Welcome Friends,
Before I start, I pray for open hearts. Let the Lord speak to you as well as myself as I need this
lesson repeated over and over in my own life on a daily basis.
Let us be truthful to ourselves and to the Lord while you read this as we cannot hide anything from God.
The Old Testament broke me down and now the New Testament is building me up.
How is a follower of the Lord supposed to act?
How is a follower of the Lord not supposed to act?
According to the bible- God’s word-what is sin?
sin can be defined by the term-living in the flesh meaning worldly desires.
What are worldly desires?
Galatian 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy,
outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, fractions, envying, drunkenness, carousing
I am sure this list will grow though out my study but for today,
I just want to focus on these specific sins, defining them and providing real-life examples.
I encourage that you do you own research and dig in deeper into each
of these wrongdoing and how they manifest in your own life in ways you haven’t noticed before.
Most importantly, seek God’s guidance in prayer, asking Him to expose any hidden sins within your heart,
so they can be brought to light and you can begin your own journey toward true repentance and a life transformed by Him
Immorality-
Definition – The misuse of the sacred gift of sexuality, showing no regard for God’s purpose and design.
Immorality isn’t limited to physical acts but also:
What we watch-use of our eyes-tv shows, movies that glorify sexuality, adultery,
What we listen to-use of our ears- songs on the radio
How we talk-flirtatious or seductive talk, sexual jokes and humor
What we wear-wearing clothing to provoke lust or draw inappropriate attention
Our thought- lustful thoughts or imagining sinful scenarios.
impurity–
Definition-intentional sin found in our actions, thoughts, or desires that go against God’s standards.
In other words- it is hiding in guilt. I am doing wrong, I know that I am doing wrong, I am willing to do wrong and I won’t to stop doing wrong.
This is definitely me with that sinful chocolate habit-I know I am on a diet, I know I shouldn’t be eating it,
so I hid it from my husband and secretly eat it.
Ok that is a bad example as chocolate is not a sin so you fill in the blank.
Sensuality-
Definition- shameless hunger, in pursuit of sinful pleasures, lack of self-control,
self-indulgence, deliberate choice to pursue physical or emotional gratification without regard for moral or spiritual boundaries
in today’s culture it can be seen as people walking around, they want what they want and
they are shameless about it
This could be-attention-seeking photos on social and not care about modesty, just wanting the
attention and approval of others.
Idolatry-
Definition- anything that comes between you and your intimate relationship with God.
Putting anything or anyone before God, elevating it to a position of greater importance than your relationship with Him.
This can include people, possessions, desires, hobbies that become the focus of your life rather than God.
An example for me was when I was selling adult drool bibs on etsy. It was my top priority above God.
I spend hours a day sewing and zero hours invested in the Lord.
sorcery – the Greek root is pharmakeia
The misuse of substances, spells, or practices to manipulate, deceive, control or engage
in ungodly activity showing a reliance on ungodly means instead of faith in God.
This could be recreational drugs, occult rituals, astrology, or witchcraft to gain power, insight, or healing apart from God.
enmities
Deep-seated hostility, hatred, or animosity, between people or directed toward God.
Destructive actions fueled by hatred,
-such as acts of violence within relationships as Cain’s hatred toward Abel, which led to murder
-protests that lead to riots and destruction of the town’s business’
-school bullying that leads to violence
strife
quarrels, lack of agreement, disputes, conflict, argumentative, combative,
-Provoking disputes and quarrels.
-an employee who deliberately stirs up conflict between coworkers, spreading rumors and exaggerating issues to create division.
Then this person will act as the “peacemaker” after causing the problem, hoping to gain favor with the boss or secure a promotion.
-sibling that manipulate situations to make themselves look better to gain favor from a parent
-using guilt or threats to get their way
jealousy
The sinful desire to possess what others have or to resent their blessings or success.
To want something that has not been granted to you.
