HONORED
Have you ever blatantly disobeyed your parents? Perhaps you did not care for a rule that was established and wanted to challenge their system. Maybe you desired to see how far one can go like many kids do. But when it comes to testing boundaries on a God-based relationship, the consequences are dire indeed.
Unfortunately, I fall into both categories of people - I have deliberately disobeyed my parents and I have deliberately disobeyed God. The specific reasons do not matter, the fact is the reasons are always selfish.
Genesis 3:6 says,
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Unfortunately, I fall into both categories of people - I have deliberately disobeyed my parents and I have deliberately disobeyed God. The specific reasons do not matter, the fact is the reasons are always selfish.
Genesis 3:6 says,
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Notice that the woman "saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food". The word "saw" here deals with reasoning. The next part of the sentence relates to vision when Eve observes "the fruit...was..pleasing to the eye." Eve reasoned or thought about the words the serpent had spoken. The devil had earlier said to her about taking the fruit -
"You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3:4-5)
"You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3:4-5)
She concluded from the serpent's remarks that the fruit on the tree -
- had benefit for her body,
- was pleasing to her flesh (her eyes) and
- was desirable for special wisdom -
Just as Eve reasoned away her disobedience by making the fruit beneficial and pleasing for herself, I too have done the same kind of procedure with some of my failings - I found a way to justify sin. Isaiah 5:20 warns us about this kind of thinking and lifestyle, he says - "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,..."
Why any of us, me included, feel like we have to sow our wild oats and have a rebellious season in our lives - I will never know. Perhaps this is a cultural, societal, genetic seed that has been planted long ago. Some of us, like myself, have not had this wild oats season, but have had pot-holes of disobedience scattered throughout their lives.
We come into this world selfish and remain self-centered until we allow God to transform our thinking (Romans 12:3) and create in us a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) with Him at the center as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Whenever we listen to deceptive voices, attempting to twist God's Word so that sin is attractive enough for our disobedience, we substitute what God intended for our lives with our own selfish ambitions. Could you imagine the intentions God had IF Eve and Adam had not listened to the serpent, had not disobeyed God and had not eaten the forbidden fruit? A perfect relationship and a perfect world would be here.
However, even as a new creature in Christ we still have outside impressions or influences toward disobedience that we need to run far from. Let us dive into God's Word and seek out His promises for whatever He has for us or desires to communicate to us. Let us honor our relationship with God and His Plan for us.
Let us not, for whatever reason, replace God's goodness, mercy and favor in our lives with even a pothole of our own justified sin. His relationship, instructions, will and Word in our lives are what desperately need to be Honored.
We come into this world selfish and remain self-centered until we allow God to transform our thinking (Romans 12:3) and create in us a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) with Him at the center as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Whenever we listen to deceptive voices, attempting to twist God's Word so that sin is attractive enough for our disobedience, we substitute what God intended for our lives with our own selfish ambitions. Could you imagine the intentions God had IF Eve and Adam had not listened to the serpent, had not disobeyed God and had not eaten the forbidden fruit? A perfect relationship and a perfect world would be here.
However, even as a new creature in Christ we still have outside impressions or influences toward disobedience that we need to run far from. Let us dive into God's Word and seek out His promises for whatever He has for us or desires to communicate to us. Let us honor our relationship with God and His Plan for us.
Let us not, for whatever reason, replace God's goodness, mercy and favor in our lives with even a pothole of our own justified sin. His relationship, instructions, will and Word in our lives are what desperately need to be Honored.
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