enemy of God – Praying Pint

43.c. “Wilderness” – 7.j. Sinai – “You shall not commit adultery.”

Exodus 20:14  “You shall not commit adultery.

Leviticus 18:20    And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.

Leviticus 20:10    “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Proverbs 7:18-27   Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.  For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey;  he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.”  With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.  All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast  till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.  And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.  Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths,  for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.  Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

Jeremiah 5:8-9   They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.  Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?

Malachi 3:5   “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 5:27-28  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Ephesians 5:3  But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Hebrews 13:4  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

James 4:4   You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Clearly, the act itself is condemned. God allows no justification for the ways that many often seek to justify extra-marital sex. It is not to be done, and when it is done it is sin and it damages. The New Testament clearly condemns adultery: Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication uncleanness, licentiousness (Galatians 5:19). The act is condemned, but not only the act itself. More than the act itself, Jesus carefully explained the heart of this commandment. It prohibits us from looking at a woman to lust for her, where we commit adultery in our heart or mind, yet may not have the courage or opportunity to do the act (Matthew 5:27-30). We aren’t innocent just because we didn’t have the opportunity to sin the way we really want to. (GUZIK)

Next to the duty of respecting a man’s life is placed that of respecting his domestic peace and honour. Adultery is an invasion of the household, a destruction of the bond which unites the family, a dissolution of that contract which is the main basis of social order. It was forbidden by all civilised communities, and in uncivilised ones frequently punished with death. (Ellicott)

We should be as much afraid of that which defiles the body, as of that which destroys it. Whatever tends to pollute the imagination, or to raise the passions, falls under this law, as impure pictures, books, conversation, or any other like matters. (Henry)

Here is mentioned one kind of uncleanness, as being eminently sinful, and unjust, and pernicious to human society. But under this are comprehended and forbidden all other kinds of filthiness, as bestiality, sodomy, whoredom, fornication, &c., and all means, occasions, and appearances of them. (Poole)

Lust of the flesh will drive a person to sin, if not in body, surely in mind. Take a look at what is condoned in current movies, taught in schools, and easily popping up on social media. In the guise of putting a stamp of approval on movies, books, pictures, etc…. we call it “Adult Entertainment”. We even go so far as to ok it by stating a rating on public movies, “PG-13”, meaning the movie is acceptable to those 13 and older. Hollywood markets lust like it was a dessert to be desired and a very normal act that is to be satisfied. I heard someone say that they were training their mind not to lust by counting to 5 when they were looking/lusting after a beautiful girl/woman and then they would discard it from their mind. Have you ever held your hand in a flame for 5 seconds without getting burned severely? It is far better to discern and discard the thought before 1/2 of a second.

Pornography will harm the heart, mind, and soul. It seems as though it is “OK” because it is called “Soft Porn”. We hear men say they are just looking through the window as if to admire the goods but have no intention of a purchase. This too allows lust to take root and fantasies abound.

We even tolerate the lust of same-sex. We don’t call it out as a sin but rather call it out as an “Alternative Lifestyle”. It is to be tolerated and approved and allowed to go on unchallenged.

Fleshly lusts can be defeated when your heart and mind are fixed on God’s Word with an unyielding desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all you think, say, and do.

42.w. “Wilderness” – 7.e. Sinai – You Shall not bow down

Exodus 20:5  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Joshua 23:7   that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them

Joshua 23:16    if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

Judges 2:19   But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

2 Kings 17:35    The LORD made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them,

Numbers 14:18    ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’

Job 21:19    You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’ Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.

Isaiah 65:6-7    Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap  both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.”

Jeremiah 2:9   “Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children’s children I will contend.

