Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
I hate wearing ties. As I was dressing for church this morning I was reminded once again how much that decorative piece of clothe around my neck seems to be a noose to me. Every chance I get I slip out of it to find comfort, still knowing that the day and hour will come again when I must put it on.
So one might ask, “Pastor Groves, if you hate it that much, why do you continue to wear a tie? Many others have forsaken this fashion in favor of a more comfortable attire. What would be wrong in your doing the same?” The response to a question like that is found in our text today. I am to mortify the flesh (v5) and put off fleshly desires (v8) so that the new man in Christ Jesus may be put on (v10).
Now, I am not suggesting that the wearing of a tie makes one holy or righteous. I am quite aware that the business world and political world have a uniform they wear to present themselves in a repertorious fashion. They desire to build trust by outward means. This must never be our motive or means of representing Christ to the world. Others are to see Christ in us which produces a change upon us.
However, I refuse to give the flesh the advantage in any situation that would involve my respect and honor of my Saviour. If the new man is to mature and grow into what God desires it to be, then I must remind myself that Christ is my life. For the short time I remain on this earth, I will gladly suffer the discomfort of “the noose” to show my love and gratitude for my Saviour and the suffering He bore on the cross. The important thing is to mortify the flesh and put off the works of the flesh so that “old man” is brought under subjection and the “new man” is controlled by the Holy Spirit.
By the way, it is a manly color of blue, most of them are.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
MANUFACTURING A FALSE ENEMY
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Satan never accepts responsibility for his sin and he teaches man to do the same. It is always someone else who is at fault. The devil told Eve it was God’s fault their eyes were not opened, they were not gods, they did not know good and evil. Satan manufactured a non-existent enemy to get Adam and Eve to follow him instead of God. They forgot about where they were. They forgot about the sweet fellowship they had with their Creator. The Galatian church thought Paul, who had brought the truth to them and lead them into salvation through the blood of Christ, was now their enemy because he told them the truth. They believed they had an enemy, a problem and the solution was to turn away from Paul.
If we are not careful we will believe we have an enemy that does not truly exist, a problem that is not really a problem, and a solution which solves nothing. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but truly the principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, are enemies of all those who trust in Christ.
Beloved, your problem is not the preacher if he is telling you the truth, it is the father of lies who opposes you. Pastor, it is not the people in the pew that are your enemies. It is the principalities of darkness that oppose you.
Our enemy is real, but don’t let him lie to you and through the blame on God or those who serve God.
Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Satan never accepts responsibility for his sin and he teaches man to do the same. It is always someone else who is at fault. The devil told Eve it was God’s fault their eyes were not opened, they were not gods, they did not know good and evil. Satan manufactured a non-existent enemy to get Adam and Eve to follow him instead of God. They forgot about where they were. They forgot about the sweet fellowship they had with their Creator. The Galatian church thought Paul, who had brought the truth to them and lead them into salvation through the blood of Christ, was now their enemy because he told them the truth. They believed they had an enemy, a problem and the solution was to turn away from Paul.
If we are not careful we will believe we have an enemy that does not truly exist, a problem that is not really a problem, and a solution which solves nothing. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but truly the principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, are enemies of all those who trust in Christ.
Beloved, your problem is not the preacher if he is telling you the truth, it is the father of lies who opposes you. Pastor, it is not the people in the pew that are your enemies. It is the principalities of darkness that oppose you.
Our enemy is real, but don’t let him lie to you and through the blame on God or those who serve God.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
SPIRITUAL PARANOIA
Gen 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Cain is our first example in scripture of one who exhibited spiritual paranoia. What is it? This is a condition of the heart which affects the conduct of one who has rebelled against or rejected instruction from God. Cain’s rebellion was to bring his own offering to God (which God would not receive) and harden his heart because he could not have his own way. After the Lord had given him space to repent, Cain still would not submit to God. This resulted in him murdering his brother Abel and becoming a fugitive/vagabond. For the rest of his life he was insecure, running from place to place always looking over his shoulder expecting someone to come after him and kill him.
When a Christian is paranoid, unable to rest in the security of God’s care, always expecting some tragedy to happen, there is certainly an underlying reason. When a child of God is disobedient, unrepentant and stiff-necked, he will be restless and paranoid, believing he is the subject of constant ridicule and criticism of others. This is exactly where Satan will subjugate him in spiritual paranoia.
Beloved, don’t waste your life in worry and turmoil. You are not fooling anyone, especially God. Cain, no doubt, tried to convince everyone that he was right, but nothing displays confidence in God better than submission and obedience to Him. When troubles come there is nothing like being right with God.
Cain is our first example in scripture of one who exhibited spiritual paranoia. What is it? This is a condition of the heart which affects the conduct of one who has rebelled against or rejected instruction from God. Cain’s rebellion was to bring his own offering to God (which God would not receive) and harden his heart because he could not have his own way. After the Lord had given him space to repent, Cain still would not submit to God. This resulted in him murdering his brother Abel and becoming a fugitive/vagabond. For the rest of his life he was insecure, running from place to place always looking over his shoulder expecting someone to come after him and kill him.
When a Christian is paranoid, unable to rest in the security of God’s care, always expecting some tragedy to happen, there is certainly an underlying reason. When a child of God is disobedient, unrepentant and stiff-necked, he will be restless and paranoid, believing he is the subject of constant ridicule and criticism of others. This is exactly where Satan will subjugate him in spiritual paranoia.
Beloved, don’t waste your life in worry and turmoil. You are not fooling anyone, especially God. Cain, no doubt, tried to convince everyone that he was right, but nothing displays confidence in God better than submission and obedience to Him. When troubles come there is nothing like being right with God.
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