When we find our delight in God and in the things which delight Him, then we, like David, will search His word to know more of His law rather than avoiding the Law of God and restricting its application to our lives:
Psalm 119:11-20
11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee; 12 Blessed art Thou, O LORD; Teach me Thy statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways. 16 I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word. 17 Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live and keep Thy word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law. 19 I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Thy commandments from me. 20 My soul is crushed with longing after Thine ordinances at all times
- Contrary to some popular teaching, we do not find in God the satisfaction of our natural thirsts and desires. Our former lusts cause us to be at enmity with God and slaves of sin and of Satan:
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest
1 Corinthians 12:2
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led
- False teachers appeal to these lusts and desires:
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths
2 Peter 2:18-19
18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved
- Only when we have been born again do we begin to thirst for the things of God:
1 Peter 2:1-3
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
1 Peter 4:1-3
- Having died to the desires of the flesh, we now live for the will of God
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries
- Our divine nature in Christ and resultant death to fleshy lusts cause us to escape the world’s corruption
2 Peter 1:4
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust
PEACE
Shimmy C. Kotu
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