All day, every day we are faced with choices. What we will think about, what we will do, how we will respond, what we will initiate, what we will end, who we will engage with, who will we ignore, how much of this or that, will we fight, will we resist, will we give in, or just give up, will we stand, will we walk, will we run, and the ultimate choice is who will we believe?
From the beginning of creation man (men and women) have been faced with the choice of obedience or disobedience, of believing or not believing. What we believe will determine everything that follows that belief.
God made it a primary factor of life for all of us from the time of Adam's disobedience. Before we (in Adam) disobeyed all our choices of all that God had created for us, were good, because all things He created He called good. And we were created and called very good. There was no death because there was no sin.
Sin entered when the seductive, beguiling serpent tempted Eve to doubt God and she and Adam surrendered to his words, and chose to disobey God. The pattern is no different today. All of us by human nature are prone to disobey God and follow after the liar, the deceiver, the same spirit that tempted Adm and Eve in the Garden.
But, for those of us who have chosen to believe and receive the atoning work and sacrifice by the blood of Jesus Christ for us, we are no longer bound to sin. We are free to choose Life. Having made that choice, there is now no condemnation against us.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of sin and death held us in bondage to sin until Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, by HIs blood through His death, burial and resurrection made is free form the Law of sin and death. Now we have been translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God. In that kingdom dominion over the things of this world has been restored to us by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. By His Word and His power alone are we made more than conquerors against the works of darkness.
The Law of sin and death was dependent on the will and power of the flesh alone. Therefore, no man could keep it. Apart from the Spirit of God no man can be justified.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Then choice, and the power to make the choice for life, now rests with and in us. There is a power and an authority given to us, against which there is no law. The power of love.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
When love, the true love of God and His Word, (His will, His ways, and His purposes), motivates us, whatever we do will never fail. But if our flesh has ascendancy over us and we follow after its ways nothing that we do can prosper. It will always be against God. That is its nature until it is brought under submission to God, by the Spirit of God in us.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So, in the flesh we cannot please God. but if we walk in the light as He is in the light then we have fellowship with Him and He with us.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:1-9
But we have the Spirit of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. The Father, by His Spirit is working in us and filling us with His love in our hearts, so that out of the abundance of our hearts we will speak life, and truth, and light.
"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God..." Romans 8:10-16
The world is in a mess and getting worse every day, and will continue to be so until the sons of God are revealed.
The threats, the false prophecies, the prideful boastings of the wicked, and the evil prognostications of the children of darkness will come to naught when the children of light begin to truly shine in the world. The light of Life will cause the darkness to suddenly flee, as when a light is turned on in a dark room! The darkness cannot resist it or overcome it!
Father, God, our Creator and Jesus Christ our Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, help us to shine to the world the light of glorious Gospel that shines in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Let Your light so shine in our hearts that we are set aglow with the Word of the Lord and in demonstration of Your Spirit and power draw all men to You. We desire to see Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Let it be so now, Father in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, and believe, and thank You by faith that it is done. Amen and Amen.