-Comparing ourselves to others as-a belief that someone had it easier in life than you do
-A coworker gets a promotion, and instead of being happy for them, you become bitter and start gossiping
-You sees a friend’s vacation photos, new car, or happy family posts on social media. Instead of being happy for them, your thinking, “Why don’t I have that kind of life?
outburst of anger
boiling over, lost my temper-verbal or physical
-This could be a person that says ” its not my fault… you made me just so mad”
-Public argument with your servers at a restaurant or the cashier at the grocery store
-Costco won’t let me in without a membership so I am going to cause a scene.
-Parent/child outburst- ” just go to your room”
-spousal outburst, road rage, harsh emails,
Dispute
A disagreement or argument that involves conflicting views or interests
to assert your position or beliefs over another
-manipulating, twisting the truth, exaggerating for personal gain, your own selfish goal and agenda
-shaming a person to gain support from followers and disregarding fairness or truth.
– use deceit, twist family members words
-turn or manipulate family members against each other to get what they want, even if it means causing rifts that damage relationships.
Dissensions
To force a wedge between people, making them disagree with each other or see things differently.
People who intentionally stir up arguments, spread misinformation, or provoke others to create division.
Intentionally causing division for their own benefit.
-trolls on the internet-posting inflammatory or provocative comments to stir up arguments or conflict.
– a person within a group of close friends intentionally causes conflict by spreading gossip, twisting conversations, or lying about what was said behind each other’s backs simple to elevate their own statue or dominate the group.
-news media or influencers that exaggerate or being one sided to gain more followers at the expense of social unity
Faction
This is like the pharisees-somebody who undercut the argument of another.
-I would rather win the argument instead of understanding and working towards unity or resolution.
-mocking or discrediting to silence their voice and show superiority.
-To undermine each other’s decisions, trying to discredit one another in front of the rest of the family to take charge.
– focus on someone’s flaws or criticize
-spreading rumors to assert dominance
– one family member might discredit another family’s ideas or choices just to ensure their own choice is accepted and they get their way.
-undermine the relationship between spouses and their in-laws by making negative comments
-mock a person’s method of discipline over their children
Envying
Painful or resentful feeling of wanting what someone else has or wishing that they didn’t have it.
-when one sibling gets more financial support or receives more praise.
-when you see someone’s post on social media and feels like your own life is not measuring up.
-one who struggles to find stable employment vs one who has a well-paying job.
-one who takes lavish vacations or buy expensive gifts vs one who is struggling with bills or student loans
Carousing
Engaging in reckless or wild behavior, indulgence in pleasures.
-A person who spends their weekends partying, drinking heavily, and neglecting their responsibilities.
-Life is to short and I want as much as I can get right now, instant gratification without thinking
of the future.
-Living in a carefree way without concern for consequences.
What do all these words have in common?
my pleasure, my happiness, my satisfaction, my needs, my wants,
Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
This involves a daily commitment to deny our own worldly desires.
not weekly nor monthly nor whenever we please, but DAILY
Many times a day we need to be making that conscience choice to surrender
our selfish desires and sinful tendencies.
Many times a day we need to be consciencely aligning our actions, thoughts,
and choices and surrender to God’s will.
It is not ok to live a life of sin, we have been made anew and we should not abuse the grace God has given us.
We should not walk in sin as if it is nothing,
Reading and studying the bible needs to challenge us to live by the spirit of God.
If our life looks the same as it did when you first got saved, something is wrong
As for me…….
I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Something was wrong with my life.
My life did look the same as when I first got saved, there was very little change.
I thank God for shaking my life and waking me up.
I challenge you all as well with the same question:
Does your life look the same as when you first got saved?
Are you standing still
Are you comfortable in your life thinking- “I am fine right here, right where I am at”
Today is a great day to evaluate yourself
How fast do you run to the cross and repent when you know you blew it
Heaven Father
Please forgive me as I know deep down within my heart that
I am not being honest with myself or with You.
I understand that you’re not a God of condemnation to punish me but to refine me in love.
I pray for the holy spirit to convict my heart so I can repent and work towards
a life aligned with Your will and not my own.
I follow You Lord, my heart belongs to You
In Jesus’ name I pray
Amen
Change begins with changing ourselves first—join me today to create a better world together
https://echosofmyfootsteps.com
