It surprises me sometimes that I think of doing something completely out of character for me. It actually scares me when this happens because many times it is an action against someone I love and I don’t ever want to hurt my son or my wife or even my pets! But when this thought or feeling comes into my mind it is really scary. Why did it come into my mind? Would I actually do something like this?
When you read a book that has a group of people who are trying to do something fantastic, it seems there is always at least one character that just needs a little push or nudge in the wrong direction to cause a catastrophic failure that will take someone’s life. That is the problem with our “sin nature”. Each of us is only one nudge away from snapping and becoming some truly evil person.
Could a Christian do something like this? Satan will plant the thoughts in your mind but if you are mature in your faith you will recognize it and your Spirit will help you to resist it. On the other hand, people who are not saved or just think they are saved don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside to help us stop those thoughts. They may have a conscience that is telling them it is wrong but they don’t have a helper to give them the strength to truly resist that impulse.
I once thought that I could make it without the Holy Spirit and I tried, but it didn’t work because I could not control myself and my thoughts and actions without the Holy Spirit. Many people think that their conscience is the Holy Spirit and it isn’t because you can just push it away. Pride and covetousness will cause you to think that you are able to do things that you can’t do. You will want something or you crave more money to get something and this happens to Christians too.
You need to study about Jesus and seek Him to be your Savior and Lord. His ways and His teachings are the only way to become better than you were because of the Holy Spirit coming into your heart and changing your nature. The sin nature is still there but it is deactivated and the longer you study the Bible, the more strength you will get from God’s Word. I thought, before I truly gave my heart to Jesus, that I could never read the Bible because I couldn’t make sense of it. You have to have the Holy Spirit living inside you so you can make sense of it and get the wisdom you need from it.
Don’t push the prompting of the Holy Spirit away when you feel it. You might never feel it again and it would be sad that you missed becoming a Christian because you felt that you weren’t ready yet. You don’t get ready, Jesus knows when you are ready and He touches your heart to bring you to Himself.
From the beginning of Creation, God has had a plan in place to redeem mankind. Even before Adam and Eve decided to taste the fruit of a tree that was forbidden to them, God knew it was going to happen. We don’t know how long they enjoyed life in the Garden of Eden, it could’ve been a century or more. Since they were created perfect in God’s sight, they could’ve lived forever if they had not listened to the serpent.
God’s plan was set into motion when they did go against His directions. Nothing catches God by surprise and their rebellion didn’t either. We sometimes believe that we can hide things from God but in our hearts we know better. We don’t want to listen to that small voice telling us not to do whatever it may be that we are considering, but it is there.
During my lifetime and likely in yours as well, there have been times that we want to do something but we get a little “voice” inside that says “you shouldn’t do that”. Sometimes we listen to that voice and other times we don’t and we may pay a price for not listening. Then again, we may enjoy our sin for a time. But…in the long run it is going to bite you on the butt. Learning the hard way is not the best way to learn lessons in life but these lessons do tend to stick with you because you do remember the outcome and the consequences.
God has been with every person during their good days and their bad days and the people that He calls to be useful to Him know when they are being called. If you are like me, you may try to run from those calls, but like Jonah, God can move things so that you will get the call and answer it. He doesn’t force you to do His will but He will bring you to a point where you will agree to it either now or in the future. Many people don’t like hearing this because we are taught in the West that we are our own ruler. The problem with this thinking is that we place ourselves on a throne that should be occupied by God alone.
I’ve read that God doesn’t have a plan for our lives but I disagree. His plan is that all would come to know Jesus as their Savior and it is offered to us without cost. All we have to do is believe that Jesus died for our sins and give our life to Him as a daily sacrifice to do whatever He calls us to do. For some people that may mean that you may be a missionary somewhere. But your mission field could be in your hometown or your community. He can call you to be a witness for Him in your workplace or even to a family member. The point is that God will equip you to do whatever He is calling you to do, regardless of the circumstances.
We are living in the part of history that has been referred to as the “last days”. If one thousand years is like a day to God, then we are in the early morning hours of the third day. Many things have happened on the third day in the Bible so I encourage you to make sure of your salvation in Jesus Christ. When the Trumpet of God sounds and the dead in Christ rise to meet Him, those of us who know Him and are still alive will follow them “in the twinkling of an eye”. When that happens the entire world will know it but for those who see it on TV it will be too late. Don’t be one who finds out that the church is gone on the evening news, be with us on that day.
The Living Message of Christ 