For every situation you face in life therefore, you have to choose an action that will either gratify the desires of your flesh or gratify the desires of the Spirit of God in you; for what your old nature desires, is contrary to what the Spirit of God now in you, and also prompts you to do. (Galatians 6:16-17)

Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the manifestations of our fleshly desires outlined in Galatians chapter 5, that we need to subdue by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, we will examine the sin of murder – as we conclude our teachings on overcoming these works of the flesh.  Let us once again quote one of our key texts in these series.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (Gal 5:19-21 NKJV, Emphasis mine)

Interestingly, the sin of murder is not mentioned as one of the manifestations of the flesh in several versions of the Bible.  The King James and New King James versions of the Bible are however careful to mention it.

Murder is defined as the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. (Oxford English dictionary) Murder is not only considered a sin by God Almighty (Exodus 10:13), but it is also an unlawful act in almost every human society, punishable by some of the harshest penalties in any court of law.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, ….. (Lev 17:11, NKJV)

This life of man, on the basis of Scripture, may be accounted from the time a child is formed in the mother’s womb. (Jer. 1:5) In this sense therefore, abortion can be considered as a form of murder.

There are several instances of murders in the Scriptures and unfortunately, even the first family in the Bible fell a victim to this sin (Genesis 4).  Cain resented his brother Abel, because the latter was enjoying the favour of God Almighty; and this led him to kill Abel; for he failed to realize that we are each accountable to God for the blood of another. (Gen 9:5)

That was jealousy and envy at play; for when you are envious of someone, we resent the person for enjoying success or an advantage.

Similarly, the chief priests and elders handed Jesus Christ over to Pilate to be crucified because they were envious of Him! (Matt 27:18)

We see another example in Scripture, in 2 Samuel chapter 13, where Absalom harbored so much hatred in his heart against his step brother Amnon for raping his sister, Tamar; ultimately leading him to kill Amnon.

It is also common place to find people resorting to murder as a form of taking revenge on someone or something. Absalom sought to take revenge on Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, and this desire for revenge, fuelled his hatred for Ammon, ultimately leading him to kill him.  Difficult though it may be, the believer in Christ should not seek to take revenge.  For the Bible says:

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Rom 12:18-20, The Living Bible)

Absalom could have confronted Amnon for committing this abominable sin and demanded an apology from him for his sister Tamar and left the matter in the hands of God Almighty, just like his father David did on countless occasions where king Saul sought to kill him, but he did not.

We see another instance of mass murder at the birth of Jesus.  When king Herod heard through the magi that a king of the Jews had been born, he ordered all the male children, born in Bethlehem and who were below 2 years of age to be massacred.  Bible historians say that this was because Herod had a bad temper and feared losing his kingdom with the birth of a new king.  With Herod’s ambition to probably create a dynasty, the new born king of the Jews seemed to be a threat to that ambition.  This suggests that selfish ambition can also lead to murder.

The underlying cause of selfish ambition is pride and it is not surprising to see this sin of pride listed among the six things that God hates. (Proverbs 6)

From all these biblical examples given above, we see that murder is an outcome which is usually triggered by something else – envy, hatred or selfish ambition with the underlying factor, being the notion of considering ourselves better than the other person – pride!  That is why the Scriptures state that:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phillp 2:3-4, NKJV)

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing can be found there. (James 3:16-17)

For this reason, it is important for the believer not to entertain the sentiments of jealousy, envy, hatred and selfish ambition from the onset. For these workings of the flesh can easily lead a person to murder another.  In our previous posts: 5, 6, 7, and 8, we have examined through Scripture, ways of overcoming these trigger sins and it will be helpful for the reader of this post to take a look at those earlier studies in order to be able to overcome these manifestations of our sinful nature.

Our new life in Christ is patterned after our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.  It is therefore important to take a look at Christ Jesus’ words on the sin of murder:

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:21-25, ESV)

In this Scripture, Christ Jesus raises the bar on His definition of murder, intimating that murder begins in the heart, before it is manifested on the outward. For out of the heart are the issues of life.  So we murder someone when we speak maliciously against that person. Here again in the Scripture above, Christ identifies those triggers at the root of murder that ought to be addressed as anger, outbursts of rage leading to insults and self-conceitedness.

Christ Jesus brings to our fore, that our worship to God cannot be accepted when we harbor ill-feelings against another and we offend one another with our actions or inactions.  So then, the maturity of the believer in Christ Jesus is ascertained by our relationships, not only with God, but with one another.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35 NKJV)

For how can we claim to love God whom we have not seen, and not love our brother who is right there in front of us. (1 John 4:20-21)  If we love God, we will seek to live a life pleasing to Him by obeying His word and yielding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us; while we progressively subdue the desires of our old sinful nature that we naturally would have been prone to.

