Don't Be Enslaved By The World
By-Crickettt
"This lesson is a little lengthy compared to the others. Please bear with me though because, I feel like this will bless you and open your eyes to the truth as you read." ~Crickettt~
I Cor. 7:22-24--And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, the Lord has now set you free from the awful power of sin. God purchased you at a high price. Don't be enslaved by the world. So, dear brothers and sisters, whatever situation you were in when you became a believer, stay there in your new relationship with God.
1 John 5:4-5--For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Are you enslaved by the things of this world? Do you find yourself engulfed in everything else happening around you, that you have taken your eyes off of God's Word and His promises? If so, I hope you will pay close attention to today's study because, I believe you will discover that you do not have to be enslaved any longer.
When a person is a non-believer in Jesus Christ as God's Son, they are living a life in total darkness. They have been blinded by the truth and are separated into sin. Satan has total control over their life and the Bible says, there is no rest or peace for that person. Jesus is the only way to complete salvation. Salvation is not only referring to becoming saved, it also has a much deeper meaning. Salvation is being made free from sin, poverty, sickness, depression, etc. The list goes on and on. When you receive Jesus into your life, you are immediately set free from every enslaved bondage. However, it is up to the believer in Jesus to study God’s Word and learn how to operate in the full authority that was given to you by Jesus himself. You defeat the devil by the Word of God.
The Bible teaches us in 1 John 1:5-10 (NKJV)--"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
You see, in order to become full of knowledge in the Lord and His Word, you have to grow spiritually. That is the only way you will be able to know how to defeat the devil and his attacks against you. Some people think it is "just enough" to live out their life the way they choose, and they do not have to do anything else. They do not realize the devil has a hidden agenda planned against them and he is waiting for just the right moment to catch them off guard. Without knowing what God has to say about something, how are we going to know how to stand strong or even hold our ground? When a soldier is called into combat, he goes through a period of rigorous training and preparation prior to being deployed. He must learn how to out-think his opponent, defeat his opponent and use his wisdom and weapons correctly in order to be successful in battle. He does not go into battle blinded and without knowledge about what lies ahead. He receives his knowledge during the training process and understands how critical it is to be on guard and aware at all times. A soldier is also responsible for the other soldiers in his platoon and realizes, if he makes a mistake, it could cost him his life or his fellow soldiers around him. Spiritual darkness is not just for unbelievers. A person can be a Christian and still walk in darkness where God’s Word is concerned if they did not take time to learn and grow. You have to train your mind and spirit in order to remain in line with God’s Word. Then, your soul will also be lined up with God's will for your life.
Jesus knew this to be truth. Before He began His ministry, He went off into a secluded place in the desert and fasted and prayed for 40 days. Jesus was preparing in advance for the road ahead and what would take place in the future. Jesus put His total focus on God and took His mind off of the world around Him so He could clearly hear His Father's voice and what God's will was for Him. Since Jesus became our perfect example for living in obedience, how can we possibly be ready to face trouble if we are not prepared? Circumstances arise suddenly at any time and can catch us off guard. If you are not prepared, what will you do? On the other hand, if you are spiritually prepared, God is able to work through you and His Holy Spirit directs you in making the right decisions. However, when we try to take matters into our own hands due to a lack of patience, that is when we discover the problems become much bigger than we can possibly handle on our own. When we fall into sin, the Bible teaches us there is a way out. In 1 John 1:9--"But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
God knows we are human and sinners too. He realizes we make mistakes. The Bible says, we have all fallen short of the Glory of God. And, there is no one good….no not one except for the Lord. God provided the way of escape and forgiveness through His son, Jesus. Jesus shed his life’s blood on the cross so we could be completely free from every bondage of the world and be cleansed from all our sins. God, in his infinite mercy gave us His one and only Son to destroy the works of the devil once and for all. In the first passages above, we see that Jesus paid the high price for our sins and gave us a chance to become children of God. Do not be like babies, the Bible says, and keep drinking milk, but grow and desire meat. "Meat" here, represents the Word of God. This means we should not be ignorant in God’s Word or helpless. Instead, by studying and learning, we should mature and be able to understand and know what God’s perfect will for us is because, as we go searching, He has promised in His Word to teach us who He is and what His will and purpose is for us. No matter what the cost, or the price, you have to stay in God’s Word and let it become your blueprint for living. The Bible also teaches that our prayers are offered up to God as sweet incense and when we intercede for others, He hears us and goes to work in their lives. Our prayers really do matter and changes things. God intercedes on our behalf when we earnestly remain in Him and His Word. A perfect example of why it is important to pray and stay in direct contact with God continuously is found in II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV "...if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
It is so easy to be taken in by all the lies the devil, dishes out our way. It is also easy to fall into doubt when devastating problems and chaos comes along. We learn from our environment and surroundings while growing up. We tend to take on the same traits and actions of our families. What we see the world around us doing, can become our own habitual practices if we are not walking closely with God. It is so vitally important for our hearts and minds to be renewed each day in God's Word. The devil is like a roaring lion searching whom he can devour. His purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy anyone he can. He knows and preys upon our weaknesses. That is why we must guard our hearts at all times. The devil/Satan, will use whomever or whatever to distract us from knowing the truth. It truly takes a lot of steadfast endurance and patience to renew your mind in Christ. Most importantly, you never give up! When storms arise in your life, you have to know who you are in Christ and know how to stand on His Word no matter what! It is not easy, our fleshly man wants to do opposite of what God says. It seems foreign to us and therefore, we have a difficult time remaining strong and of good courage. Faith is the key to everything. God said in His Word in Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV), "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God is not cruel, He does not enjoy seeing us suffer like some may think. He loves us deeply and it is his desire to see us succeed in our lives in every way possible. In the book of Ephesians, it tells us to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the attacks of the devil, who is of this world. We are not wrestling with what we can see with our eyes, we are wrestling with what we cannot see. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