Jeremiah 32:18     You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts,

Romans 8:7     For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

John 15:23-24    Whoever hates me hates my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

Thou shall not bow down thyself to them,…. Perform any worship to them, show any reverence of them by any gesture of the body; one being mentioned, bowing the body, and put for all others, as prostration of it to the earth, bending the knee, kissing the hand, lifting up of hands or eyes to them, or by any outward action expressing a religious esteem of them, as if there was divinity in them: nor serve them; in a religious manner, internally or externally, by offering sacrifice and burning incense to them; by praying to, or praising of them; by expressing love to them, faith and trust in them, hope and expectation of good things from them, and the like. The reason of this second command, relating to the making and worshipping of images, next follows:

for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God; jealous of his own honour and glory, and will not give it to another; even to graven images, nor suffer it to be given to them without resenting it; and jealousy is fierce and cruel, and breaks forth into great wrath, and issues in dreadful scenes oftentimes among men. (Gill)

If God is first in our lives there should be no room for other things to which we serve, honor, and give reverence. No room should be given to make something more reverent than God. We should not allow something to take place of God or the honor and glory due Him alone. We may not make images of gold, silver, or wood and place them in our homes and take time to worship the form or bow down to it, but in essence, we do allow things to become an idol of sorts. Take a look at where your TV is placed and how much time it is given. It may not be an idol, but certainly, it is given more time and reverence than God. How would your lives be different if there was no TV being watched, no internet to surf, and no iPhone available? I would like to think there would be more time for God’s Word, more time for reverence to Him, more time to communicate face to face, and much less being told what to think, how to act, and what to say by the narratives being spewed out day by day, minute by minute. Do we not discern that these narratives proclaim what is contrary to God and things of God? Do we not understand that what we take in will have an effect on our hearts and minds?

What would our lives be like if we studied God’s Word in equal amounts of time that we spend on social media, yet alone watching TV? How much time would we have to meditate on God’s Word and the things of God? Would we live differently, think differently, and speak differently?

Obviously, we all know the answer to this, but are we/you willing to intentionally choose to live life differently than how the world indicates you should? Try it for a week – no TV, social media time reading, or posts on computers or phones or iPads, in the home or away from home. Try using this time for reading, communicating, and discerning things of God. I think there may be a big change in your thought pattern, speech, and actions.

Do not bow down to what this world has to offer. Give God the reverence, honor, and glory through how you spend your time.

32.u. “So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace”

Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Luke 11:29-30   When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.  For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Ezekiel 16:51-52   Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed.  Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

Jesus condemned them for seeking after a sign, especially when countless signs had already happened before their eyes. It is easy to overestimate the power of miraculous signs to change the heart of doubters and skeptics. (Guzik)

Every believer displays a miraculous sign. They are born again. They are a new creation. They are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This miracle certainly ought to be seen and witnessed in the lives of every believer. Why else would Paul say “to be ready to give an answer to anyone who, when they see the hope in you ask where is it from.”

Jonah spent three days in the belly of a great fish – certainly, he died but after 3 days he was spit up onto shore alive. Jonah was a sign to Nineveh and they recognized it. The Queen of Sheba recognized the wisdom God gave Solomon. The central point to be sure in this is; “you are asking for a sign – I am God’s sign – and you have failed to recognize Me”. because of this they will, as an example, rise up in judgment against you. Simply put, Nineveh had lesser signs shining in their presence (it was the Word of God spoken by Jonah) and repented. Greater will be the judgment on those who have been given greater signs – the presence of the Son of God doing signs and wonders daily in your presence. This rejection by the religious leaders is indefensible.

Think about this; Jonah preached for 40 days – Jesus preached for several years. Jonah preached but displayed no miracles – Jesus preached and did miracles, signs, and wonders often. The people of Nineveh repented – the religious leaders rejected a much great witness.

The Word of God has never been so available as it is right now. There is no excuse for not knowing how to find it. There is no excuse for being too busy to find the time to go get your bible – it is in your pocket via your phone. There are hundreds of apps available to help study the bible and hundreds of thousands of resources available with just a click on your screen. There is no excuse for neglecting it. I wonder if it could be said that these religious leaders efforts will stand in judgment against those who are too busy to take time in God’s Word, too busy to meditate on it, too busy to have little to no application in their lives, too busy to hear what quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit’s leading, too busy to pray, too busy in worship, too busy to help others, too busy to give, too busy to be kind, too busy to praise Jesus, too busy to ……

We should be very mindful of how we spend our time in light of the abundance and availability of God’s Word in our lives. Anytime idleness and busyness are allowed into our lives, Jesus Christ will never be honored and glorified.

