Ephesians 2:3 (TPT) The corruption that was in us from birth was expressed through the deeds and desires of our self-life. We lived by whatever natural cravings and thoughts our minds dictated living as rebellious children subject to God’s wrath like everyone else.
Before you were born again, you were controlled by the flesh and the mind. Notice the spirit is left out. Unless the sinner is demon-possessed, he is not controlled by his spirit. He is under the control of the nature of the flesh and the unrenewed mind. This is the predesigned course of this world he is following. A believer who is out of fellowship imitates the unbeliever (Read Ephesians 5).
A believer in this state cannot be led by his spirit or the Holy Spirit within him. Because he is not controlled by his spirit at the moment, he is under the control of his flesh and his mind. He is imitating the unbeliever. Even though he may still go to church, give alms, or act spiritual, his good deeds do not count with God. Sinners go to church, give alms, and act spiritual to impress God into giving them a place in heaven. The believer who is not controlled by the Holy Spirit at any moment in time is deceived and will act just like a worldly unbeliever.
The unbeliever cannot be led by the Spirit because he is spiritually dead— separated from the life of God—“and [are] by nature subject to God’s wrath” The unbeliever needs his nature changed first, before his deeds and bad habits can be truly changed. His problem is not just his outward actions, it is the nature of his heart. The sinner is not a sinner because he sins, he sins because he is a sinner. The believer is not righteous because he does righteous acts, he does righteous acts because he is righteous. This should help us straighten out our witnessing techniques.
Sinners need their nature changed, and Jesus is the only One who can do this. Salvation is found in no other name than Jesus (Acts 4:12). Good works will not make us righteous, but righteousness will produce good works, which are acceptable unto God. (See Eph. 2:8-10.) We need to come right to the point with the sinner as Jesus did with Nicodemus: “Ye must be born again”.
Go into today remembering that to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Prayer: Father, help me to daily live out the nature of God in me.
-George Evuarherhe Djorhogba
Bible In One Year: Jude (In Devotional Audio)
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