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Bondman · 05-23-2008, 04:57 PM

Message #78

CHALLENGE!!! - Part 2

Continued from Message #65

We concluded Part 1 with this challenge:

IT'S TIME!! This is your CHALLENGE! Time for your commitment to GOD to become FIRST in your life, ahead of love of THINGS and COMFORT and CONFORMING to the world!

Why We Do This

That we lust after the things in the world should not be a surprise to any of us. Our sin nature is one of self-centeredness: living the way we want and doing what pleases us. It's 'natural' - and we're really very good at this, wouldn't you agree?

But verses we looked at in Part 1 show that we are to still be living in the world but NOT conforming to, or of the world. Being IN the world is dead easy - we already are!! To start to not be OF THE WORLD, now that's not so easy!! Yet, for most of us, it's probably not exactly our fault. I ask: who has brought forth to your mind the Scriptures we just looked at? You can trust me that this is NOT popular doctrine! They are NOT popular Scriptures! And they're not the only Scriptures either: this truth is STRONG and it's CLEAR in the New Testament:

James Ch 4
4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

You can't get it any clearer than that!!! So what to do? Putting off a sin, putting it out of our lives, can be as simple as a decision of the will. I said "simple", not (necessarily) "easy"! As a serious Believer in Christ and belonging to Him, you choose to be HIS friend, NOT a friend of the world, as in the verse above!!

What Do You Want?

I guess it depends what it is that you REALLY want. An easy and good time here on earth, and maybe miss heaven and end up in hell for eternity, OR a more difficult road here - then the JOY of being with the Lord in heaven for eternity! It's VERY easy to not see how fast death is approaching! You may not have even one more week. PLEASE DO GET READY FOR ETERNITY. Take the decision that sets you up for a life with Him!!

Ephesians Ch 4
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Wow, what powerful verses those are!

Put OFF, then Put ON

1. God through Paul says for us to PUT OFF THE OLD MAN OF SIN (our old sinful and selfish nature) and PUT ON THE NEW MAN. Did I say 'wow'! So here are two things for us to CHOOSE to do: one is negative, getting rid of BAD; the other is positive, putting on GOOD!

2. How? First: by BEING RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND. Actually it's that 'present continuous tense' again that we've looked at before. So it's actually SAYING constantly be BEING renewed in your mind - i.e., getting it to a new and fresh and SPIRITUAL way of thinking! Does that work for you?

3. Verse 24 above says that the NEW MAN, THE NEW NATURE - and please do get this! - WAS CREATED ACCORDING TO (BEING LIKE) GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS. We've already discussed righteousness and holiness in 34 and 35, which we are to seriously seek after!

First Choose - then Trust God

Who will place these INTO us? GOD HIMSELF of course!! And so this NEW NATURE is LIKE GOD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS - and IS PART OF GOD'S AMAZING WORKMANSHIP IN US!!!

Ephesians Ch 2
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So once again, we are dependent on GOD'S WORK IN US so that we may become LIKE HE WANTS US TO BE.

But let's stand back and SUM THIS UP. If you just give something up, you leave a void, a 'hole; in your life. NOT the way to go! Rather, we need to give up the self-centered man, how? - BY PUTTING ON THE NEW SPIRITUAL MAN of righteousness and holiness.

• So first WE CHOOSE to do this
• Then we TRUST GOD to perform this in our lives, according to the Ephesians verse above! WE can't do it - but HE can!!

This is both a decision and an attitude of heart and life towards our Lord - which you can start, or modify, TODAY! It's my earnest prayer that you WILL!!!

- BM, with his Lady

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS WELCOME!