29.c. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

1 Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Ephesians 2:1-2   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 8:7-8    For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 5:9-10   Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Belonging to the race of Adam, we are born alienated from God. Then as individuals, we each choose to accept and embrace that alienation with our wicked works. God’s answer to the problem of alienation is reconciliation, initiated by His work on the cross (reconciled in the body of His flesh through death). In the work of reconciliation, God didn’t meet us halfway. God meets us all the way and invites us to accept it. This means that in Jesus we are no longer alienated. The difference between a believer and a non-believer isn’t merely forgiveness; there is a complete change of status. The desire to be saved means a desire to be made holy, blameless, and above reproach, not merely a desire to escape the fires of hell on our own terms. There ought to be a transformative change in us. Something that is continually cultivated, nurtured, and persevered in. There ought to be a continual working, a persistence, in our desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we say, think, and do. Be steadfast and do not allow any worldly or fleshly desires move your feet down paths where Jesus Christ is not honored or glorified. This transformative life never stops being transformed. We continual to grow in our understanding and knowledge of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ if that is truly the desire of our heart, mind, and soul.

27.c. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance”

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:11    And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Timothy 4:10    For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

James 4:4     You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17    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.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Isaiah 30:1    “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;

1 John 5:4   For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 Peter 1:14   As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

John 8:44   You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 5:19   We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

1 John 3:10    By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil

Though, as Christians, we are now alive, we must never forget where we came from. We were dead in trespasses and sins. There are many kinds of life: vegetable life, animal life, mental life, moral life, and spiritual life. A being might be alive in one sense but dead in another. To be spiritually dead does not mean that we are physically dead, socially dead, or psychologically dead. Yet it is a real death, a “dead death” nonetheless. “The most vital part of man’s personality – the spirit – is dead to the most important factor in life – God.” (Wood) “Not in a moral sense, nor a mental sense, but in a spiritual sense, poor humanity is dead, and so the word of God, again and again, most positively describes it.” (Spurgeon) We err if we think that dead in trespasses and sins says everything about man’s lost condition. It is an err because the Bible uses many different pictures to describe the state of the unsaved man, saying he is: Blind, A slave to sin, A lover of darkness, Sick, Lost, An alien, A stranger, A foreigner, A child of wrath, and Under the power of darkness.

Every single person was born out of and into sin. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Everyone ever born has been born into sin. Through birth, we have were born into death and destruction and if God’s righteousness was a line we not only have crossed it, but we continually challenge its boundaries. We are born on the other side of God’s perfect, holy, and righteous standards through our sinful birth. We lived in sin, we embraced it and did not even give it a second thought. We followed after the course of this world and the prince of lies, Satan. We followed after it and sought it and its pleasures, wants, and desires. Granted we were born into sin, inherited from Adam, but Satan adds to this sinful nature the temptations and influences through deception and lies to do even more ungodliness. He influences and convinces us that pride, self-worth, self-centeredness, self-reliance, lust, worldly satisfaction, worldly pleasures, and immoral things are not only right but through them, we will gain purpose and meaning in life. Such is the life of the “dead in their sin” mankind. Those born again must never forget where they came from. Those who are made alive must remember that we were very comfortable in this old life just as a dead person would be comfortable in a coffin. We are alive in Christ and there ought to be a strong urge to escape the confines of the coffin and leave it behind. We used to respond to Satan’s temptations, influence, and guidance. We ought to be growing and maturing in things of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives. We ought to be able to discern the things of God and the lies of Satan.

One of Satan’s lies is that he would have us believe that all are children of God, hell is only reserved for really bad people, and as children of God, all good people go to heaven, confusing what it means to be a child of God. In one sense we are, He is our common creator. Satan will throw clouds of doubt over the need to be born again, the need for Jesus Christ, the coming judgment, heaven, and hell. There ought to be a big difference, a change, a new way of thinking, living, and doing when we are born again. The problem is we are continually tempted to choose the worldly and fleshly over the things of God. We choose to seek what the world has to offer more than desiring to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

Another of his lies is that there is no God and all there is to life is what we take from it. We live, we die, the end. Believing in either one of these lies has eternal consequences, eternal hell. We are to remember this is not only how we once lived, but this is what we have been saved from through the grace and mercy of God. What manner of person ought we to be in light of this?

