Living in Heaven on Earth

Lesson Three

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJ) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Wow, now that is a heart full of truth about us. There isn’t a lot more to say about this.

Being raised Catholic and then coming to the Christian community at a later stage in my life, I thought adultery, fornication and not paying tithes were the only types of sins that existed. These were the main topics of different sermons and in lots of everyday conversation among Christians. The other sins that are mentioned above, I didn’t hear about them, but I saw them in ACTION.

Now, before I go on, lets be clear, I AM NOT TRYING TO DOWNPLAY ADULTERY, FORNICATION & NOT PAYING TITHES. I AM TRYING TO UP-PLAY THE OTHER SINS SUCH AS JEALOUSY, ENVY, SELFISH AMBITION, HATRED, DISCORD & IDOLATRY. OTHER SINS THAT AREN’T LISTED ARE BACKBITING, MURMUR (GOSSIP), PRIDE & GLUTTONY.

Too many days go by in which these sins are committed. These are the sins that are going through our Christian community like a cancer deep within us or a virus on a rampage and they are destroying us from within. Most of these are emotions dominating us due to a ‘Spiritual Malady’. Some of it is resentment that we’ve never been freed from and blocking us from God’s Lifestyle. Some of it is just plain old fear and when these occur, we don’t even take time out to repent. It has become a way of life for a lot of Christians.

I remember when I was teaching in the rooms of AA, I used to see more recovery people start back drinking & using drugs again due to the treatment they received from the old-timers in AA then the craving of the drug or drink itself.

An example is being very judgmental or looking down on them because they are struggling with their sobriety & spirituality. I still see the same thing today. Lots of people leave church because of how we treat them (too many pharisees, not enough Love Walkers).

I’m not saying these people are right for leaving, because they should stay and focus on the Lord. But, no one probably ever showed them love with opened arms or welcomed them and took them under their wings & ministered to them.

We are so busy gossiping or trying to out do each other or just being plain old selfish & self seeking for our own benefit. Some of us believe that as long as we are married and pay our tithes we don’t have to adjust our other ways of living (well maybe on Sundays).

So don’t stop preaching on the main sins we seem to talk about, but let’s address these subtle internal sinful natures that take us out of God’s will just as quick. All of these sins are blocking us from the sunlight of God.

I will leave you with this….per this scripture & others, if your are a fornicator you won’t inherit the Kingdom of God and if you are a jealous, envious or gossiping person you won’t inherit the Kingdom of God either. Sin is sin!

By the way, I will break down one of these for clarity. Idolatry means serving and putting anything down before God. This means your car, money, job clothes, worldly titles & positions, children, and even your spouse.

Then we have dissension & discord. You know, always starting or in the middle of some mess. Or letting our tongues speak out and cause harm on our fellow brothers & sisters. Maybe we should subtitle this week as “WAR of the SOUL”.

But there is hope for all of us. We can have heaven within us while on earth.

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Next week: Galatians 5:22-23 “The FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT”

Living the Love Walk