May the Lord help us all to live a life pleasing to Him as we await the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Blessings!

The post Our New Life In Christ (Series – 10) appeared first on Fragrance of Love.

In our previous blogs, we have taken a look at some of the various expressions of our sinful nature that we need to overcome: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, and jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies and envy.  The sins of drunkenness and revelries will be examined today.  Let us once refer to the Scripture in Galatians where all these works of the flesh are outlined:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21 NKJV Emphasis mine)

Drunkenness

Unlike some of the other sins stated in this text above, the sin of drunkenness is captured as drunkenness in almost all the Bible versions.

Drunkenness is the state of being under the influence of strong liquor.  When a person is drunk, that person’s normal state of mind is affected and that person is unable to reason or behave as he or she would typically have, in his right mind. A person who is also slightly drunk (tipsy) is still disoriented. Whichever way, the Bible categorically states that drunkenness is a sin.

Indeed, even though the Bible does not state that taking any form of alcohol is in itself a sin, it admonishes us to stay away from alcohol because of its potential to make its victim act irrationally.

Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.            (Prov 20:1 NKJV)

So in Proverbs chapter 23, the wisest man Solomon, outlines certain predicaments that the one who yields to the lure of alcohol finds himself in: woe, sorrow, contentions, complaints and wounds without cause. He ends that counsel by saying:

Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;  At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. (Proverbs 24:32 NKJV)

In 1 Samuel chapter 25, we read of a woman called Abigail, described as “beautiful and very intelligent”, who was married to Nabal also described as “uncouth, churlish, stubborn, and ill-mannered”.  In this story, we learn that but for Abigail’s swift intervention, king David and his men would have killed Nabal’s household because of the latter’s act of foolishness.  Towards the latter part of this same story, we get the sense that Nabal was probably drunk when he sent that provocative answer to king David.

So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. (1 Samuel 25:37-39 NKJV)

No wonder, Nabal was considered as a fool because he was often under the influence of alcohol and acted foolishly in various instances.  A wise man, will desist from alcohol so as not to act irrationally.

There is also the example of Noah that we read in the Bible.  Noah is described as a “just man, perfect in his generations” (Gen 6).  We read however, that one day, Noah, being a farmer, got drunk with the wine of his own vineyard, and lay “uncovered in his tent”.  His son Ham, saw the nakedness of his father and reported the same to his two brothers, who refused to look on their father’s nakedness but rather walked backwards into their father’s room with a garment to cover his nakedness.

This action of Ham, provoked Noah to curse him and his descendants after him; for in the ancient world, it was not merely an offence to see a father’s nakedness but actually a capital crime.

So by yielding to the lure of wine this one time, righteous Noah, indirectly brought a curse on his son Ham and his descendants after him.  No wonder the counsel of king Lemuel’s mother is one worth paying attention to:

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;  Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted. (Prov 31:4-5 NKJV)

Instead of yielding to the lure of alcohol, being drunk by it, and acting under its influence, the Scriptures urge us to allow ourselves to be influenced by the Holy Spirit in all we do and say:

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:18-30  New Living Translation)

Just as alcohol influences a person to say and do things he or she would normally not have done in his right mind, so are we to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lifestyles, actions and inactions.  We should be addicted to praying in the Spirit, as a drunkard is to wine, by daily creating and positioning ourselves in an environment where Christ is glorified.  So that now,

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20 ESV)

 

Revelries

While the King James Version of the Bible refers to this sin as revelries, some other versions refer to it as orgies and others, wild parties.  The original word in the Greek translation is komos, translated merry making, with wine and hosting unbridled sexual activity.  So reveling has to do with participating in wild parties.

While Jesus was here on earth, he participated in dinners and other social gatherings.  In fact, His first miracle was at a wedding feast. (John 2)  He was hosted by Simon the Pharisee to a dinner in the latter’s house (Luke 7); and also dined with Zaccheaus(Luke 19).

This shows us that there is nothing wrong for the believer in Christ Jesus to attend dinners where there is good food, good music, various beverages and some moderate fun activities.  A party is termed as Revelry, when it has to do with some aspect of sensuality, open display of sexual advances or profanity. This is what the believer in the Lord should desist from. Our guideline for participating in social activities should be the Scripture below:

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 11:1 NKJV)

So in participating in any social activity, the question we ought to ask ourselves, is “does our presence there give glory to God?  What social atmosphere has been created there? Is the music being played there uplifting or one filled with profanity?