26.e. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Acts 4:19-20    But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,  for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

1 Thessalonians 2:4    but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10     So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Ephesians 6:6   not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

“There have always been preachers who have sought popular acclaim above all else, and there are some still. It is part of fallen human nature that even those charged with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel can fall into the trap of trying to be popular rather than faithful.” (Morris)

Being faithful with the gospel of Jesus Christ means we do not add to it or take away from it. The same is true of God’s Word. People pleasers give lip service and head nods toward things of God but their heart is in being joined with the world in a way that does not honor and glorify God. The gospel of Jesus Christ can not be separated from heaven and hell, righteousness and sin, forgiveness and guilty, and Judgment. How can a person know of the need for Jesus Christ without an understanding of these? To water down the need is to obscure the greatness of grace, love, and mercy Jesus Christ gave when He sacrificed Himself for sinners. God’s Word is clear in regards to man’s separation from Him due to sin. “All have sinned and fall short” – Sin is and will be judged by God – Eternity awaits us all – Heaven and Hell – Eternity in heaven is a promise of God just as eternity in hell. I can think of no other scripture that is as clear as what is written in the Gospel of John. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” There is no other way by which a man can be saved. There is no way to be good enough or do good enough things to be right before the holiness of God. It is only when there is a humble surrender of all self-reliance and complete reliance, trust, faith, and belief in and through Jesus Christ will any person be saved from eternal hell. God has given mankind free choice to choose between self and Christ, heaven and hell, forgiveness and guilt. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the absolute need should never be diluted or obscured. Wide is the road that leads to Hell and narrow is the path to Heaven. Never let it be accounted to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ was diluted or obscured in any way.

25.l. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

Nehemiah 13:23-26   In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.  And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.  And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.

Psalms 106:35     but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.

Proverbs 22:24  Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

1 Corinthians 15:33    Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

1 Corinthians 10:21    You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

James 4:4     You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Proverbs 29:27   An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Ephesians 5: 6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them;  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Paul is speaking to the overly broad affections of the Corinthian Christians. They had joined themselves to unbelievers.

Unequally yoked – How can we do this? Certainly by marrying an unbeliever, which is the most common way this principle is applied. “A very wise and very holy man was given his judgment on this point: ‘A man who is truly pious, marrying with an unconverted woman, will either draw back to perdition, or have a cross during life.’ The same may be said of a pious woman marrying an unconverted man. Such persons cannot say this petition of the Lord’s prayer, Lead us not into temptation. They plunge into it of their own accord.” (Clarke)

However, Paul means much more here than only marrying an unbeliever. It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we join together with unbelievers in an ungodly way.

This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn’t be in the ship. If the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this unequal yoke, or ungodly influence, may come through a book, a movie, a television show, a magazine, or even through worldly Christian friends. Most Christians are far too indiscriminate about the things they allow to influence their minds and lives. We all like to believe that we can be around ungodly things as much as we want and that we are strong enough to ward off the influence. But we must take seriously the words of Scripture: Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33). It needs to come back to the simple question from Romans 12:2: Are we being conformed to this world, or are we being transformed by the renewing of your mind?

16. “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

John 7:6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 4:5    They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

Proverbs 15:12     A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.

Romans 8:7     For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

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.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Acts 7:54   “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

