Natural
Good Morning,
I can just picture myself trying to explain to my parents that I was simply “born this way.” For me to say, “It is so unnatural for me to clean my room. The fact is I am very uncomfortable when I am told to clean my room, it makes me feel strange and awkward,” would not go over well. My perspective would not last long before I found myself doing what I was told no matter how I “felt.” We make too many excuses for our actions, such as: “I was born with a biological issue that makes me susceptible to booze, and therefore, I am a drunk. I cannot help myself even if I wanted to, I was born this way!” If I were to be picked up by the police for shoplifting, I would never get away giving the excuse, “But officer, I was born a thief, and I cannot help myself.” We all know that those ideas are stupid; they are excuses rather than valid explanations.
Ephesians 4:19 “Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”
Sinful habits control us because we have surrendered or yielded our members to them. Our lives can become controlled by sin whether that sin is shameful morals, drugs, laziness, or being a slob.
Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
One’s first drink of booze is not pleasant, it is not so for anyone. No one savors their first cigarette; it is unpleasant. After a while, and enough smoking or drinking, the act becomes pleasant, coveted, and craved — a habit that becomes difficult to overcome. Instead of naming deeds as wrong and telling people to confess them as sin, they are told these vices are okay, and they are allowed to make excuses for their behavior. Slavery and bondage will follow!
The explanation, “My dad beat my mother” is no excuse for bad behavior. The fact that someone is born lazy and careless (sinful in nature) does not excuse him from Bible commands to be diligent. Right is still right no matter what weaknesses one may possess. We all know that some people are more athletic than others and some people naturally write more smoothly and attractively than others. My penmanship may not be as nice as another’s, but we can all write legibly!!
Ephesians 4:17 “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,”
vs. 18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”
vs. 19 “Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”
vs. 20 “But ye have not so learned Christ;”
vs. 21 “ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:”
The passage continues and explains how to beat these terrible habits:
vs. 22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”
vs. 23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
vs. 24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
The Bible says we should “put off” these deeds, stop doing them. We need to label the wrong and acknowledge those deeds as corrupt.
We need to fill our mind with good, meditate upon holy and righteous ideals, and fix our thinking. Finally, we need to put on the new man; start doing right on purpose. We should begin to develop new habits and routines. Of course, we need the Lord to help us do this; these changes cannot be made without the help of God.
Bible, prayer, and humility will draw divine help and surely make the difference in defeat or victory. May we not make excuses for our behavior or the behavior of our children; and may we repent of our shameful ways and walk with God.
Pastor