of the tares; the bad seed, weeds (words, thoughts, ideas) that the enemy sows into our fields (hearts) by our very own hand! While we are riding the fence, checking out the forbidden fruit, he is laughing at our compromising nature! I'm sure he shakes his head that what began in the garden, (his same o'ploy) is still so effective, today!
When we truly repent, we turn from our wicked ways! We are not even interested in the things of darkness! When we don't turn (or if we turn back) our repentance is not for real, or we are drifting into a backslidden state! This is where checking your heart comes into play!
When we no longer try and justify our actions or thoughts; when we look at our sin and see the darkness; when we are heartbroken because we know we have broken God's heart, by our thoughts and/or actions, THEN we are in true repentance! That's when His mercy and His grace kick in! That's when The Blood of Jesus is applied as a sacrifice for our sin!
When we humble ourself, and confess our sins to one another, in obedience to James 5:14-16, that's when we step back under His blessings and our healing takes place! The pride we carry from walking with the enemy (his very nature) is so hard to rid ourselves of! Our flesh, our old man, our sin nature, (that we are born into, because of the fall of the first man) takes, first - recognition, then - a concerted effort/choice to humble and lay down our pride that is in direct opposition to God!
Only He has the right to be God! Only He is LORD! He is pure! He is holy! He is everything and we are nothing and if we think we are something, then we are deceived; no matter what our denomination teaches! If we are not servants, then we can't be sons; for that is the example given to us by His Son!
"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”" (Mark 10:21 NKJV)
He is our example! We are to emulate Him; not the devil!
"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”" (Ephesians 5:1-14 NKJV)
So wake up church!
Ask God to open your eyes, open your ears, and change your heart! Determine to walk in forgiveness, walk in repentance, walk in love, thereby humbly following Jesus! He deserves your all, because He gave His all for you!
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 2/18/15
No comments:
Post a Comment