#The REALITIES of the "SIN NATURE"!
#The REALITIES of the "SIN NATURE"!
(By Pastor Walter L. Smith III)
As I was preparing to write this particular blog, I thought about all the "discernaholics", who "major on the imperfect" and are suspicious and wounded saints that all-to-often focus most of their precious energies on being "holy ghost junior", without a genuine shred of real spiritual understanding from God's Word. They actually spend more time "accusing others, rather than witnessing to them"; and seem to forget that the "sin nature" is why "sinner's sin", and why "complacent Christian's - struggle".
During my prayer time for the Body of Christ in the past few months, I've been having a real frustration around what I see as "the ineffectiveness and irrelevance of the status quo approach to ministry in the 21st century"; although there are a growing number of relevant and relationally-astute "kingdom representatives" that are emerging on the scene right now...
My problem is: "I've suffered far too much loss; faced too many enemies (in spiritual warfare), and have been focused upon confronting "my own stuff" for far too long (as a PRIORITY, for the last twenty years) to "play church", and I'm flabbergasted by how we just don't seem to learn from the past history (as the Body of Christ) that's providentially been made known to us all!
With this stirring in my heart, I've never felt so raw and vulnerable - "for a purpose", as I do in this present season; but it's NOT a "bad thing"... It's really just "the catalyst" to move me past the grave-markers and limitations of the church's "religious approach" and "pseudo-transparency" that is robbing us of our "overcoming testimonies", in the face of all the rampant sin and selfishness that is so prevalent in this world! The world needs to experience the "raw power" of The Lord Most High, and many Christian leaders are "in the way", because of imbalanced theological frameworks, compromised stewardship and mismanagement, and unaccountable leadership, who often borrow worldly practices in trying to accomplish kingdom advancement.
On THAT note, the Bible says, "Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]–these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever." (1 John 2:15-17 AMP)
This passage above has to be one of the most powerfully-articulate revelations given to the Apostle John concerning the coming eschatological happenings that will occur during these end-times, while clearly exposing the system of "the world" and "the spirit" associated with its diabolical and evil ways; which is "rooted in a misplaced affection for people, places and things".
NOW, like never before, do I both hear and agree with the Word of The Lord, but WHY do SINNERS seem "so happy", and SAINTS seem "so miserable" - "most of the time", and we're supposed to be "enjoying our life" while we're "on our way to Heaven"! AND, how many of us are truly "not battling with" or "struggling against" the realities of sin "almost every day"?
IS IT BECAUSE we don't read God's Word "enough"? MAYBE...
IS IT BECAUSE we don't apply God's Word in every area of our lives? MAYBE...
IS IT BECAUSE we don't live and walk consciously of God's Ways, due to being "caught up" in doing it the world's ways instead? PROBABLY!
I don't know about YOU, but I've seen some folks ENJOY SIN for more than "a season"...Lol! It's been more like "a lifetime"! Lol! MY GOD...MY GOD...
I'm NOT sure why we've become so politically correct "with one another", and total hypocrites "before God", because either we're afraid to ask for what we "really want", or we're so vexed with condemnation and shame - riddled by desires that the majority of the church would deem worldly; so we silently struggle with heart pain and anger about "believing God's promises" and seeing "nothing but, the same ole' things"!
I honestly believe that this is definitely a part of the reason why so many Christians are 'so judgmental'! Along with others, who have an 'over-active conscience' due to their being "so unhappy and unfulfilled"; then they claim the role of "judge and jury", because instead of 'enjoying life' - they miserably 'go to church', deny themselves of any 'pleasurable things', and live bound to man-made rules and regulations!"
AND, what this actually provokes and stirs-up in the hearts of "the undecided" and "the unsettled", is an even greater DECEPTION, DELUSION and DOUBT - "in" the promises of God, and that ALL this "sanctification, submission, and surrender" stuff, just may NOT be worth it!?!
THE CRY OF MY HEART is: Would the REAL CHURCH, please STAND UP?
If you think about "your own experience" for a moment, it's really ALWAYS "felt that way" (the "fight" in your flesh) - but, especially when you've drifted in your heart...AND, what "we" must all decide, is - Are we REALLY much more fulfilled with "living for the world", than we are "living for Christ?"
Until this is SETTLED "inside of us", we'll continue to live with a "divided heart" about "which camp" we're actually going to be a part of!
I KNOW that we've all "seen some dark stuff" in life, but personally, I've seen just as much or more - "amongst professing Christians", than I have "amongst sinners"...This is surprising (somewhat), but "real" in regards to the fight that Romans 7 describes as a "heart in limbo", while the conviction eventually leads to commitment; if we allow the Spirit to complete the work that HE has begun "in us"!
So, when some of us think about those "ridiculously crazy" - but "pleasurably, momentous times" (in sin), we do so because of "a residue of hoping, remembering and wishing" that we could "STILL" be that person (old man); especially when "denying ourselves" seems like "heroic deprivation", but for what reason - really...Just to PLEASE GOD? Well, YEAH...Lol!
