Carnality

    I had a burden in my heart today. Something to do with carnality, lust and adultery. I turned to the Bible. Here I was confronted by many words. I praise God, for the Bible, which teaches us of the truth, the way to live. Halleluiah!

    [Romans 8:7 KJV] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

    John Gill's exposition of this verse, illustrates the extent of enmity between God and carnal man. A few statements which led my heart towards repentence are:

• it forms unworthy notions of him; thinks him such an one as itself; and endeavours to bury him in forgetfulness, and erase out of its mind all memorials of him: it is at enmity against his perfections; either denying his omniscience; or arraigning his justice and faithfulness; or despising his goodness, and abusing his grace and mercy: it finds fault with, and abhors his decrees and purposes; quarrels with his providences; it is implacable against his word and Gospel; especially the particular doctrines of grace, the Father's grace in election, the Son's in redemption, and the Spirit's in regeneration; and has in the utmost contempt the ordinances and people of Christ.

  
  

• It shows itself in an estrangedness from God; in holding friendship with the world, in harbouring the professed enemies of God, in living under the government of sin and Satan; in hating what God loves, and in loving what God hates; in omitting what God commands, and committing what he forbids; it manifests itself in their language, and throughout the whole of their conversations.

  
  

    When talking about Jesus, the High priest in Hebrews 7:16 KJV John Gill explains the real meaning of the priesthood that have been offer onto us.

    Similarly, lust has its effect on us. In the Parable of the Seeds, Jesus Himself tells us that lusts, strangles the word like a plant among thorns in Mark 4:19.

    The following scripture speak in the same note.

• Romans 1:27 MSG  Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men--all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it--emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches.

  
  

• Jeremiah 3:6 & 9 MSG  GOD spoke to me during the reign of King Josiah: "You have noticed, haven't you, how fickle Israel has visited every hill and grove of trees as a whore at large? [9] She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country.

  
  

• Hosea 3:1-3 MSG  Then GOD ordered me, "Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who's in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I, GOD, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy."  [2]  I did it. I paid good money to get her back. It cost me the price of a slave.  [3]  Then I told her, "From now on you're living with me. No more whoring, no more sleeping around. You're living with me and I'm living with you."

  
  

    Let us profess our weakness to the Lord, who is able to keep us from stumbling

Trust in the Lord!

Not all true understand or live the above said statement. When I have a burden in me, my well-wishers say, “Trust in the Lord!” I just say fine and I go through it. Later, when the burden is gone, I reflect on those small moments when I trusted the Lord and He delivered me. With gratitude I praise Him.

But, trusting Him only on few occasions (when we are on the low side), makes us a very phony person. I sometimes am so ashamed of such behavior of mine. But praise God, for still loves, and forgave me.

Trusting Him always in every act, is indeed very necessary, without which our purpose of doing the act will not be fulfilled. The purpose being, to glorify Him in all that we do.

1 Peter 2:12 MKJV having your conduct honest among the nations, in that which they speak against you as evildoers, they may glorify God in a day of His visitation, seeing your good works.

Matthew 5:16 MKJV Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Here is a classic example, of how God cared even for the Gentiles in the days of the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 39:16-18 MKJV

[16] Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, So says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring My Words on this city for evil and not for good. And they shall be done in that day before you.

[17] But I will deliver you in that day, says Jehovah. And you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.

[18] For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me, says Jehovah.