Not So Bad Zone

 

Not So Bad Zone

Romans 1: ²⁴ And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. ²⁵ They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.

 

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I was a bit nervous after bringing home the porn. I spent hours in the bathroom staring at its contents, “playing” with myself and did not get “caught.” After a while that was not enough. I had to have the real thing.

 

I was nervous again but did it anyway. I convinced someone to join me in sex. Afterwards, I looked around and the heavens did not open to burn me up. “Maybe I’m not so bad after all” I said to myself, continuing in my indulgence.

 

• There have been many times when I compared my sin to what other people were doing.
• There been many times when I thought I did not receive any consequence to the actions I knew were wrong.
• There been many times when I brought other people into my filthy world and soon that was not enough.

 

Paul writes something very disturbing. He mentions what GOD dictated to him. GOD has given people over to do as they please and fulfil whatever their evil hears desire. After the shameful act, then the lie appears. “That was not so bad.”

 

• GOD wants me to open my eyes to my sin.
• GOD wants me to stay away from the lie of “not so bad.”
• GOD wants me to confess my filthy heart to HIM daily, never thinking I am “not so bad.”

 

Each time I think I am “not so bad” I commit a “smaller” act of sin that takes my mind further away from thinking of GOD. After a while, I question my salvation because I get to a place where I am not acknowledging GOD at all. BUT GOD shows me grace.

 

HE watched me in the middle of my sin and decided to die for me instead of zapping me with some excruciatingly painful sentence. HE gave me another chance and wants me to do the same to others. I am glad GOD forgave me of all my sins.

 

• Are you addicted to porn?
• Do you or did you crave a sexual relationship outside of marriage as GOD defines it?
• Will you open your eyes to GOD’s grace and stop comparing your sin to other people so you can confess your sins to GOD and HE will be faithful and just to forgive you today?

Extreme Example

Isaiah 20: ² at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.

³ Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, ⁴ so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.

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Obedience in GOD seems strange. I have never seen any example in the Bible where a person goes to church for an hour or two, writes a check and does some amazing things. In fact it seems quite the opposite. Isaiah was to be used as an extreme example, warning people about what HE was going to do. Isaiah had to walk around naked for three years!

• Sometimes I think GOD only wants to use me the way “I” want to be used.
• Sometimes I think GOD only cares if HE gives me “my” way.
• Sometimes I think GOD only works when I “feel” blessed.

Who wants to be called crazy? I sure don’t. Walking around naked these days would get me locked up in most places. Speaking boldly about JESUS seems crazy to a lot of people these days too. Speaking about the demonic world seems even crazier and has been replaced by marriage seminars and family dinners in churches. But what does GOD want?

• GOD wants to use me if I let HIM do as HE pleases.
• GOD wants to give me an extreme example if my trust in HIM is strong.
• GOD wants me to focus on spiritual treasures not earthly comforts.

I am not saying that GOD has given me something extreme to do. In fact, the things GOD has me doing seem quite tame. I am saying that I need to be open to HIS leading, which may be extreme for me at times. HE may say give up everything and follow me.

People would look at me like I was crazy. HE may say pray constantly, give to the needy or “be” the needy. I don’t know what HE has in store for me, but I must accept HIS path with wide open arms!

• Are you being used on your own terms?
• Do you think of GOD in a small way?
• Can you allow GOD to be bigger and bolder in your life?
• Will you listen to HIS guidance today through HIS word and not on your own thoughts?

GOD keeps HIS promises

2 Kings 8: ¹⁶ In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. ¹⁷ He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 

¹⁸ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

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“I’m done with church” I said to myself. Seeing the hypocrisy was too much. “Now what do I do?” was the decision I had to make. My first night on campus, there were parties, drunkenness and nudity!  “I know… I’ll try that” I thought to myself excitedly.

• Many times I have tried to leave GOD when I wanted my way.
• Many times I blamed the church for not being perfect.
• Many times I thought could make it on my own without consulting GOD.

Leaving church and stopping my efforts of following GOD seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, the people in the church were acting like the people they called “worldly” only they were sneakier about it. I figured this would give me the license to leave them alone and do as I pleased. BUT GOD had something different in mind for me.

• GOD saw me in the middle of my sins and decided to rescue me.
• GOD saw me committing evil in HIS eyes yet HE held to HIS promise of mercy for me.
• GOD saw me doing the opposite of what HE wanted and went to HIS death in my place.

GOD cannot back out of a decree. Once HE says something it HAS to happen. HE said the wages of sin is death, so someone had to die. HE decided it would be HIM instead of me. HE also said “No one can pluck you out of MY hands”, so HE allows me to sin BUT rewards me the more I follow HIM.

HE allows consequence to happen in my life and chastens me. BUT he has saved me from eternal separation from HIM.

• Are you in the middle of sin?
• Have you stopped following GOD?
• Do you realize HIS grace is sufficient?
• Can you stop thinking you have to be clean in order to have a relationship with GOD?
• Do you realize that no matter how deep in sin you have fallen GOD forgives you?

How many times have I committed adultery?

Matthew 5: ²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

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It seems to be all around us these days. Sex is as prevalent as the leaves on the trees. Throughout my life television, movies and fashion have been a nemesis to my pitiful attempt at remaining mentally pure as GOD states in this passage.

 

A glance at a scantily clad woman or an accidental peek at nudity isn’t the problem. It’s when I linger, wonder or discuss it with the fella’s that causes problems between me and the LORD.

 

• Lust leads me away from serving my wife and family.
• Lust leads me away from treating the person I’m lusting after with GOD’s respect.
• Lust leads me away from asking GOD for purity of mind and toward complaining about HIS rules.

“You mean my lustful glance is a problem with GOD” I would ask myself. I mean I haven’t acted on the glance, what’s the problem? The “lustful” glance says to my wife “you are not enough.” GOD put our union together to form a “spiritual triangle”, HIM, her and me.

 

I find it takes practice to remain pure of mind especially in today’s society of sensual sludge that pours into our family rooms even on commercials. I wonder how many times I fell into a trap of lustful adultery over the course of my marriage. I probably don’t want to know the number.

• GOD wants me to remain pure of mind so I must keep reducing the ways it can enter my lenses.
• GOD wants me to remain pure of mind to keep my thoughts focused on HIM.
• GOD wants me to remain pure of mind so I must focus on the spiritual triangle HE has set up.

I must admit purity of mind is difficult and I have discussed this many times with many men who struggle with a one mate for life concept. The conclusion that I came up with is GOD wants me to realize that my judgmental ways of accusing those who have committed adultery is the “same” as my lustful glance. I require mercy just as much, if not more than the one who went through with their fantasy.

• Do you believe GOD forgives your lustful heart?
• Can you admit out loud that you have followed your lusts instead of GOD’s love?
• Do you believe that confession to GOD set’s you free from your lustful trap?
• Can the person you have flirted with hear GOD’s message from you “after” you have lusted with them?