By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 4:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
What does ignorance and blindness of the heart result in? Lewdness, uncleanness, and greediness. Another way to describe this state is indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness or an insatiable desire for more. The current environment is overrun with people who fit into this category. The local and national news channels provide the populous with a steady flow of reports describing people of this nature. How much longer will FATHER tolerate the spread of this unholy and lawless behavior?
Paul continued:
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
We are called to put on the new man and be a standard unto this world of gross darkness. We are charged with putting off our former conduct which leads to corruption and deceitful lusts. We must be renewed in the spirit of or mind. This cannot be an occasional focus but needs to be at the forefront of our priorities every single day. We must die to the flesh fully and completely to remove the residue of the old man. Our issue is not with some external enemy outside of us but instead is the old man found within. The old man would have us believe that there is nothing to change inside of us.
We must be careful not to focus solely on external events when the real challenge is the man in the mirror. Each of us must be brutally honest with out deepest thoughts and determine if those thoughts are righteous and holy. If they are not then we know the old man is lurking in some crevice deep within and must be rooted out once and for all. We must go to The Word and allow it to further cleanse us until we become spotless in HIS sight.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT:
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
We must not allow our understanding to be darkened by men’s opinions, customs, or traditions. We must stand watch over what we take in through our eyes and ears and guard our hearts from man’s devices intended to cause us to go astray from that straight and narrow path. Men will tickle our ears with some word beginning with “Thus saith The Lord” but we must allow the Holy Spirit to confirm any word and its relevance to us individually. To the pure, all things are pure so we must rely on The Holy Spirit to discern any word given for we are “wired” to believe and the old man knows this. This is exactly why I keep urging us all to seek FATHER’S Voice in all circumstances and not rely on man’s version of what FATHER is saying today. Man may add or subtract from any Word given because of the subtleness of pride. Let each of us pursue a walk of true righteousness and holiness which necessitates us hearing FATHER and being led by THE SPIRIT.