It is interesting to note that when Jesus attended any of the social gatherings earlier indicated, He demonstrated God’s love to the people in one way or the other: either through a miracle by turning water into wine, or by forgiving a sinner as in the case of the “unnamed woman” who was known by the community. (Luke 7)

Similarly, as a child of God, we ought to ask ourselves, whether we are demonstrating God’s love and are being an example to the people around whenever we find ourselves in a social gathering. Do people see you as different? Can they see the light of God in you?

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.  ……. I’m putting you on a light stand.  Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand — shine! (Matt 5:14-15a, The Message Bible)

Let us endeavor to be influenced by the Holy Spirit and seek to bring glory to God in whatever we do and wherever we find ourselves.  For when we purpose in our hearts to do this, the Grace of God will abound to us in that venture (Titus 2:11) and we will progressively be able to subdue the sinful desires of our old nature and be transformed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 3:18)

May the Lord help us all in this regard.

Stay connected for a continuation of this weekly teaching!

God bless you.

The post Our New Life In Christ (Series – 9) appeared first on Fragrance of Love.

We have already examined the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, heresies, contentions, outbursts of wrath, jealousy and envy in our previous blogs.  In this post therefore, we will look at the sins of selfish ambition and seditions.  Let us refer once again to the Scripture in Galatians where all these works of the flesh are outlined.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (Gal 5:19-21 NKJV Emphasis mine)

Selfish Ambition: While the King James Version of the Bible refers to this sin as Strife, some other versions refer to it as rivalries.  Nonetheless, the original word in the Greek translation is eritheia,  translated “mercenary self-seeking”.  This original translation of the word can therefore be explained as acting for one’s own gain, regardless of the discord or strife it causes.

From this etymology therefore, selfish ambition best captures this work of the flesh.  To be selfishly ambitious, is to be self-seeking; always seeking one’s own interest above anyone else’s.  A person who is selfishly ambitious projects himself and deploys his unique gift to push his personal agenda in an organisation regardless of the strife it causes or the factions it creates in that organisation.

Seditions: While the King James Version of the Bible refers to this sin as sedition, most other versions, refer to it as dissensions. The root word used in the original Greek translation however is dichostasia translated as standing apart.  With this original translation therefore, this work of the flesh can be explained as disagreements arising from an action or speech and inciting discontent or partisanship in a group.

The sins of selfish ambition and seditions both have to do with a projection of the self.  A careful look at the definitions and meanings above show that while the selfishly ambitious person’s actions are aimed at projecting himself, the seditious person creates partisanship in an organisation if he holds an opposing idea to what is accepted in that organisation.

So the underlying sin of pride is one that every believer needs to deal with.  For pride breeds contention wherever it is manifested.

Only by pride cometh contention: (Prov 13:10 KJV)

No doubt pride is listed as one of the six things that God hates in Proverbs chapter 6.  In the Scriptures, we read of King Saul, who could not stand the applause David was receiving from the women, for killing the giant Goliath.  For in his conceitedness, he believed that once he was the king, he deserved more applause, regardless.

So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward. (1 Sam 18:7-9 NKJV)

From that day onwards, Saul sought to kill David. Saul’s ambition was to reign as king of Israel for his entire life time whether or not he had God’s approval; and David seemed to be a threat to that ambition.

A believer who is self-ambitious places self-interest ahead of what the Lord declares right or what is good for others.  It is important for every child of God to keep the Scripture below in mind, in order to overcome pride and its related sins of self-ambition, jealousy and envy among others.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phillp 2:3-4 NKJV)

This is important because selfish ambition, if not checked from the onset, will lead a person to destroy himself.  We see that much as Saul tried, he was unable to kill David and only ended up destroying himself.  Similarly, Haman, thinking that no one apart from himself was worthy of honor from the king, ended up humiliating himself before Mordecai, the very person, he sought to destroy. (Esther 6)  The story of Adonijah (1 Kings 2) is also an example.

The Bible tells us that we are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14); and also tells us that each believer is in a race, not to compete with others, but to be able to obtain his or her own prize.  So the Scripture says:

Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.  (Hebrews 12:1, The Living Bible, Emphasis mine)

It is God who sets the race for each individual and it is He who thus determines the life span of each runner.  In this race, the runners do not compete against one another, and the aim is not to outdo another, rather, each person is to aim at getting to the finishing line.  So the apostle Paul says “run that you may obtain”.

