We are spiritual vessels - if we want to admit it or not. We are vessels made to hold the things of God. We have a choice to live in freedom and obey Christ or do evil. We practice and fill ourselves with evil, we will soon find ourselves in chains.
"You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." Galatians 6:7-8
Imagine a foam cup. The same kind of foam cup people carry coffee in around the office or juice at birthday party. Take the same foam cup and pour some acid or gasoline in it and it will melt and decay right in front of your eyes.
We are the same way. We seek and fill our souls with the fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - we stay in great shape. We have peace and feel free but if we fill our soul with doubt, hostility, jealousy, outbursts of anger, self-ambition, sexual immorality (to name a few) we are going to harvest the consequences of decay and even death.
I could say "Don’t doubt! Don’t do this and don’t do that! But it wouldn’t do any good.
Jesus says "All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not do what I say. John 14:23-
While we were growing up, we showed our love and respect to our parents/ caregivers by listening and obeying them right? God isn’t any different. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is here to "convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgement. The world’s sin is unbelief in me." John 16:8. God will punish and correct His creation just like any caring loving parent or caregiver would and does. He wants all his creation to live in freedom by not doing what is evil but doing what is good.
If people don’t want to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior then there is no reason to obey Jesus. There are some that want to believe but doubt has shackled them to a ship heading in to it’s last sunset. For those I say pray, pray that God will release you from that doubt and give you encouragement to believe that Jesus is KING! But for those who don’t want to believe and don’t want live as Jesus told us to live, I feel sorry for them because they will only reap decay and death. And it will be their choice and no one else’s.
The Holy Spirit is to convince our family and friends of their need for Christ in thier lives. He can be blunt as a sword or soft and gentle. He can soften any heart because he created it. Our loved ones won’t however be able to receive empowerment from the Holy Spirit however until they chose to follow Christ and are open to his spiritual giftings.
Jesus says this: "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." John 14:15-17
"In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy." Acts 2:17
You know when Jesus left and the Father of Heaven sent the Holy Spirit it was the beginning of the last days. We are living in the last days. And in the last days things are suppose to get worse not better. However wouldn’t you like to be reassured and have peace knowing God is with you and is taking care of you?
Jesus says "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace of the world." John 14:27
To have peace from God is to be FREE! Free from the bondage that only wants to destroy us. And it is only in that freedom that we can see what is most important in God’s plan for others and ourselves.
"For you have been called to live in freedom-not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
So I advise you live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, self-ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another." Galatians 5:13-24
Dark spiritual chains can be put on in a hurry if you allow yourself to lead instead of the Holy Spirit.
Friends, Family, Christians Brothers and Sisters – come to Christ. Get rid of those chains that so easily want to entangle and entrap you. Friends/Family if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior– do so. Let God raise you up and direct you so you will inherit eternal life in God’s Kingdom. Let Him be your strength, encouragement and peace for all your days ahead. Trust in Him. Christians Brothers and Sisters, if you haven’t already, ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon you so you may grow to the full expression of Christ that God wants and intends for you to be and WATCH THE CHAINS COME OFF! Thank You Jesus! Thank you Father! Thank you Holy Spirit!
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