The spiral downward continues in the uncommitted heart, when we confuse what our role really is! "Pleasing God" is really NOT about "perfect performance" or "gaining HIS approval", so why do we believe that it's necessary to deny ourselves of the "sins" (pleasures) that "makes life more fun", rather than continuing with "the dry experiences" associated with "being religious"?!?
LISTEN: Christians who constantly try to sell the "misery of sin" are "falling into sin" - now, more than ever before! And, since it's "so dark and evil in the world", why would "we" even entertain or embrace that which is "supposedly contrary" to the purpose or the values that we boldly claim "in Christ"?
Didn't God create and mean for us to "enjoy everything that He created", so if we do "all things in moderation", it would seem to be "the only balance" that most Christians would need...? And, God never intended that we "live like monks", instead of "enjoying life's pleasures", while "maintaining devotion to Christ" - simultaneously, right? Or, is that even possible - to have BOTH?
First of all, God did NOT say that "all things are good", HE said that "all things are lawful, but not expedient or helpful"! Our error is believing that what we see everyone else having or doing, we should also have too! What God requires of you or me (our consecration requirement), may be completely different than what HE wills for others; because of the specific purpose that we're called to fulfill for HIM. Unless their "HIS", HE places no burden of expectation or requirement upon people, who are NOT a part of the Family of God - only the human family.
Well, Christians...Are THEY right about us? Are we REALLY a bunch of hypocrites "pretending to be delivered", but we're still in an internal battle - full of conflicts and questions..?
Personally, I don't think any of us can "win this war internally", if we don't expect and recognize that there will be incongruences, injustices, and inequities that challenges our faith in this life, while we must make some hard decisions and spiritual sacrifices to resist our flesh as a daily discipline!
Saints, we are truly "sheep amongst wolves", and the constant draw to embrace or succumb to darkness - in contrast to the light, by rejecting HIS Word and HIS Ways at times - will NOT end anytime soon, as long as we're alive and choosing to live for Christ; and intentionally walk contrary to the ways of this world!
In maturity (as Christians), it must be our love and our obedience to Christ that compels us to follow and to serve, instead of the "potential" correction, judgment or punishment that some of us are acquainted with ("hard heads make for soft behinds"); because we've resisted God's instructions to us, and eventually (with enough stripes to prove it) we've chosen to really walk with The Lord "in earnest".
"SIN's REALITIES", including the alluring and the enticing that it has upon some "wavering Christians with half-hearted commitments", is a consistent battle for the "unestablished heart" or the "distracted believer", whose dual focus often serves as double-minded blindness that wrestles us into submission to "captivating moments"; which definitely may satisfy our present thirst, but cannot bring the eternal peace and rest that only HIS power will bring - if we sincerely seek it and entrust ourselves to HIM in every season of life!
What I haven't said yet is, "the wages of SIN is death, and the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus". (Romans 6:23) The "power to choose" is STILL man's greatest defense against the prevailing darkness that is in the world! But, without the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus - "working in us and through us", we're subject to the strong delusion and deception that is imprisoning many people in our culture today; headed to hell without a clue...
Dr. Jim Denison of the Denison Forum so wisely states, "Our world has more knowledge than ever before. But how is our escalation of information working for us? No generation has adapted to technology more than today's teenagers. Last night I spoke at a youth ministry event, where I was asked to describe the need for more outreach to their generation. I had to report that 62 percent of high school seniors have had sex; 70 percent of teenagers access porn regularly; America has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the Western world. Would you say our moral trajectory is upward or downward?" The answer is obvious, but there also seems to be no concern for what a "Christ-less culture" really means to the eternal future of so many lost people headed to hell without Christ...
Charles R. Swindoll writes concerning Luke 16 that, "The man in hell is in "conscious torment". He is crying out for mercy. Being "far away" (v. 23) and permanently removed by "a great chasm" (v. 26), he is desperately alone, unable to escape from hell, as we read, "none may cross over" (v. 26). The horror is painfully literal, unlike the jokes often passed around regarding hell. Haunted with thoughts of other family members ultimately coming to the same place, the man begs for someone to go to his father's house and warn his brothers ". . . so that they will not also come to this place of torment" (v. 28)."
This is only one of many references to an eternal existence in hell. The New Testament, in fact, says more about hell than it does about heaven. Here are just a few characteristics of hell set forth in the New Testament:
It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12).
It is a place where people scream for mercy, have memories, are tormented, feel alone, cannot escape (Luke 16:23-31).
It is a place of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:48).
It is a place of darkness (Revelation 9:2).
It is a place of eternal damnation (Mark 3:29 KJV).
It is a place where God's wrath is poured out (Revelation 14:10 KJV).
It is a place of everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The finality of all this is overwhelmingly depressing! It's strange to me that so many Christians don't believe in hell's existence, yet we have little struggle believing that heaven will be forever?!? But, for some reason, we ignore that hell will be equally everlasting. To deny the permanence of hell is impossible, without also removing the permanence of heaven. Each is a reality and each is ultimate finality!
The "final death" without Christ is spent in eternal flames in hell!
CHOOSE LIFE!
WS-3
Walter L. Smith III, Founder/Lead Facilitator
Pure In Heart Int'l Ministries, Inc. -
The Center For Kingdom Advancement
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