It is God who decides and who knows those whose lives may be likened to a sprinter and those who may also be likened to long distance runners.  The important thing is for each individual to stay focused and aim at persevering to the end.

Oftentimes, where the selfish ambition is directed towards a peer or a colleague, it often leads to murder, however when it is directed at a higher authority, it culminates in seditions.

Indeed, a careful look at Scripture shows that the first sin in the world, was one of sedition – when Lucifer rebelled against God in the heavens.  So the Scripture says “six things God hates, the seventh, referring to “one who sows discord in a family” is an abomination (Proverbs 6).

When Lucifer rebelled, he did not only destroy himself, but several other angels in heaven who took to his side. (Ezekiel 28) Of him, Scripture says:

Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, you defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you… (Ezek 28:17-18 NKJV)

Similarly, we read of Korah in Numbers chapter 16 who together with some other leaders of Israel opposed Moses, God’s appointed leader, and his spokesman Aaron.  As a punishment and deterrent, God caused the earth beneath them to split open and Korah together with all his aides were swallowed alive.

The story of Absalom, one of king David’s sons who led a revolt against his father David, is also an example of sedition.  As we read these biblical stories, we ought to remember that

…all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Cor 10:11 NKJV)

The sin of sedition still exists in our world today.  We see leaders in organisations oppose the set man there, sometimes creating factions and divisions in that organisation and ultimately destroying that establishment.  We see this happen in families, small groups, companies, governments and even church denominations.

Our God is a God of order and expects His children to honor those in authority over them.  AS the Scripture says:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-3 NKJV)

As children of God, we ought to rid ourselves of all pride. For pride is the root cause of selfish ambition and seditions.  We need to ask God to give us the mind of Christ, humble and lowly at heart so we will be able to live in peace with all men and give honor to all in authority especially elders who direct the affairs of God’s church. (1 Tim 5:17-18)

May the Lord help us all in this regard.

Stay connected for a continuation of this weekly teaching!

God bless you.

The post Our New Life In Christ (Series – 8) appeared first on Fragrance of Love.

Unfortunately, sometimes memories of some of our painful experiences in life tend to arouse certain sentiments that do not naturally go away, even as born again Christians.  In our previous post, we realized that when we allow such experiences to trigger sentiments like rage, we give the enemy a foothold on our lives and this must be avoided.

Sad to say, these are all the workings of our old sinful nature and it is up to the believer to deliberately deal with those underlying unpleasant events prayerfully in order to overcome the recurrence of unhealthy sentiments and dispositions.  For indeed the fruit of the Spirit of God in us is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22)

Over the past few weeks, we have been studying the workings of our sinful nature that we need to discard.  These have been detailed out by the Apostle Paul in the book of Galatians. We have already examined the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, heresies, contentions and outbursts of wrath.  In this post therefore, we will look at the twin sins of jealousy and envy and its repercussions.  Let me once again quote the Scripture in Galatians where all these works of the flesh are outlined.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (Gal 5:19-21 NKJV, Emphasis mine)

Envy & Jealousy

Jealousy and envy are said to be twin sins.  “Jealousy” is defined as the state of being unhappy and angry because someone has something that you want. “Envy” is also defined as the feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has. (Cambridge English dictionary).  So a person, who is either jealous or envious, is dissatisfied with his current condition or state of affairs.

Unfortunately, this is an unhealthy sentiment which defiles the person’s heart and state of mind.  What is more, where a person is jealous, this unhealthy sentiment can be so intense that it even leads that person to take a negative action against the object of jealousy even to the point of murder!  This is why we do not have to entertain this sentiment at its onset.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing can be found there. (James 3:16-17)

Here again, the Scriptures admonish us to stay clear of these sins and actually provides examples for us of people who fell prey to the sins of jealousy and envy as a kind of caution. Let’s look at the example of Cain. Right at the beginning of the age, we see this sin at play in the life of Cain, the first child of Adam and Eve.  Both Cain and Abel brought an offering to God, but we learn that while God accepted the sacrifice of Abel, that of Cain was rejected. (Genesis 4) Consequently, Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Cor 10:11 NKJV)

Cain resented his brother Abel, because the latter was enjoying the favour of God Almighty; that was jealousy and envy at play; for when you are envious of someone, who resent the person for enjoying success or an advantage.

Sad to say, this situation is pervasive across all divides: family members, work colleagues and even brethren in ministry!  A lot of people, in all walks of life, are unable to rejoice at the successes of others.

