Romans 6:15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
Have you ever felt as if the joy of the Lord has escaped you? Maybe it is because your choices have been in line with worldly influences of your sinful nature. Maybe you need to take a look at your way of life and the choices you make. If you are influenced more by your self-worth and selfish wants than you are by the Word of God then you will find pride, anger, hate, envy, greed, and lack of God-honoring self-control. There are choices every day. You know the Holy Spirit is leading you to be kind, loving, forgiving, and helping (Jesus Honoring) but for some reason, you choose to reject this leading and make choices that serve your sinful self-centered heart. If you don’t follow and listen to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit then you follow the lies of Satan put into your heart. Instead of the love of the Lord being nurtured in you and the fruit of the Spirit showing in your life, your life will reflect that which is to have been put to death – your sinful nature. Yielding to sinful nature is the way of the world and those who are not saved. Your life and how you react in thoughts, acts, and words will reflect who you honor. Is it your sinful nature (Satan) or is it Jesus Christ? Have you ever found peace and joy deep within your heart when you follow worldly passions, lusts, desires, and wants? You may have been wronged, misunderstood, hurt, lied to, and been on the receiving end of anger. The world would say you have every right to retaliate, get even, stand your ground, demand apology, and treat them in the same way you have been treated. Though you may have followed this course of action seeking some sort of satisfaction, peace, or happiness it never seems to last. In the end, there is a void within your heart. This void can be filled with more and more worldly lead passions and wants or it can be filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit and Love of Jesus Christ. You will become a slave to the master who is filling your heart. How many friendships are broken, families separated, husbands and wives divorced, churches split, business partners parted, etc…….? All because there is no room in their heart for the Love of Jesus Christ. I have always wondered how this void in the heart happens. I have come to the conclusion that neglect of God’s Word, complacency in its application, and a lack of remembrance of the great price that was paid by Jesus Christ for our salvation all will leave pockets of void within our heart. These voids do not remain void. They are filled with Satan and worldly lies or by the Holy Spirit and God’s truth.
