Category Archives: Desires

Bible, Desires, Fire, God's Will, Godliness, Scripture, Ungodly

OUT OF CONTROL

ROMANS 1:27

“and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

It seems every year we see reports of wildfires that burn out of control. Many of these are started by lightning strikes that ignite dry vegetation. When fueled by strong winds, these fires can burn hundreds, if not thousands of acres of land, including homes and businesses. Uncontrolled fires cause a lot of damage. So do uncontrolled passions, as we will see today.

Paul continues the thought began in verse 26. Both males and females were “burning” in their passions for the same sex. The resulting carnage from these choices, Paul says, is they were “receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Let me repeat what I said yesterday. This sin confronted by Paul here is no worse than other sins we commit that go against God’s Word. All sin has consequences. Paul is truly addressing the fact that disregard of God’s truth leads to uncontrolled passions and desires that lead us astray.

APPLICATION

The Greek word used here for “burned” is only used here in the New Testament. It means to inflame deeply. The Topical Lexicon says this about ekkaiō. It “depicts a fierce, consuming flame of emotion rather than a literal fire. The picture is of desire ignited from within until it blazes out of control, suggesting both intensity and inevitability once the spark is lit.” Can’t you just see that wildfire?

I am reminded of James 3:6. “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” The idea of the ungodly passions burning is the same. This is indeed a deceit of the evil one. He wants to distort the godly and make it ungodly.

For any fire to end, it must be confronted with a force to extinguish it. For ungodly passions to be extinguished, they must be confronted with truth. The washing with the water of the Word will put out these wrong fires. God’s Word will extinguish any sin in our lives if we will live by it. It has the power. It will purify us and wash away the stain of sin. Are you washing yourself with the Word today?

Father God, wash me today with the water of Your Word so that I can walk with You unashamed and holy.

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Affection, Bible, Desires, Love, Scripture, Witness

FOR GOD IS MY WITNESS

PHILIPPIANS 1:8

“For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” 

“So help me God” used to be part of the swearing in of any witness in a court of law in the United States. Many courts have since deleted that phrase due to the removal of God from our justice system. A vow to God used to be the highest degree any man could swear by. Whether it is still done or not, that is still the highest level by which anyone could vow. Whether people believe it or not does not change that fact.

Paul uses this phrase in other epistles. In Romans 1:9, he says, “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,” In 2 Corinthians 1:23 he says it again. “But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.” You can see similar statements in 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:20 and 1 Thessalonians 2:5 and 10. Paul did not write this lightly. He knew God was his witness in all things.

APPLICATION

God is still a witness to all we do, whether good or bad. “As God as my witness” should be true for all believers. We, above all people” should realize He is present in all our decisions, all our words and all our actions. To think otherwise would be to disregard His sovereignty in our lives.

But what was Paul claiming God was a witness of? It was how he longed for these Philippian believers with the affection of Christ. The Greek word for “longed for” is epipotheó, which comes from two Greek words, epi and potheó. Epi is used to intensify the word it is connected to. Potheo means to long for or desire. So, this compound word means to intensely long for. Paul had a deep desire for these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Do you have that kind of desire for others’ benefit? Can you honestly say before God this is true? When you tell someone you love them in Jesus you should really mean it. Don’t do lip service. Remember that God is your witness in all things. Do it all to honor Him for He is worthy of all honor and praise. Amen?

Lord God, help me love others honestly with the love of Jesus today.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Choices, Desires, Flesh, Lusts, Mind, Scripture, Wrath

WE WERE THERE

EPHESIANS 2:3

“Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” 

It is so easy to get caught up in a mob mentality. One minute you are discussing something calmly and then things get heated. The next thing you know, you are shouting and screaming at each other. The bigger the crowd, the louder it gets. We’ve seen all the protests lately all over the world. People who have no idea what they are protesting are yelling, chanting and doing things behind masks they would have never done a year ago.

But don’t point your fingers. Paul tells us in today’s verse that we were there. We were just like them. He says, “we too all previously lived.” In other words, don’t forget that this is where you came from. Then Paul describes some of our actions in the past. We “lived in the lusts of our flesh.” We indulged “the desires of the flesh and mind.” We “were by nature children of wrath.” Let’s look at these past actions of ours to remind ourselves of where we have come from and to never return there.

APPLICATION

What are “the lusts of our flesh”? Benson says in his commentary, that they are “the base appetites of which we were enslaved” that cause us “to forget the dignity and happiness of rational and immortal spirits.” Did you get that? These lusts drive you to do things. Paul includes himself in this description. He also struggled with these before Christ rescued him.

Then Paul further defines these lusts. He says they are “the desires of the flesh and mind.” These desires affect both the body and the mind. They are our actions and our thoughts. I have been reading a book lately that says our thoughts lead to words. Our words lead to actions. And our actions lead to habits. (Take Captive Every Thought by Jeff Rowe) How true that is. When we give in to our thoughts, things can progress very quickly.

Paul finishes this thought by saying we, “were by nature children of wrath.” Boy, that sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Listen to what Barnes says about this phrase. “I do not know a more strong or positive declaration that can be made to show that people are by nature destitute of holiness and exposed to perdition.” Wow! But that was us BEFORE Jesus. Praise be to God we are no longer there. Sin no longer has a grip on us. We are free to do as God wills. Amen!

Father, thank You for freeing me from these lusts of the flesh and my tendency to sin. I have Your Holy Spirit living in me.

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