In the Genesis 4 account earlier cited, the story could have been different if Cain had purposed to, at the next opportunity, sacrifice the best lamb possible to God like his brother Abel did, so as to also gain favour from the Lord.  Alternatively, Cain could have also asked God Himself what he could do next time to make his offering acceptable to the Lord; but Cain did not. Rather he vented his dissatisfaction on his innocent brother and ended up doing one of the things the Lord God hates – murder! (Prov 6:16-17)  This is how the Apostle James puts it:

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  (James 4:2-3 ESV)

Similarly, the chief priests and elders handed Jesus Christ over to Pilate to be crucified because they were envious of Him! (Matt 27:18)

If Cain had acknowledged this unhealthy sentiment that was rising up in him against his brother, and had sought for help to overcome it, the story would have been different.  Harbouring envy in our hearts can lead us to destroy others even to the point of murder and this must be checked.

We learn from this, that to deal with jealousy and envy we need to first acknowledge that feeling when we have it, and ask God to help us and overcome it.

In the Bible, we also read of the sons of the patriarch Jacob, who sought to kill their brother Joseph because they were envious of him.  They envied Joseph because their father Jacob, loved Joseph, the son of his old age, more than all the others; and even made for Jacob a tunic of many colours.  Again Joseph’s repeated dreams presupposed that he would one day reign not only over his brothers, but even over his mother and father; and this infuriated his brothers even more.  We read that “his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind”.

This envy caused Joseph’s brothers to conspire against him and eventually sell him off as a slave to strangers in another land, even though some of the brothers had sought to kill him outright.

It is important to note that sometimes our envious disposition stems from our selfish ambitions, or in other words, our quest to outdo the other person.  Let us bear in mind that

…  godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim 6:6-7 NKJV)

Jealousy and envy often arise from insecurity in a person’s life and a lack of understanding of who you are in Christ Jesus.  Being envious of a brother or a sister, indicates a lack of appreciation of one’s own uniqueness. For the Scripture makes us aware that we are beautifully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

In our walk with the Lord, it is important for us to always look onto Jesus as our perfect example, the author and finisher of our faith.  For in our new life in Christ, God’s righteousness is manifested in our lives as we heed to His Word and yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our daily activities and relationships. So the Bible urges us not to do anything out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philip. 2:3-4)

We ought not to conform to the dictates of our old nature, but rather take on the mind of Christ Jesus.  Our attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and became like men. (Philip. 2)

It is important to realize that this cannot be done with our own strength.  We need to ask the Lord to take away our stony hearts and give us soft, tender and malleable hearts that can be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus!  May the Lord be our Help.

Stay connected for a continuation of this teaching.

God bless you.

The post Our New Life In Christ (Series – 7) appeared first on Fragrance of Love.

As we yield to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit within us, we are gradually transformed into the image of Christ Jesus and sin no more has a hold of us. This process however is gradual and progresses as we get rid of our old sinful nature. The apostle Paul carefully outlines the workings of our sinful nature in the book of Galatians.

We have already examined the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred and heresies. In this post therefore, we will look at the following manifestations of our sinful nature: contentions and outbursts of wrath. Let me quote the main Scripture in Galatians 5 again:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21 NKJV Emphasis mine

Contentions

Some versions of Scripture refer to this work of the flesh as variance. A contention is simply defined as a disagreement that results from opposing arguments. Similarly, to be at variance with somebody or something is to be in disagreement with that person or thing. (Cambridge English Dictionary) So simply put, contentions are disagreements.

Disagreements over issues tend to divide families, societies and even nations as a whole. What’s worse is that, sometimes the disagreement is over something frivolous and this can end up ruining relationships.

In the Bible, we read of a contention between Abraham’s herdsmen and that of his nephew Lot. It was Lot who accompanied his uncle Abraham in the latter’s journey. However, when the land was no more able to support the herd of both men, there was strife between their herdsmen; and this contention began to mar the relationship between Abraham and his nephew Lot. So Abraham stepped in quickly to save the situation by letting Lot have for himself the part of the land that he, Lot wanted. (Genesis 13)

Abraham could have chosen for himself what he wanted first, before offering the other to his nephew, but he did not. He preferred Lot better than himself. (Romans 12:10) No doubt strife often comes about when one wants to prove a point that he or she is right and the other wrong. So the wisest man Solomon rightly said:

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. Prov 13:10 KJV

One of the ways to steer clear of this work of the flesh in our lives is to hate contentions.

