Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word.” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review with me the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.
Today, I will share verses from the Amplified Bible. Let’s review examples of God’s Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today’s message.  Â
Here is our first verse.
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.
– 1 Peter 2:16 AMP
In this verse, we see a reference to the fact that freedom can be used as a pretext for evil deeds. That some may use freedom as an excuse to do things or behave in ways that do not honor God. Let us instead use our freedom to make choices that serve and honor God.
Let’s have a look at another verse.
7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot,
– Romans 8:7 AMP
This verse reminds us that our mind has a ‘default’ posture that seeks things that may at times be sinful. Our minds are hard-wired in a way to seek out pleasure. We must actively resist the urge to seek out the things of the world that go against God. Just because something feels good does not mean it is something we should pursue. Let us choose the ways of God over the ways of the world.
Let’s have a look at one more verse.
15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. 16 Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17 So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me.
21 So I find it to be the law [of my inner self], that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully delight in the law of God in my inner self [with my new nature], 23 but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members.
– Romans 7:15–23 AMP
This is quite a bit of scripture, but it is so full of wisdom. It very clearly describes the conflict and even torment we may feel battling against the desires of our flesh and the desires of our spirit to remain in line with God’s will. As mentioned a few moments ago, this scripture explains the nature of our humanness and its capacity to seek out the worldly things that feel good and feed into the desires of the flesh. It even goes so far as to illustrate the level of conflict and bewilderment at the hard-wired way our flesh seeks out pleasure.
What this scripture illustrates in great detail, is that our freedom to choose is a choice between allowing our flesh to do the default thing – which could result in acting against God’s way, or doing the much more difficult thing of choosing to align our actions with God, regardless of the discomfort or inconvenience.
Stay encouraged! Aligning ourselves with God’s way is the best way to experience the fruit of His blessing and anointing.
Thank you for your time in reviewing these verses with me today.
Thank you for the opportunity to share encouragement. Here @walkinginstepwithGod we truly appreciate your support. We are fully committed to Christ and the community. We invite you to join us in fellowship and to seek opportunities for fellowship in your local community as well.