“I testify about it that its works are evil.” “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” “They are from the world.” “The mindset on the flesh is hostile to God.” “Do not love the world.” “Do not love things of the world.” “You stiff-necked people.” I am not sure I have ever seen the division, anger, fear, and hatred that is around us today. Surely it points to the condition of the heart of mankind without Jesus Christ in their lives. Boasting, looting, rioting, lying, causing fear, anger, and division are clearly coming from the abundance of what is filling their hearts. The love of God is not there but rather a love of self, self-centered, self-interests, self-reliance, self-power, self-worth, self-love, pride, greed, and arrogance. They harden their heart into stone and close their ears to His calling. They shake their mental fist at God, mocking the Creator, Savior, and coming again King of kings. When they harden their hearts and stiffen their necks against God there is no limit to what sin they can commit. Think about it. Abortion is called, “Pro-choice”. Pornography is called, “adult entertainment”. LGBTQ is called, “alternative lifestyle”. Breaking a contract for the sole purpose of making money is called, “shrewd businessman”. Lying in business is called, “manipulating the truth”. Hate and violence are called, “justified”. The list can go on and on. Sin is no longer recognized as sin. We can look at this list and say these are all sins against a child, person, business, or group of people. The fact is these are not sins against man but against Jesus Christ himself. When we sin it is not against man. We sin against God. We may harm man but we sin against God. We may wrong a person but we sin against God. When God is removed from our hearts and mind, there is no thought of sinning against God. Even as Christians we fall into a false thought that our sin is against a person rather than the one and only Holy God.

We must have a proper understanding of “Sin”, or our lives will become more and more like the world’s view of it.

2.h. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God,

2 Chronicles 19:1 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”

Proverbs 1:10-19    My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

Romans 1:32     Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Ephesians 5:11    Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

John 15:18     “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Romans 8:7    For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

James 4:4     You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

How can we tell if we are doing things that seem right in our eyes and miss doing what is right in God’s eyes? How can we know we are not chasing after that which is worldly? How easy is it to be swayed by others to do that which is not God honoring? How can we become aware of our natural want to be worldly and worldly seeking in comparison to God honoring, God following, God glorifying, God trusting, and God obeying?

Becoming aware of self and self-seeking, self satisfying, and self-reliance seeds with in our heart and mind can only be made apparent by and through the word of God. The more time we spend in His word the more we grow and mature in what it means to deny self and humbly serve, honor, follow, trust, obey, and rely on Jesus Christ. It is more than just more time. It is an intentional choice deep within our heart, mind, and soul. It is a longing and desire to know the depth, width, and length of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ. It is a refreshing each day watering and feeding our very being. It is where we grow to find peace in turmoil, strength in weakness, power in powerlessness, clarity in confusion, hope in trials and troubles, and courage to face the overwhelming.

If you find yourself stagnate and complacent. Look at what you long for each day. Look at that which occupies your mind and where you spend your time. If the want, need, and desire to have God’s word active in every moment of every day then repenting and turning away from being neglectful, complacent, and not seeking Jesus with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength must take place or there will be no grow, no victory, no purpose, no satisfaction, and no communion withJesus Christ. Confess it and turn away from it. Run to Jesus like you are being chased by the gates of hell on your heels. Run to Him like a demon is chasing your soul. Run to Him like Satan is about to take you as his own. Run to Him like you are about to be left behind!! Run to Him like as if this is your last chance to do what is right in His eyes. Run to Him with a desire to never let go, never displease, never forget, and never be self-seeking, self satisfying, self-reliant, and self-centered.

In His presence at all times will we find that which our heart, soul, and mind, will find purpose and satisfaction for each moment of every day and for eternity.

They believed His words

“Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.”

“with minds set on earthly things.”

John 6:26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Psalms 106:12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;

Ezekiel 33:31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Romans 16:18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,

Philippians 2:21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 6:5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

How many times do we act this same way? “Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel” Where we do not wait for His leading. Where our ears are not listening for His guidance. Where our heart is set on me, myself, and I. When the people asked Jesus what works must we do to be doing the work of God, He said believe in whom He sent. But there is more to “believing” than a thought process in our brain. This belief changes us, or should. Scripture today speaks of many who believed but their belief was not heart and soul deep. God said to love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind. Give God all your heart, soul and mind. Spend time in His word. Learn of Him and how to serve Him. Love Him more than things of this world. Learn to give. Learn to love, learn to serve, learn to make disciples, learn to give, learn to hope, learn to grow faith, learn for His wisdom. Spend time in His word. Through believing these actions become evidenced; humble service, God honoring, following faithfully, obeying completely, listening fully, waiting patiently, giving generously, praising and thanking continually.