Temporary Residents, part 1
Foreign Policy
DEAR FRIENDS,
I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners in this world to keep away from worldly desires and fleshly lusts that wage war against your souls…. 1 Peter 2:11-25
TV & magazine ads tell us to “INDULGE. YOU DESERVE IT.”
BUT SERIOUSLY. Can a sincere ambassador of Christ afford to make room for sensual urges? If not, then how do we shield our minds and hearts from what our culture declares is fun and “fulfilling”? I’ve been told by some, “Ahh, that’s just the culture; it doesn’t affect me in a bad way. Don’t be a prude.”
LUST (a neutral word):
• A passionate or overmastering desire or craving for ______ (fill in the blank)
• An ardent enthusiasm, zest; relish for ______
A lust for the Spirit of God is a healthy desire
A lust for money . . . obviously not
(For clarification, here’s a brief list of what God’s word describes as ‘lusts & desires’ Galatians 5)
GOD NEVER intended me to use my freedom in Christ to justify living life however I durn well please, selfishly and as though I am above the law and stronger than temptation. verse 16
GOD’S INTENTION. He freed me so I could walk in the opposite spirit of the world verse 17:
♥ LOVE my brothers and sisters in Christ — family matters to an ambassador
♥ FEAR God — ambassadors don’t fear what ‘friends’ and coworkers might think of them
♥ HONOR the president — that doesn’t mean I agree. God judges both of us justly
♥ HONOR all people (Oh, but even when they’re undeserving? Undeserving according to who?)
For God is kind to the unthankful and evil. Luke 6
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BUT SERIOUSLY, ISN’T THIS ASKING TOO MUCH OF US?
(…and is Luke 6:35 implying that I’m unthankful?)
CAN’T I CLAIM IGNORANCE?
THE BLAMELESS Son of God, the 1st Ambassador of sorts, modeled how to love God and love people. So we have no excuse.
HE WHO committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth demonstrated how to live in this depraved, corrupt world.
HE INITIATED the relationship between Heaven and earth, AND He will faithfully develop the work He started, perfecting it and bringing it to completion in you and me. Philippians 1:6
Stay tuned next week for part 2 . . .
God wrote the Master Blueprint on our Hearts Heb 10:16.
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can learn to live it Ezek 36:27.
