[To receive the most benefit from this study, please begin at Part 1 which can be selected from the menu to the right.]
Under Cover of Darkness
"For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:16-20)
We know from the earlier passages in the Gospel of John that the "light" was Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1-14). This passage above has great bearing on our study because it gives us some key insight into what it is that causes mankind, even some who are believers, to continue in weakness, never displaying the power of God in their lives. The key is seen in the last six words of the passage above: "lest his deeds should be reproved." This speaks again to us of PRIDE (fear of reproval), and that all deeds hidden in darkness are SIN.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (I John 2:15-17)
As "born-again" believers, created new by the power of God, we can no longer derive any nourishment from the flesh. We can only be fed and grow when our nourishment comes from the Spirit of God to our spirit, for we are to be alive in the spirit and dead to the flesh ( Romans, chapter 6). Those who live by the flesh rather than the Spirit, are called "carnal" in the Bible. I think this word is related to "carnivorous" and rightly so, as these Christians are being "fed" by the flesh, rather than by the Word of God.
"Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline our ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live…." (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Self-sufficiency and independence, born of PRIDE, prevents us from coming to get that which is freely given. In order for us to come and to receive, we must step into the light. We must place ourselves into a position of exposed vulnerability. What has been hidden in darkness, must be brought into the light.
But we know that the things hidden in darkness, once brought into the light, will show the world that we have been "liars," that we are not as "spiritual" as we appear to be. Even in our deception, we know that God see these lies, but that is not important to fleshly Christians. What IS important to those full of the pride of life and the lusts of the flesh is what MAN thinks of us, not GOD. For the PRIDE of our flesh rules us. And we desire greatly to be seen, to be known, to have a reputation. Unlike Jesus, who was of no reputation.
Yet there is no healing for us until we become vulnerable and exposed to the light. If we do not willingly expose our sin, it will be exposed at another time, bringing only shame to the name of Jesus Christ. And we fool ourselves if we think that the truth won't be known.
The Bible tells us that the works of the flesh are manifest, in other words, clearly seen:
"Adultery, fornication (illicit sex), uncleanness (the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living), lasciviousness (unbridled lust, excess, wantonness, insolence), idolatry (the worship of false gods), witchcraft (the use of or administering of drugs, poisoning, sorcery, magical arts), hatred (enmity), variance (contention, strife, debate), emulations (rivalries, jealousies), wrath (rage), strife (a desire to put one's self forward), seditions (division), heresies (opinions varying from Christian doctrine), envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling (nocturnal feasts and drinking parties, carousing), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
I think gluttony would be classified under lasciviousness, along with any excessive behavior. Does that include excessive television watching? Excessive sports viewing? Excessive internet surfing? Excessive computer game playing? Excessive house cleaning? Excessive gardening? Excessive cooking? Excessive or unbridled talking? Excessive or unbridled spending?
You see, the things that are of the flesh, can, in and of themselves, not necessarily be evil. But they become evil when they consume us and our time, so that rather than "redeeming the time" as we are instructed to do, instead, our time (and life) is wasted. And all in doing what the flesh wants us to do, not God. James has something further to add to this:
"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (James 3:13-16)
Interesting that James tells us to show our works by our good conversation that is in meekness of wisdom. "Good conversation"….just the opposite from the carnal Christians who want to make sure everyone sees their "good works", and yet whose unrestrained tongues "bite and devour one another" (Galatians 5:15).
The thing is that these excesses within us, these envyings, these rivalries, these divisions, all the things that tell us our flesh is NOT submitted to the authority of God….ALL will continue to rule us, keeping us captive (we may think we are free to do what we want, but we are not free, we are slaves to the flesh)…until we humble ourselves, and bring them into the light of confession before one another. THEN and only THEN, will the Lord heal us of these bondages to the flesh. We MUST humble ourselves, we MUST confess to one another, and we MUST pray for one another. If we cannot bring ourselves to confess, and pray for one another, then we must acknowledge that we are bound….by pride. And we will find ourselves living in fear of judgment instead of in freedom and peace.
"If we say that we have fellowship with Him [God], and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (I John 1:6-10)
Tomorrow, part 6 of "Mighty through God": "Love of the World and Worldly Love."
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