I still was not living 100 percent for the Lord. Like all the rest of my church, I was living with one foot in the world, and one in the church. During the week, I pursued money, and fun. I watched whatever peeked my fancy on tv, or the movies, I browsed whatever I wanted on the internet, I listened to whatever music I wanted to. On Sundays, the day we choose to set aside for God, I only gave God half my time and attention, like everyone else, put the preacher on a timer, I have other things to do. I joked and cut up on unGodly subjects, on and on.
As such, I was not totally living for God, and never had on the full armor of God. I had a temper that was awful. Let me rephrase that, I still have the temper, but now God controls much more of my life. My wife could not take my hot temper anymore, she gave me an ultimatum. Now at first I would love to say I ran straight to God, but that is not true. I first did what everyone else does, I ran to the shrink, and begged him to fix me. Now do not get the wrong idea, I do believe docs and shrinks have there place. I do need the shrink, as until I went, I did not realize the wreck I was in at 17 had messed up some wiring up there, and I have to take some meds to help that. But what I learned was that the shrink could fix the wiring, he could not fix the me problem.
But with the shrinks wiring patch, it did give me a little more clarity, it slowed my 100 mile an hour brain, and the reduced hum allowed the Lord to minister to my soul. No I do not hear voices, or think I have some unheard revelation. LOL
But what I started seeing was this. : None of you are really wrong about "not being under the law" Because after Christ' death, burial, and resurrection, God got out of the forcing people game. Instead we are under a new covenant. This covenant declares that
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Luke 9:23 - And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Galatians 5:24 - And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
John 12:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Mark 8:35 - For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Romans 6:1 - 6:23
Now viewing scripture range from the book of Romans chapter 6:1 through chapter 6:23...
Romans Chapter 6
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There are many more verses to this theme. We are to die to ourselves. We are to choose to live for God, and as I learned, we can not serve two masters.
Luke 16:13 | Read whole chapter | See verse in context
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:24 | Read whole chapter | See verse in context
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
mammon can mean anything, money, self, lust, etc. This is what I had been doing. This is what so many others in the church had been doing, (dare I say, continue to do) Yes, you are right, we are not forbidden anything. But as my dad used to tell me "Just because you can, does not mean you should"