Obedience and Our Leaning Toward Rebellion

So obedience is absolutely essential to our purpose in life...to glorify God! We must become people committed to obedience, being intentional about living within God's will. But that being said, we need to explore our tendency to rebel against God. Paul, as he was writing the book of Romans, explains this struggle in chapter 7:

"I know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself doing it, but sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin living in me that does it"
Romans 7:14-20

So you see the frustration in Paul as he understands that, as result of his sinful nature, he has a tendency to rebel against God and His Will! We have a natural tendency to live outside the box, even when we want to live inside the box! I am reminded of the Ring of Power in the Lord of the Rings. Those who seek the ring might want to use it for good, but it always pushes a person toward evil!

"The heart is deceitful above all esle. Who can understand it?"
Jer. 17:9

We have a tendency to follow our heart! We will do things we never thought we would do because it feels right, and our heart is telling us that it is ok, but what is actually happening is that our heart is deceiving us! Our heart is easily turned away from the Lord because it has a natural leaning toward rebellion. The heart can be deceptive, so we must make decisions based on the truth of God's Word (His stated will). So that this doesn't sound like straight doom and gloom, Paul talks about how we can live victoriously over our sinful nature and how we can cultivate a heart that leans to God instead of rebellion. That is tomorrow! For now, you must understand the power and deceptive nature of the heart and its leaning toward the sinful nature. David, after commiting adultrey and murder, spoke these words to God:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Ps. 51:10

Ask God to renew your heart this morning and give you a right spirit. Do not allow the enemy to keep you in a condition of self-defeat!

Comments

Anonymous said…
With out a dout His love is unfalling,He is always there just wanting us to long 4 Him, Even when we cant see where the path is headed.we need to come to Jesus every day an praise Him,with out Him we are nothing! THANKS MY BROTHER!
January 16, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Navigating a Culture of "Pride" as a Christian

 June has been known as Pride Month ever since President Bill Clinton announced it back in 1999, and it has gained more and more steam since, particularly in the last 5 years.  It has made its way into small towns, into schools, and into the faith community as well.  In many ways it has become the loudest voice of the culture we live in, especially in the month of June.  It is a topic all over social media, the film industry, and media itself.  The agenda to normalize issues such as homosexuality and gender identity is pervasive.  You can hardly watch a series on main stream television, much less cable tv, without being confronted with these issues.  Some of the most prominent influences and influencers are now targeting children as their primary audience.  All of this has quickly shaped our culture, and anyone who thinks that the bombardment of these influences do not really have an effect on people, I would challenge them to learn about marketing.  The developments in the past 10 yea
Read more

Humanism in Christian Clothing

 I find myself more and more baffled by some of the things that I see posted on social media and how it seems to connect with so many.  I saw a post that quoted a pastor that said, "When your spirituality denies someone's humanity, it isn't spirituality, it's hatred wrapped up in religiosity."  The post attributes this to Mark Sandlin.  I don't know this pastor, if he really said it, or what the context was surrounding the quote.  However, it would seem reasonable to assume that the individual posting the quote was implying that if your spirituality leads you to conclude that homosexuality, transgenderism, or any other LGTBQ+ issue is sin, and you don't think it is the public schools job to normalize this, then you are denying someone's humanity, thus your spirituality is really not spirituality... it is hatred wrapped in religiosity.  This is a really odd statement for several reasons. 1.  What makes something spiritual?  Who defines what this is?  Is
Read more

Why Israel Still Matters in God's Plan

When someone professes faith in Christ and becomes a Christian, they enter in what the Scriptures calls the New Covenant.  This New Covenant is considered a greater covenant than the Old Covenant or Mosaic Covenant.  The Jewish people related to God through the Old Covenant for thousands of years.  Ultimately, this covenant pointed out one very important truth about life... Mankind naturally turns away from the living God and proves incapable of keeping the righteous demands of a Holy God.  As Biblical history unfolds, we find that Israel quickly abandon God and worshiped the gods of the surrounding nations.  They would have momentary bright spots, but even in those bright spots, the rebellious heart of man was on full display (King David anyone?).  The Law itself pointed out man's inability to keep the law and draws people to see that they need God's mercy.  Summary - Mankind needs a Savior because he sure can't save himself.   This is where Jesus comes in as a mediator of
Read more