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:9-10 NKJV

Jesus set for us a perfect example to follow. He failed to argue with the religious leaders of His day, rather he listened to them and sometimes answered them intelligently (John 8:1-8) and other times just left them. (Mark 8:11-13) I therefore agree with Solomon when he says

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. Proverbs 17:14

Wrath / Outbursts of wrath

Some versions of the Bible refer to this work of the flesh as fits or outbursts of anger. Wrath is extreme anger. It is a strong vengeful anger or indignation (Merriam Webster’s dictionary).

It is interesting to note that anger itself is not a sin, but a disapproval of a person or an incident. Indeed, anger can even be used positively to correct a wrong action or bad situation. However, it is what you do or say in the moment of your anger that makes it a sin. Extreme anger however, is a sin!

Outbursts of anger, has to do with either frequent or occasional outpourings of strong feelings of displeasure and usually antagonism towards someone or something. It is evident in the tone of the person’s voice, utterances and even sometimes in the resultant action ensuing from that rage.

More often than not, the child of God who falls prey to this work of the flesh, regrets his or her actions after the harm has already been done. Moses, the great leader who led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, could not enter the Promised Land, because he was unable to control his rage. (Num. 20:2-13).

Even though people of particular temperaments may be more prone to this sin, no one is exempt; and it is in the interest of the child of God to continually ask the Holy Spirit to help him or her exercise restraint in the speech and actions. This is because, anger, if not checked can lead to many other sins: bitterness, strife, hatred and even murder!

..looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; Heb 12:15-16 NKJV

Cain got angry that God had accepted his brother Abel’s sacrifice and rejected his; and this anger led him to kill his brother. (Genesis 4) In the book of Esther, we also read of Haman, a respected man in Shushan, whose plot to annihilate the Jews ended up in his own destruction. Sadly this anger towards the Jews was simply an extension of his anger towards one Jew – Mordecai, who continually refused to bow or pay homage to him.

When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, ….. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus – the people of Mordecai. Esther 3:5-6 NKJV

The root cause of outbursts of rage can be attributed to tension from past or present fears, failures and hurts. The memories of these events and its accompanying sentiments do not naturally go away; whether you are a born again Christian or not! It is the pile ups of fears, failures and hurts that often erupt into outbursts of rage at the least trigger; and so it is important for us to deal with those events prayerfully. We are to learn from the experiences of the Bible characters and not repeat their mistakes:

These things that were written in the Scriptures so long ago are to teach us patience and to encourage us. Romans 15:4 The Living Bible

Indeed, past, present or future fears, failures and hurts underlying our angry outbursts, will have to be deliberately dealt with through prayer and repentance. Any time you happen to burst out into anger, as a born again Christian though, you will feel a strong uneasiness in your spirit and an urge for you to make peace with the object of your anger.

As you heed to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within you, you will begin to take steps that will bring reconciliation and peace between two parties. This is important in our walk with the Lord.

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Rom 12:18-10 NKJV

Considering what uncontrolled anger can lead to, we are cautioned to get rid of angry sentiments quickly, so as not to give the devil a foothold over our lives. We may get angry though, but let us not sin by nursing that grudge and letting the sun go down on our anger; for if we do not get over the anger quickly, we will give the enemy a foothold on our lives.

Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Eph 4:26-28 NKJV

Difficult though it may be, we all need to learn to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ has forgiven us. (Eph 4:31-32)

May the Lord help us, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to get rid of contentions and outbursts of wrath in all our dealings, as we strive to be at peace with all men.

Stay connected for a continuation of this weekly teaching!

God bless you.

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The choice really is yours!  Whatever we do, we ought to realize that you become the slave of whoever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.  (Rom 6:16-17  NLT).

Last week, we examined the sin of sexual immorality as one of the works of the flesh, which every believer must mortify.  In this post, we will look at the sins of impurity, sensuality and idolatry.  Let us quote the Scripture in Galatians 5 again, where all the works of the flesh are outlined.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-22 ESV

Impurity

Some versions of Scripture in this text refer to impurity as uncleanliness.  Webster’s online dictionary defines Impurity as:

(1) the condition or quality of being impure in any sense: defilement; foulness; adulteration.

(2)That which is, or which renders anything impure; foul matter, action, language, etc.; a foreign ingredient.

The Cambridge English dictionary also defines impurity as sexual thoughts or behaviour that are wrong or not moral.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in explaining to His disciples, what uncleanliness or impurity is, had this to say:

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, … Matt 15:18-20  NKJV

Juxtaposing the dictionary definitions of Impurity and what the Scripture says about this subject, I define impurity as the state of being defiled emotionally, morally and spiritually through any of your five senses: eyes, taste, touch, sight and hearing.

