LIVING AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS (part-12)

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU, NOW THAT YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this
world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit
who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
(Ephesians 2:1-2)

MEDITATION:
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he compares the life of a Christian,
to the prior life they lived before becoming a member of the family
of God. He says that prior to becoming a Christian, we followed the
ways of the world. Paul provides the following indicators of the
‘ways of the world’.
    All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying
    the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and
    thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of
    wrath.
    (Ephesians 2:3)

Rather than listing all the components of the ‘pre-Christian’ life, Paul
sums them up as ‘gratifying the cravings of our flesh’ and ‘following its
desires and thoughts’. It’s a binary choice: we follow the ways of the
world, or we follow Jesus, but not both. It’s a decision we are required
to make: which one will be in control of our lives? We must incorporate
God’s rules and guidelines into our life, pure and unmodified to fit our
lifestyle.
    “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
       the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
       will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to
       Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
       Your name and in Your name drive out demons and
       in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will
       tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me,
       you evildoers!’
       (Matthew 7:21-23)

Later he mentioned something very important for those who ‘believe’
and ‘surrendered their lives to the Lord’. Paul says that God created
us to ‘do good works’ and He ‘prepared us in advance’ to do them.
    For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus
    to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
    us to do.
    (Ephesians 2:10)

This solves the mystery of our existence, doesn’t it? We were created by God
with the capacity (and expectations) to do ‘good works’. It can be difficult to
determine if someone is truly saved whenever they are not doing ‘good works’.
Or, if it appears they have returned to (or never left) a life of ‘gratifying the
cravings of the flesh’.

For instance, before being saved there are many who attend church on a
regular and consistent basis. However, we see have seen that some of them
no longer attend church consistently, and some have stopped attending at
all. We would expect believers to increase and not decrease their worship
time with others, right?

Some may have extenuating circumstances that make it impossible to attend
(illness, job requirements, being a caretaker, etc.), but, when possible, every
believer should be an encouragement to others by worshipping together. Its
not a suggestion but a command from God to His people.
    Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he
    who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may
    spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving
    up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
    encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the
    Day approaching.
    (Hebrews 10:23-25)

On the surface it can appear that some are allowing ‘the ruler of the kingdom
of the air’ to be at work in their lives when they disobey God’s command to
‘meet together’. Think about it: God wants His people to worship together,
but Satan does not. Either we obey God, or we allow Satan to control us.

Some claim to be followers of Christ, but are still holding on to some favorite
sins of the past. We need to realize that some sins can have such a stronghold
on us that we can’t separate ourselves from them without divine assistance.
That’s one reason we need to invite the Holy Spirit to assume control of our
lives (our thoughts, words, actions, habits, emotions, attitudes, etc.).

Whenever we allow the ‘ruler of the kingdom of the air’ control of our lives,
we are not going to do good works (at least not the kind that God considers
good works), and we are at risk of succumbing to our desires and thoughts
of the flesh (old ones and possibly new ones as well).

As an example, out of curiosity a believer may decide to take a quick glance
at pornography, and BAM!!!, they become hooked on it and fall deep into a
life controlled by Satan. We can’t ‘toy with’ any of Satan’s temptations and
expect to maintain self-control.

All Satan needs is a ‘toehold’, to gain a ‘foothold’, and seize control of our lives.
We must guard against allowing our curiosity to open the door of opportunity
for Satan to control us. If we allow, or have allowed him to gain control, we will
discover it’s much more difficult to ‘break the chains’ he has on us than we could
have ever imagined; so strong that we can only ‘break free’ with God’s intervention.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Who is in control of my life, and who would others (and especially God)
       say is controlling me, based on what they have observed in my life?
    – What has changed since I became a Christian,
       and what has remained the same?
    – Which ‘pre-Christian’ desires have returned to become a part of my life?
    – What ‘good works’ have I forfeited because I have
       returned to the gratification of my cravings of the flesh?
       Note:
           ‘Gratifying the desires of the flesh’ is not restricted to doing evil
            things; it also includes refusal to participate in what God desires
            of those who belong to Him (which includes, doing good works).

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for not giving Your Spirit
full control of my life. You know. and I know the things
that I have failed to give to You, and the fleshly desires
that have remained, or resurfaced, in my life. Forgive
me for choosing to lovingly obey You at one time, but
later opting to return to fulfilling my selfish desires.
Help me to intentionally focus on doing the good works
You prepared in advance for me to accomplish. Teach
me to guard my curiosity, so I will be in less danger of
allowing Satan to ‘worm’ his control into my life.”

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