Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Have you ever had one of your parents deny you second helpings at the supper table? Perhaps when you asked your dad for a bowl of ice cream, he gave you a bowl of vegetables instead! Have they ever denied you access to the internet or a game console until a specific time during the day? Many parents will set up certain rules or restrictions that you need to abide by, but they are made to protect you. But occasionally when parents leave home for a while, no one is there to watch over them, and many times young children will choose to do exactly what they want to instead.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When you choose to become a Christian, each of us will need to learn to deny ourselves of certain things. Obviously there isn’t going to be somebody around all the time, and you will have to learn to deny Earthly lusts and pleasures in this world. We must possess this quality in order to fulfill the will of God. Any sinful desires that we have in our flesh will have to be completely resisted and rejected. Every man is different because we all have our own weaknesses, but whatever they may be, they will have to be renounced out of faithfulness to Christ Jesus. We must completely deny the sinful works of the flesh and walk according to the Spirit of life, and when all is said and done, it is simply a process of learning how to just say no.
Titus 2:11-12 (KJB) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Have you ever denied somebody access to your locker at school? You didn’t allow people in it, so you locked it up tight with a combination lock. But our hearts are the same way. We must deny ungodliness and all the sinful things in this world that might try to enter within. You need to shut the door and throw away the key, completely protecting yourself from the world and its influnces.
2 Timothy 2:22 (KJB) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Before any of us became a believer, we were completely ignorant of the will of God and were outsiders to the teachings of our faith. But as you grow in the will of God, you are supposed to depart from iniquity, and not re-train yourself to live the sinful way that you used to in the past. We are supposed to grow in our obedience towards God, rather than walking backwards and right into the arms of the world all over again.
1 Peter 1:13-19 (KJB) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Our hearts must be filled up with a great love for God, rather than a love for all of the temporal things of this world.
1 John 2:15-17 (KJB) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Through self denial and mortification, we must completely rid ourselves of everything that is outside the will of God. Only then can we prove that our love for Him is greater than all of the desires of this world.
Romans 12:1-2 (KJB) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We have numerous liberties spoken of throughout the New Testament, but don’t confuse that with the liberty to sin. We must train ourselves to act appropriately, and not allow the flesh to overstep the boundaries of our faith.
Galatians 5:13 (KJB) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
We have Grace available, but it is certainly not for the purpose of sinning against God and others.
Romans 6:12-18 (KJB) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
We must be capable of exercising self-control and discipline over our own lives. That is a process of self denial that is vital for the success of the Christian Life. Your parents might have tried to keep you on the straight and narrow when you were young, but as an adult it is your responsibility to do that very thing, and if a temptation arises or an occasion to the flesh, you will always have to remember, to,……
…….Just Say No
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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