When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (NLT)
I found it SO interesting that "the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group" was included in that list! I'm not sure I ever "saw" that before. In the NIV, this phrase is replaced by the word "factions". That's probably why I'd skipped over it before. I have certainly had experience with this kind of legalism lately. Why do people think that just because they are convicted of something that everyone else should be as well? Someone I love very much is under the influence of a person/group like this.
Chambers writes:
The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God's best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. 'Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh...' [Gal. 5:24a]
I just love that! Dear God, keep me from imposing my idea of natural moral excellence on myself or anyone else.
4 comments:
Great post, Linda.
great post. Well said.
Thanks for a great post. I've kept it up on my screen for a few days; I've been reading of Paul's instructions regarding the exact same thing. I guess I was going to comment specifically but now I can't remember what I was going to say!
What a coincidence.....I gave my hairdresser Utmost last year and this past Thursday was my monthly appointment and she mentioned that the day's reading really hit home with her. I have kept thinking to myself "hmmm...I need to check that day's reading out" but up until I read your blog....I hadn't. Hmmmm...seems as though God is intent on me reading this passage as my ignoring it and His continually "putting it in my face" has His thumbprints all over "pay attention"!!! Just sharing how we never know how what we write helps people. Thanks!! Love the new Facebook profile pic!!!
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