No doubt in our present day and age, one is bombarded everywhere with content that defiles the recipient in one way or the other; talk about what we see on the billboards, TVs, adverts that pop up when you are watching something decent on the internet.  The lyrics of popular music, the stagecraft of artistes, the list is endless.

Impurity therefore, to a large extent has to do with a distortion of one of God’s most valuable gifts to mankind: love.  When love is demeaned and equated to open vulgarity such as we see on our screens and sometimes in pubs and such places; that can be described as impurity.  Such vulgarity can be in dance, language and open display of sexual advances.  God’s love is pure (1 Cor 13) and the sexual love between a man and a woman is meant to be expressed in the context of marriage. (Eph 5).  Sad to say, impurity and not purity, seems to be the thing of the now in recent times.

It is important for the believer to be purposeful in his or her choices:  which company of people to associate with, where to go and even which internet material and sites to visit; among others.

This is because the battle ground of our new life in Christ with our old nature, is mainly our minds, thoughts and heart.  Whatever we listen to, watch, ponder over in our minds and heart, affects what we tend to touch, say and how we react. So when we watch pornography and fantasize about people, our thoughts run wild, and this is impurity.  Jesus makes this clear in the Matthew 15 Scripture earlier quoted, that what comes out of a person’s mouth is as a result of the condition of his heart (mind) and that is what defiles that person and makes him or her impure.

Watching pornography for example can lead a person into masturbation, fornication or even adultery.

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matt 5:28-29 NKJV

Similarly, listening to wrong suggestions and counsel may also lead a person to utter defamatory, insulting words or even poniards to another.  Here again, while the Holy Spirit will prompt us to forgive an offender, our sinful nature will on the other hand often push us to say or do something harmful to the person who would have wronged us.  The choice once again is ours. We decide whose voice we will obey.

You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living

That is why the Scripture urges us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:1-2); and also urges us to also to pull down every thought that opposes the will of God for our lives.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ……  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,… 2 Cor 10:3-5 ESV

Impurity is dangerous because you cannot be sure where it will lead you to; and it can also end up as an addiction.

One of the ways to overcome impurity is to memorize Scripture.  There is power in God’s word to overcome impure thoughts; and as we fill our minds with the Word and confess it, the enemy is defeated, and we are able to submit our thoughts and hearts to Christ.  Let this Scripture be our guide to help us triumph over this sin of impurity:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Phillp 4:8-9 ESV

Sensuality / lewdness

Sensuality, referred to as lewdness in some versions of the Bible, is also a sexual sin.  The Cambridge English dictionary defines sensuality as the expression or suggestion of physical, especially sexual pleasure or satisfaction.  It can also be explained as being sexual in an indecent or lustful way; public sexual acts.  A lot has been said on sexual immorality in our previous post and this can be applied to the sin of lewdness. (Series 3)

Idolatry

The Merriam Webster English dictionary defines idols as (1) an object of extreme devotion, (2) a representation or symbol of an object of worship.

Idols are not only graven images. Our Lord Jesus Christ even referred to money as an idol.

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matt 6:24 NLT

For the love of money is the first step toward all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and have as a result, pierced themselves with many sorrows. (1 Tim 6:10)

Anything we put ahead of God in our lives is an idol and God hates it. (Exod 20:4-5)  Your idol can therefore be your phone, your money and even your spouse among others.  Scripture says:

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.  Jonah 2:8

The new believer must understand that these sins are overcome progressively and not overnight. The more we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and to His direction through God’s Word, the more control over our lives that He has, and the easier it is to overcome more and more sins as the days go by.  So when the Apostle John says “he that is born of God does not sin” it simply means the born again believer does not make a practice of sinning because that person has surrendered his or her will to God and sin no more has dominion over him!  I pray that this will be the testimony of every reader of this post.

Stay connected, for a continuation of this weekly teaching!

God bless you!!!

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Cor 5:17 NKJV 

We also learnt that we do not earn salvation. Salvation is God’s gift to us. (Eph 2:8-9). So like any gift we value and cherish, we need to maintain it. This is particularly important since our physical bodies do not die immediately our spirits are born again. More often than not, we continue to live on this earth for a long while, even after we give our lives to Christ. So the Apostle Paul asks: 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!
Rom 6:1-2 NKJV 

We definitely cannot continue to live in sin. We are born again and like any new born baby, we need to grow in this new life. A new born baby grows by the day; and the child that continually fails to grow, ultimately dies. So the Scripture says this to us: 

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:13 NKJV 

This death mentioned here is certainly not a death of the physical body, but the spirit man. In this same Scripture, we learn that the spirit man grows, as we continually mortify the desires of the flesh! 

