Session 18 – Desiring More of God #4
This is the last time we will ask “How do we remain in Jesus in the midst of the busyness of this world?” We asked our Father for help from the Holy Spirit to remind us throughout the courses of the day to stay intentionally plugged into God, then to bring people to mind and after that to remind us to remain plugged in to God by being reminded to read His word. We haven’t spoken about the id in a few sessions. Now is the time. The id loves this world, cursing, polluting the temple with drinking, drugs, smoking, graffiti, gluttony, laziness, blaspheming, dressing immodest, flirting, lust, having adultery, bestiality, homosexuality, abortion, cheating, hating, coveting, being vindictive, envying, lying, stealing, gossiping, celebrating traditions of men, and craving vanity, greed, money, power, and position. Every one of us has weaknesses. We can each find at least one of ours in the list above. We are humans and must constantly fight the thoughts of sin or they will turn into actions. Some of you may not realize what the bible has to say about some of the items on that list above. This is not our list, but it is our responsibility to expose the list of the most common sins known to humankind. The fact that the courts of our country and many others have made some of these legal does not mean that God has changed His stand on these sins. "Be in the world, but not of the world" is a phrase that's heard a lot in Christian subculture. It refers to what Jesus said as recorded by one of His close friends in John 15:19 and John 17:14-16. Read those passages. This concept is also talked about later in the New Testament by the famous convert Paul (Read what he had to say here; 2 Corinthians 6:15-18, 1 Corinthians 6:15-18, Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:1). Who rules the world? As a Saint doing this course you know the answer is Satan. But our id tells us that no one rules over us. We have free will and make our own way in this world. To a small degree that is a true statement too. When the word "world" is used in the New Testament, it's a translation of the Greek word cosmos. (No, we're not getting all astrological on you.) "Cosmos" most often refers to the planet earth and its human inhabitants who live their lives with their backs turned toward God. Satan is the Prince of this "cosmos." Read to see where even Jesus called him that in John 12:31 and again in John 16:11. The Apostle John mentions that the "whole world is under the control of the evil one" as you can read in 1 John 5:19. So if we are spared by the ‘mystery’ and aren't ruled by Satan and sin anymore, that's great, many are finding this so, but we still live here! Yeah. Not so great. But Jesus has given us freedom from that evil, remember? We may be physically present ("in the world"), but thanks to the Holy Spirit we don't have to be a part of its values (Read John 17:14-16). Because we are Saints with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we're set apart from the wickedness of the cosmos as we seek to live a holy, righteous life. That is one reason we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that and upon baptism we were sealed in righteousness for the day of redemption. (Read Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 4:30, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:4) Before you start worrying about measuring up, stop and listen (or read, rather). Believing in Jesus doesn't mean that you will ever automatically stop sinning unless that is God’s plan for you. Most of us are not that fortunate. Sorry, breaking bad habits is a personal work that most of us need to do with the help of the Holy Spirit. God didn't design humans to be robots with no ability to choose. We can still make our own decisions, good and bad. But with Christ, we don't have to be a slave to those bad choices—we have the power to choose NOT to do the sinful stuff the world loves. That is called crucifying the flesh. The id would drag you to the darkness. We can choose not to keep company with those that perpetuate the corrupt darkness, in reality or in our minds, that the world wants to shove into our eyes and ears. We have the freedom to choose Jesus now (Read Romans 12:1-2). It's a daily thing, an intentional commitment for you to remember that you have power in Christ (Read it here; 2 Corinthians 12:9)—you're not alone. We each chose to accept the invitation or not. Just as President Trump is putting up a wall to keep illegal aliens out of America, without the seal of redemption no one will be able to scale the walls of heaven and enter the Kingdom of God. You are a representative of another kingdom, if fact you are royalty! With that said we don't want to get all self-righteous, either. We are more like a pilgrim, a visitor on a visa, who is an Ambassador for Christ's Kingdom, visiting a world that is not our home, showing people how amazing our real home-world is, and inviting them to come back with us. We're lights of hope to those who are stumbling around in spiritual darkness. How do we shine like hope? We shine by shutting down our id and living a ‘called out’ life. Live your life in such a way that those who don't believe can see that there is something you have that is good and wonderful—something different, something they'll be curious about, something they'll want for themselves, too. The world's values are not the things Jesus values. The world's pleasures are not the pleasures of an Ambassador of Christ, tempting as they may be. Personal pleasure is no longer our goal in life as would be the case with the id, as it once was, but rather the worship of God and living our lives as light in the dark, showing others that the id is a dead end. Finding the Joy of Christ, growing in grace and knowledge, and having a peace that passes all understanding are worth far more than anything that can be obtained here on earth. Exercise 18 - Repeat session 8 again, extending love. Then, when you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit ask one of the following questions or one of your own that is similar; Father, in Jesus name, please send the Holy Spirit to help me resist my id and live righteous for you daily. Father, in Jesus name, please have the Holy Spirit inject thoughts of you, blocking worldly desires daily. Father, in Jesus name, please have the Holy Spirit remind me who I am in you so I may hearken when you call and resist the temptations of the flesh and worldly desires. Be sure to verify and test any answer with the Bible. You have just asked God to have the Holy Spirit make you aware to resist worldly thoughts and desires and may input positive thoughts, images, feelings, messages to encourage you to remain in Him through His word. Praise God for the ability to have the Holy Spirit as your personal guidance councilor. Remember to live, think, and act like an Ambassador for Christ's Kingdom, for you are God’s child.
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Michael & Judy Peck Archives
February 2020
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