SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/18/2018 10:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-7
“Salvation is from Sin”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
2:1-3
Message of the verses: “1 And you were
dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked
according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all
formerly lived in the
lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
“1 Once you were dead because of your
disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest
of the world, obeying the devil — the commander of the powers in the
unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to
obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires
and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to
God’s anger, just like everyone else” (NLT).
As
mentioned in our last SD it is my desire to finish this section of Ephesians
chapter 2:1-3. We begin this SD by
looking at the word lusts in the Greek “Epithumia”
is the word and it refers to strong inclinations and desires of every sort, not
simply sexual lust. “Thelema) is the Greek word for “desires”
and this emphasizes a strong willfulness, wanting and seeking something with
great diligence. I would suppose that
this could be in a good way or in a bad way.
If my desire is to study and understand the Word of God, then that would
be a good desire, but if my desire was to rob a bank then that would be a bad
desire. MacArthur adds that “As
trespasses and sins, lusts and desires are not given to show their
distinctiveness but their commonness.
They are used synonymously to represent fallen man’s complete
orientation to his own selfish way. By
nature he is driven to fulfill the lusts and desires of his sinful flesh
and…mind. The flesh (sarx) refers to the dissipation of life
that comes when one is abandoned to doing whatever feels good. The mind (dianoia)
indicates the deliberate choices that defy the will of God.”
When
Jesus died on the cross He defeated the world, the flesh, and the devil, and
these are fallen man’s three great arenas where he is in a losing battle with
these spiritual enemies-yet they are enemies with whom, by nature, he is now
allied. John speaks of this in 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is
not from the Father, but is from the world.”
MacArthur writes “Rather than all men being children of God, as most of
the world likes to think, those
who have not received salvation through Jesus Christ are by nature
children of wrath (cf. John 3:18) ‘"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not
believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.’ Apart from
reconciliation through Christ, every person by nature (through human birth) is
the object of God’s wrath, his eternal judgment and condemnation. They are characterized most accurately not
only as ‘sons of disobedience’ but consequently as ‘children of wrath’—objects
of God’s condemning judgment.”
Now
for the good news and that is for all who have been born from above as Paul is
speaking of what we once were before we came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as
our Savior. Because of Christ’s past
work of this great salvation that is in us as believers we are presently and
eternally under His love and delivered from the natural human condition of
death, sin, alienation, disobedience, demon control and divine judgment. When Jesus Christ died on the cross He died
the death that we as believers should have died, but because of God’s great
love, and grace when a believer dies it is called sleep in God’s Word.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I realize that this section has been long,
perhaps the longest that I have ever written about but I am thankful that I
have a better understanding of what I was before I came to be a believer in
Jesus Christ, and even more thankful that I am not that person anymore. I am not perfect, but I am perfect in the
eyes of God because I am in Christ.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord will continue to work in
my life as He has promised so that my life will be a life that is pleasing to
the Lord.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Incurred boils from head to
toe” (Job. 2:7).
Today’s Bible question: “What grew into a great tree so that birds
swayed in its branches?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/18/2018 10:59 AM
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