Hebrews chapter 11 says, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. By faith we know that God is on our side and this sinful world will pass away one day. "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." Revelation 21:1 NKJV
God tells us not to get caught up in the things of the world such as possessions, lusts of the flesh, money, etc. because, all those things will vanish. They are all only temporary and if you allow yourself to be consumed or focused on "What can I buy?" or "What can I have?" then, you are putting yourself at risk for a really big fall. Material things may bring brief happiness, but when the new wears off, you're back in the same ole' boat again. The Word of God reminds us to never store up for ourselves things where rust or moths can destroy or thieves break in to steal; instead, store up treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. In other words, make God your main priority and everything else will fall into place when it is supposed to. The world would like you to believe that alcohol, drugs and immoral living are your tickets to freedom and fun. However, if you were to ask most people that are enslaved to drugs, alcohol, gambling, porn, and other immoral habits, they would tell you that they did not intend for it to take over and consume or destroy their lives. They were just looking for pleasure and a quick way to ease the pain, suffering, or loneliness they were going through. People are often looking for a quick fix to numb the emotional pain and emptiness inside. A moment of pleasure would give them a temporary thrill from the loneliness they are experiencing. Yet, none of these things will ever bring peace because sin destroys and the wages of sin is death.
Are you enslaved to the world? Do you feel abandoned and alone? Have you left God behind or discarded him by accepting the devil’s lies? Are you an Atheist that cannot believe in God for personal reasons? Did you drift away or refuse to believe because of a hurt or pain that occurred in your life? Maybe you felt God was not there for you when you needed him the most. Were you once at a place walking with God and somewhere along the way things just changed in your life? Situations around you became so overwhelming that you gave yourself over to the world. Maybe you fell away from what you once knew as a Christian. I want to tell you today that It’s never too late to change and turn it all around. As long as you have breath in your body, it is never too late.! You can begin again right now where you are at in your life. God is waiting on you to do just that. You can confess your sins before God and ask for forgiveness. He loves you unconditionally. You can come clean before Him and be free from every bondage that has held you down and away from God. The past does not matter any longer. It is past and cannot be relived or changed. It is just what it is…"PAST"! But, today my friend, is a Brand New Day filled with a new beginning in Christ Jesus!
Maybe you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you can feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart. All you have to do is go to God and confess your sins before him. He already knows everything about your life. He wants you to trust Him. You can’t trust the world, but I promise, you can trust God. Satan doesn’t want you to know the truth because he knows how powerful you will become with God living in your life. The Bible calls Satan a liar and the father of all lies and there is no truth found in him. He is a deceiver of all man and is known as the destroyer.
God is waiting on you to come and know Him and His love for you. He wants you to come just as you are because His mercy is great and His compassions are new every morning. Just remember…Today is a Brand New Day to let go and say this prayer of salvation. “God, I’m sorry for all my sins. I recognize that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I ask you Jesus to come into my heart and change me from the inside out. Forgive me Lord of all my sins and cleanse me and make me whole. I believe in you God and in your Son, Jesus Christ. I ask you to come into my heart and make me a new person. I give my life over to you now and ask you to take me as I am….fill me with your Holy Spirit and I will live my life for you from now on…in Jesus’ Name I pray…Amen. (Amen means “so be it”)
If you have prayed this prayer, you have been saved and forgiven. The "old you" has been washed away and behold a "new you" has come. God's Word promises that all your sins have been blotted out, and cast away as far as the east is to the west to be remembered No More! You are now a child of the Most High God, Yahweh. You have become adopted into His Kingdom which is forever. Welcome Home to where you belong!!!
When you release it all over to God, every care, every burden, every sin, every struggle is released and you are FREE. The Bible says that whom the Son sets free is free indeed! God’s peace which surpasses all understanding will fill your heart and mind. You will never be the same again! The world can never enslave you again unless you let it. Do not be afraid of those around you, what they may say or do because you have changed. God says, "Great will be your reward in heaven". However, If you are ashamed of Him and deny Jesus before men, He said that He would be ashamed of you and deny you before His Father in Heaven. The Bible also says, "Do not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. We are to only fear the One (The Almighty God) who created us. When I say fear, I am talking about a reverential fear of God. The devil can bring trials to your life, but he cannot destroy you as long as you are walking with God or according to God's will. God has numbered each of our days on earth. He alone knows the beginning and the ending. The angels in heaven rejoice over every lost person who becomes saved. Rejoice because once you were blind (to the love of Jesus), but now you see!
God asks us a question in His Word, “Who, are you serving…God or the world?…You cannot serve two masters…”
It’s time to let go! Don’t be enslaved by the world!
©Copyright 2019-Crickettt’s Sanctuary/Author- “Crickettt”. All Rights Reserved.
All written materials in personal blogs, websites or network pages cannot be used, reproduced, copied to a CD, sold and distributed or altered in any way without permission from the owner. Thanks for your cooperation and God Bless.
