My whole purpose for having a blog is for Edifying, Exhorting and comforting other Christians. As a Christian, my heart's desire is that we all live a life that is pleasing to God and it also helps me with my walk while I am reading, studying and sharing. I'm helping others and myself at the same time. I'm learning daily not only how to please God but also how to communicate to others without sounding too judgmental or preachy if you will. I say what is given to me but I also say how I am feeling like my subject: What happened to standing firm on God's word.
Today I want to talk about Ephesians 4:30. Every time I read it it breaks my heart. Just the thought of grieving God is sad and fearful. At the same time it is the most comforting scripture because it is reassuring that we are sealed by the same Spirit who personally identified us as His own and we are sealed until redemption.
**this is an add on because it is important. Being sealed means that you are closed in and no one can get in or get out. So while we are on this earth, God has us protected, we are in his hands and nothing is going to change our status, we will remain as we are, sealed and safe until redemption. **
The first time we found God grieving was in Gen. Gen 6:6The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
Now we know what happened to the people as a result of how the Lord felt. Only Noah and his family was saved. Now, the Lord promised us that we are secured and sealed but even though we are sealed, we can still bring on the same pain even more so than during Noah. Hard to imagine bringing in more pain than that.
God sent His ONLY begotten Son to die for our sins. After we acknowledge what sin is and that we have sinned against God and realized that we need a savior and repent of our sins, how much more pain do you think we bring on God to go back to that sin that he suffered and died for? As humans we are capable of making mistakes. But, as Christians we are not capable of practicing sin (living in darkness). As Christians we have to be very mindful of things (surprises) that catch us off guard that might make us angry and want to revert back to the old man. God said be angry and sin not. Eph 4:26. Do not go to bed with your wrath. We are apt to get in a situation that will make us angry but fix it. God gave us the tools to do that. Keep your mind on Christ.
The mind is a very powerful part of the body. The mind dictates what we see and our eyes dictate what we hear. That is why sometimes when I am in the choir, I will close my eyes so that I can get my note right. Not that I have to do that all the time but if someone next to me is out of tune or if I am out of tune, than I have to focus on my note by closing my eyes (during rehearsal). That is also why a blind man's hearing is much more sensitive than those who can see. He have nothing distracting him from hearing what is truly there or said. I'm saying all this because our mind/flesh know what sinful things look like, taste like, feel like from experience and will show us what it wants leading us to deception and sin. It is so important to rely on God's senses that is righteous and not ours that is sinful. Create in me a clean heart oh Lord and renew a right spirit within me. Not focus on the natural. We have to kill that old man for good and God told us how to do that in his word.
Stop lying! It is so easy to lie to get out of trouble or to come up in the world. We no longer have the spirit of lying but I believe that, just like a child that remember that each time they cry, they get the response they want. I believe we do the same thing. We don't have a lying spirit in us but, we know what lying can do as far as avoiding responsibility for wrong doing or receiving something we did not earn and sometime fall back into doing the things that we use to do. Remember, God hates a liar and remember who is the father of lies, Satan.
I was reading the prior verse about stealing. I would like to use this regarding someone we know. If someone we know whether it's a child, friend or family that stole from you, and they want to earn your trust back, I think the best way to stop it from happening again is to have them work it off. Have them work it off honestly by giving them something to do that will be equivalent to what they owe like cleaning your house or help fix something. Help them to have the mind to not want to steal anymore and teach them, by being merciful, that working is far better than taking/stealing. It makes an honest woman/man out of them. These are suggestions that I have.
For single people, when we meet a man or woman that we are very attracted to and I will just say it, we can find ourselves being very sexually attracted to them, we must do whatever it takes to avoid committing sin against God. It is important that you keep your mind on God and your heart pure. Do not put yourself in a situation that you know may lead to you sinning against God. ***I want to add more because we live in a world now of new technology. Put a stop to all things leading to sexual sin such as dirty conversations on the phone, texting, pictures and videos. And I'm just going to say it, sexual sin is more than just penetration. You are not fooling God by thinking you can out smart Him. You are only fooling yourself. Don't you know that God knows your deepest and darkest desires and secrets? Stop all of it.*** Paul tells us that our body do not belong to us and when we do this, we are becoming one with that person. We are grieving the Holy Spirit when we commit fornication. If you find that it might be hard than do what is necessary to keep yourself pure. Get out of the relationship if it's not healthy for you to be in it especially if you know this is not your life mate. I, at the age of 44, bought myself a purity ring. Not to say that I messed up (or didn't mess up) all the other years but now MY MIND IS SET AND FIXATED! I am focused! I dedicated my life to Christ and I let men know right away where I stand and I don't care if they have a problem with it. They are not sending me to heaven. They can not speak for me as a witness to say that they enticed me. God seen it all and know it all and was there when it happened! We all stand alone during God's trial.
God is loyal and He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful and this is why we are sealed until redemption, however, the Spirit of God still grieves when we sin against him. We know what happened before when he was grieved and we don't want to cause that kind of pain on Him.
My purity ring doesn't just remind me not to do sexual sin, it reminds me to be pure minded in speech, action, living. If you would like to have a bracelet or something that will remind you who's you are when things get rough, than go ahead. Be spiritual minded at all times.
God bless you.
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