“Our Daily Bread”   

http://odb.org/2012/09/20/words-in-space/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

1 Peter 4:1-2… Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  (NKJV)

If you are a Christian, you are called to try and live just as Jesus lived…  Granted, Jesus lived a sinless life…and our lives will always have to deal with sin; though sin should become less and less of a problem for the Christian who is living their life for the Lord, and growing closer to Him in sanctification…

Once God graces the sinner with the pure free gift of salvation…their life from that point on should be totally changed… When they become a child of God, their citizenship is now in heaven (Philippians 3:20)… Gone should be the earthly desire to live “in the flesh for the lusts of men”, like the apostle Peter tells us in the opening scripture… A new Christian’s goal should immediately become trying to live in “the will of God”…  

Perhaps the best description for those that are not Christians, is given by the apostle John; as he tells believers what they are to stay away from, in…1 John 2:15-16…  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  (NKJV)

The apostle Paul gives us a list of sins in the following scripture, which Christians are to have put behind them… I know I was guilty of just about all of them before I became a Christian; all except for fornication…

Colossians 3:3-11…  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. ⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. ⁸ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.  (NKJV)

Actually I was  guilty of “fornication” as well; if you understand what Jesus tells us in this scripture…Matthew 5:28…  ^“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  (NKJV)

Some of these sins are so commonplace, likeanger, filthy language, wrath, lie to one another…and don’t get me started on excessive drinking (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 & Ephesians 5:18& Romans 13:13) and partying…

This scripture verse comes just after the opening scripture…1 Peter 4:3… For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.  (NKJV) 

Jesus’ instructions for Christians is this, in…John 14:15-17… “If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”  (NKJV)

As Christians, we cannot say that we love the Lord on Sunday; and then continue in many of these sins that are listed from God’s Word… If we are guilty of this, then we cannot be living for Christ with the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of truth”, controlling our lives…  It’s just that simple…  We either walk with the Lord, being righteous in His sight; or we live with shameful un-confessed sins, for which the apostle John gives the Christian a piece of scripture to correct, in…1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word would convict those that have professed to be Christians, and are not living for You…that their lives need to change in order to be living in Your will and Your ways…  I pray that hearts and minds will become focused on what is really important for every Christian… To live a live that will be pleasing in Your sight in order to glorify Your name through our actions and our speech…  I pray that we can all become Spirit filled Christians, worthy of our calling…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills