Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"MY FLESH"


Good Evening to All!

Tonight's post is about something WE ALL have trouble keeping under control, "our flesh".

Have you ever noticed that we pick up bad habits A LOT easier than we do good habits? I know I do. I also notice their very hard to break.

(18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20)Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

(21) 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 myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:18-25 KJV)

OK, I have always loved the King James version of the Bible, but as many times as I have read this passage it gets me frazzled every time. I know what it is saying after reading it and studying it time after time, but even just trying to read it to type it I get confused and rattled at the way he worded it. Therefore, I am going to retype it in the Message Bible version. Our visiting preacher read it to us Sunday, and I thought it was fantastic.

(18-20) For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are , don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me ever time.

(21-23)
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

(24)
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? (25) The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Gravity can be a wonderful thing. It keeps us on the ground. It keeps everything from just floating away, yet there is also a problem with gravity ( other than the obvious effect of it as we age).

We live in a force that holds us together, yet in a spiritual sense we are in a gravitational pull toward sin. We have inherited a sinful nature from birth from Adam and Eve. From the very start of our lives we are being pulled down by sin.

We must always remember that the "pleasure of sin" is only for a season (or short time), but the wages of sin is death, (separation from God). This is why we must learn to lean on and rely on the Holy Ghost to help us live for God. We CANNOT do it on our own. It is impossible. Only the mighty power of the Holy Ghost can break us from the "world's gravitational pull toward sin.

We must also remember that what we do not only affects us and our future, but that of the people around us as well. Whether its our children, parents, siblings or friends, maybe even strangers we come in contact with. What we do always affects more than just us.

For example a person who uses drugs. I have heard people say. What's the "big deal"? I'm not hurting anyone but myself. It's my body! How wrong can they be?! They are looking at it from a selfish point of view. They don't stop to think of their family's feelings, or even the money the family would be out if they accidentally OD. At the least, hospital bills, or maybe even funeral costs. If the addict is lucky enough to not OD, then there is the cost of rehab, or possibly bail money for getting out of jail.

I understand that a drug user isn't thinking in their right mind, but they need to get in their "right mind" before getting involved with the vices of this sinful world. People need to remember that Satan's main objective is to steal, kill and destroy our joy. He wants to keep us as far away from God and His kingdom as possible. Drugs are of the devil. There is no way around that. They kill, they steal and they destroy. They not only do this to a person's joy, but also their life. They kill a person's happiness, they cause people to steal, therefore possible stealing their life from outside prison walls, and they destroy lives, families, self-esteem and everything else. Therefore they are definitely the work of the devil.

Now, that is just one example of how what we do affects us and those around us. On the opposite side of the coin, if we are rooted in the Word, and live for God, we also affect people. We affect them in a positive way. We show them God's love, mercy and understanding. We may even share God's Word with them, so that it might be a chain reaction. We encourage them and help to build their self-esteem. Which in turn makes them want to do the same for others. This is what God's love is all about.

Don't let the world's gravitational pull of it's sinful nature get hold of you and drag you down with it. Fight it with God's Two Edged Sword. Live for God and allow the Holy Ghost to help you overcome the temptations that this world throws at you day after day. Remember there is no way you can do it by yourself, no one can. Lean on God. He even tells us to cast all our cares upon Him. I think this means more than just our problems. I believe that it also includes the day to day temptations that we all go through.

Good Night to All and May God Bless

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

PJ,

You are so right when you said,

"Remember there is no way you can do it by yourself, no one can. Lean on God. He even tells us to cast all our cares upon Him. I think this means more than just our problems. I believe that it also includes the day to day temptations that we all go through."

This is the sin I commit all the time... assuming I can deal with temptations through my own power and strength. Oh how often I fail in dealing with the sin in my life due to my refusal to look to the Lord for "strength to help in time of need"

Thanks for a very important reminder that I really needed to hear.

Rob