Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16 KJV)Telling the truth bought Paul a lot of enemies. Powerful enemies that eventually engineered his death. From Genesis we read of enmity between God’s creation and the cursed one.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15 KJV)
We give thanks to God that through Jesus Christ we are no longer at enmity with Him.
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:16 KJV)
Our flesh still has desires, though, and the world seeks our friendship.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4 KJV)
So, what do we have to do in order to be God’s friend?
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:7-8 KJV)
That “double minded” comes from a word meaning ‘two spirited’ or vacillating – wanting two things that are diametrically opposed, bouncing back and forth between them. Liking the idea of a Christian life, but enjoying worldly pleasures that cannot be reconciled with God’s word.
How can I be certain of that? Because that’s me, too.
Won't it be great, when that day comes that we won't have to fight this flesh and then we can truly worship God with our whole heart! None of like to hear the truth about ourselves, no matter who it comes from. But done the right way, it helps us.
ReplyDeleteYes praise God it will be great when we get our glorified bodies and have perfect peace in him, with no sin no flesh and no devil, What a wonderful day that will be.
ReplyDeleteBe Blessed, Barbara