Quotation
“I firmly believe that once you
become a Christian, this does not mean you close down your mind, but instead it
expands your ability, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to
discover God’s love and plan for your life, in His grand plan of salvation “
Barry Denzil Haney
Verse
For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto
them.
For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own
bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie and
worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen.
Romans
1:18-25
Reflection
What is the source for our
problems?
In his book, Upstream: The Quest to Solve
Problems Before They Happen, Dan Heath says this:
“So often in life, we get stuck
in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay
downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way
upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems.”1
Upon introspection, you will
find many of the problems you face have their roots in other places.
In his article, “The Upstream
Solution: Treat the Source of Your Problems, Not the Symptoms”, Patrick Buggy
makes this point about treating the source of your problems:
“When you address the source of
a problem, the symptoms go away on their own.
Which means it’s a tremendous
waste of resources (energy/attention/time/money) to treat the symptoms of your
problems without addressing their source.
Treating symptoms without
treating the source is like trying to cool a pot of boiling water by adding ice
cubes instead of turning off the burner.”2
From what we have learned so
far, it would seem we need to identify the source of our problem, in order to
effectively treat it.
According to the secular
worldview, the root cause for the problems mankind faces is multifaceted,
related to environmental, social, economic, cultural, and political factors
over which man has no control. It would seem this way of thinking is a form of
escapism, allowing the individual to avoid accountability for his actions.
Moral relativism would describe this proposition in this way – do what feels
right for you because there are no absolute truths.
According to the biblical
worldview, the root cause for mankind’s problems is sin.
If that’s the case, what is sin
and how do we treat it?
The Bible tells us this about
sin:
These
six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud
look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, And heart that
deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A
false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.
Proverbs
6:16-19
Many people have been defeated
in their fight with repetitive sin, because they are fighting with the flesh,
rather than with the spirit. In the following Bible verse, Paul tells us we
have to be continually fighting back in order to defeat sin and this can only
be done by the Spirit:
“For if ye live after the
flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live.”
Romans 8:13
In his article, “Five Ways to
Fight Sin”, J.D. Greear gives us five steps to help us fight sin in the Spirit
rather than in the flesh:
1.
Humble Confession
The opposite of confession is
hiding your faults or keeping them to yourself so that you can maintain an
illusion.
But that is a mistake because
God can only heal your sin when you bring it into the light. Sin is like a kind
of moral mildew on the soul that you can only get rid of by exposing it to the
light of God’s presence. The Bible says, “Confess your sins to one another … so
that you may be healed” (James 5:16).
2.
Total Surrender
This is in contrast to a
negotiated settlement with God. Most people only want to ask, “What do I
have to do to be considered a ‘good Christian’?” But that won’t work because
God is not a force to employ; he’s a person to surrender to. When you say “no”
to him, even about a small thing, you cut yourself off from fellowship with
him—and his power.
3.
Reassurance in the Gospel
The Spirit breaks sin’s hold on
you by reminding you of your full acceptance with the Father.
This is counter-intuitive, but
it is always how Jesus changed people. He told the woman caught in adultery,
“’Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more’” (John 8:11 ESV).
He put acceptance before change because only through knowing she was accepted
would she have the power to change.
4.
Memorize Specific Scripture
When Jesus fought Satan, he
quoted Scripture that dealt with the specific temptation.
The Apostle Paul calls the Word
of God the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). Scripture is our weapon and
going to battle without it is like going into a duel without a gun. Jesus
didn’t approach temptation assuming that he could wing it. He came armed with
Scripture. And if Jesus felt he needed
to use Scripture to fight off temptations, then so should we.
5.
Pursue Wisdom, Not Just Avoid Sin
Walking with the Spirit means
you’re not just asking, “How close can I get to the line of sin without
crossing it?” but instead, “What is the wisest thing to do?”
Paul says many things are
lawful, but they are not helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12). That means certain
choices may not be sinful, per
se, but they don’t align you with the Spirit’s will.
You get the power of the Spirit
when you fellowship with the Spirit, and you fellowship with the Spirit when
you seek to do what he wants in every situation.
Godly wisdom tells us we can be
triumphant over sin and Satan’s repetitive temptations, through trust and faith
in Jesus. Once we have a relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will reside
in our heart, providing us with protection, instruction and teaching during our
walk with Jesus here on Earth!
Illustration
So often we say “Maybe” to sin
instead of “No,” leaving the option open for us to say “Yes.” This is not resisting Satan or the
temptations placed before us. We are like the person trying to get rid of a
salesman on his doorstep without saying a firm “No” and closing the door.
Though we say we are not interested in buying Satan’s product—sin—we leave the
door ajar and continue to discuss the tempting wares. We leave open the
possibility for the devil to make a sale. To resist temptation we must say a
firm “No” and shut the door.1370(1)
Prayer
Our Heavenly Father,
Help us to recognize that our
problems
have a root source. Help us to
find the root
cause for our transgressions
against You.
Help us develop a loving
relationship with You!
Through this loving
relationship with Jesus, may
The fruits of the spirit flow
through us,
Providing those around us
trapped in the darkness
A beacon of light leading them
to You!
In the precious name of Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior,
Amen!
Worship
Lord I’m Ready To Go Home – The
Easters
1Heath, Dan. Upstream:
The Quest to Save Problems Before They Happen. Avid Reader Press / Simon
& Schuster, 2020.
2Buggy, Patrick. “The Upstream Solution:
Treat the Source of Your Problems, Not the Symptoms.” Mindful Ambition.
Accessed April 21, 2021. https://mindfulambition.net/upstream-solution/.
3 Michael P. Green. 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 2000. Print.
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