Scripture: Ephesians 2:3 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 and Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Observation: God created us, we don't always do what we're supposed to, but He forgives us and loves us anyway.
Application: Song of Solomon speaks intimately about love and sex as God intended it. The passion that a husband and wife have for each other is God designed because the Bibles says "For we are his workmanship". He created us as male and female. He designed sex and intimacy to bond men and women to each other in a physical and emotional way. However, even the workmanship of God becomes flawed when people are given free will to choose and live out choices that are not part of God's plan. We live in a society that preaches and encourages people to "live in the passions of our flesh, carry out the desires of the body and the mind". Casual sex is promoted on tv, magazine covers, and expected among teens. Pornography, explicit movies, and raunchy song lyrics have leaked into mainstream acceptance and the widespread use of the internet means that access to vehicles to carry out the desires of the mind are never more than a few keystrokes and clicks away.
However, we are not doomed. Despite society pressure to belittle the effects of casual sex, growing acceptance and glorification of porn, and movies and advertising pushing the line of lewd behaviour we have redemption. All the good works and avoidance of the bad stuff are never enough to save us. We need more. God offers us the gift of a new start. Even if we have dabbled into the desires of the body and mind and lost our way we are not lost forever. When we accept God's gift of salvation we receive, by faith, his grace allows us a clean slate. Ephesians 2: 10 says: We are "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We "should" follow the plans God set for us. We "should". But so often we don't. Thank goodness for God's mercy and grace to renew us and set us back on the right path when we fail.
Prayer: Dear Lord, How amazing are our bodies which you created? The desire of a husband and wife for each other unites them physically but also emotionally in a way that cannot be by accident. Lord, we have taken something sacred and made it unholy. The beauty of sex has been marred by the commonness of it. It has become no longer sacred but ordinary or twisted and splashed over every billboard, movie, and magazine. Help us to recognize this. Let us not become immune to society's desire to make sex nothing more than an act to satisfy the flesh. And when we don't walk in the ways we should and we sin with our bodies or our minds, bring it to our conscience and may that lead to repentance. Amen.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: 1 Samuel 1-3; Ephesians 3
2 comments:
After we accept that "new start" that God freely offers, we need to continually be looking to Him for help to avoid falling into sin's traps, which are easily found. I pray this for myself and my wife, as well as for our children.
"not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:9
This verse reminds me that this is all God. Too often I find myself taking credit for something that God has equipped me with the gift or talent to do. It's not me, it's Him! It's the same for our salvation. Yes, we accept His gift, but we can't accept something that isn't already being offered or present.
Today, I want to thank Christ for this gift! Happy thanksgiving all!
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