So as new believers, we are expected to walk in “newness of life” and our lives must begin to align with God’s will and purpose for our lives. (Rom 6:4) This does not all happen in one day! No. The entire Christian journey here on earth has to do with subduing the desires of the flesh and yielding to the will and purposes of God for your life. It is a progression, and it’s expected to get better with each passing day. 

You and I definitely cannot achieve this in our own strength; so God has empowered us to do so, through the baptism of His Holy Spirit! When you are baptised in the Holy Spirit, an overflowing dimension of His presence comes upon your life and empowers you to yield the members of your body to God. 

The Spirit of God now in you is continually at war with your sinful nature – your old man. So for every situation you face in life, you have to choose an action that will either gratify the desires of your flesh or gratify the desires of the Spirit of God in you. Therein is the continual struggle in our walk of faith. What your old nature desires, is contrary to what the Spirit of God now in you, prompts you to do. Let’s see the Scripture below: 

For the flesh DESIRES what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Galatians 5:17 NIV (Emphasis mine) 

So probably typically, in the past, if someone hurt you deeply, your immediate reaction would be to seek an avenue to take revenge; but not so now. The Spirit of God in you will dissuade you from doing so, and probably remind you of God’s word regarding such reactions. The decision would now lie with you, whether to react like you would before you came to know the Lord, or heed to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and let sleeping dogs lie, praying rather to God to help you forgive that person. 

The choice really is yours! Whatever we do, we ought to realize that we become the slave of whoever we choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. The Living Bible puts it this way: 

Don’t you realize that you can choose your own master? ….. The one to whom you offer yourself-he will take you and be your master, and you will be his slave.
Rom 6:16-17 The Living Bible 

So what are these desires of the flesh that the Scriptures urge us to mortify? Galatians chapter 5 outlines the various aspects of our sinful nature. We will begin with examining the sin of sexual immorality in today’s post. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:19-22 ESV 

Sexual Immorality 

Some versions of Scripture in this text, refer to sexual immorality, as adultery and fornication. Indeed both adultery and fornication can be classified as sexual immorality. While adultery, is having sex with a married person who is not your spouse, fornication has to do with a sexual act between two consenting people who are unmarried. 

It is sad today, to see sexual immorality downplayed even among believers. The world says it’s ok to have sex with one another, so long as they are two consenting adults; but God says the act of sex is reserved for the institution of marriage; marriage between a male and a female. (Gen 2:15-24) Whose voice will you obey? 

Maybe you found nothing wrong with having sex with a friend or a married person before you became born again. However, once you give your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit who now resides in you, will prod you any time you are tempted to succumb to that lifestyle. The more you yield to Him, the more control He has over your life and the more you are transformed to become like Christ. However, if you continually ignore His proddings, the less control He has of your life and the more control your sinful nature has over your life. Your continual disobedience to the Holy Spirit grieves Him. (Eph 4:30) 

Remember, you choose your master – whether sin leading to death, or God, leading to righteous living. (Rom 6) 

We are however urged to put to death what is earthly in us: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (Col 3:5-11) and not be consumed with matters of sexual immorality. So the apostle Paul puts it this way: 

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Eph 5:3-4 NKJV 

When we become born again and God’s Holy Spirit comes upon us, our bodies become the containers of His presence and we need to be conscious of that as we live here on earth. 

God in His own wisdom, knowing that it will be difficult for man and woman to resist the sin of sexual immorality, since it is mostly an act between two consenting people, says to us to FLEE sexual immorality! I define flee as to move your body away quickly from a scene or situation. You cannot resist sexual immorality, you flee, as this Scripture states: 

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Cor 6:18-20 NKJV 

When we live in consciousness of the fact that we live our lives to please God, we will by the power of the Holy Spirit, desist from such acts if we were engaged in them before we came to know the Lord. For as the Scripture says: 

This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
1 Thess 4:3-4NKJV 

We need to remember that, in as much as it may not be possible to overcome these sins overnight, we can overcome them progressively. The more we yield to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, the more control He has over our lives and vice versa. This continues until we get to the point in our lives when “we are led by the Holy Spirit” in almost all our dealings. At this point, we do not make a practice of sinning. 

I pray that we will yield more and more to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us so that we can grow in our new life in Christ. This is possible when we study His Word and stay connected to Him in prayer. 

Stay connected for a continuation of this weekly teaching. 

God bless you!

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