Thinking Like a Christian

pastor peteA series of Scripture meditations on what the Bible teaches about the Christian life.

by Pastor Pete Beck III

These meditations are copyrighted,

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sensitive or sensual?

being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Ephesians 4:18-19 (NASB)

The human heart is designed to connect with God with complete abandonment and confidence on a deep level. When a person is born again, her spirit is joined to God's Spirit.

 

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

 

The capacity for deep fellowship and union with God is instantly created. Why then do not more believers enjoy this experience? Is it not because we loathe ourselves and imagine God feels the same about us? Is it not because we mistrust God's heart and plan for our lives? Is it not because we would rather pursue our own selfish agenda rather than abandon ourselves to His? The answer, I believe, is "Yes, yes, and yes."

 

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, do you think in their wildest dreams they would have believed God's merciful response to their flagrant disobedience? Yes, He expelled them from the garden. Yes, He pronounced upon them the judgment for their sin that would affect every generation thereafter. But, God also covered their nakedness and promised a Savior. It would be unbelievable if it were not true! The righteous Judge is also our merciful Savior.

 

Everyone of us has followed our first parents' example of hiding from God, imagining that He does not really love us or accept us in our brokenness and sin. This is what Paul describes as the condition of "being darkened in their understanding." Human beings have built into their fallen state "software" a default mode of believing lies about God and ourselves. We find it nigh to impossible to believe the good news of the gospel. We hope against hope that we are not so broken and hopeless as the Bible says we are. Surely, like the unmerciful servant in Jesus' parable, if God would just give us enough time, we can pay our debt back to him. Because we are alienated from the truth about our desperate neediness, we remain alienated from the life changing love of God in Christ. If we refuse to face the truth about ourselves, we are unable to look Truth in the face in order to receive his love and forgiveness.

 

If we fall for the lie that God does not love us, we will seek to fill the empty void in our hearts with something else. We will substitute sensuality for sensitivity to God. We will numb the ache in our hearts with some form of addiction, some kind of noise, something to distract us from the terrible loneliness and emptiness. Scarily, when we do this, we further distance ourselves from the only One who can help us. How sad it is to spend a life separated from the Life!

 

So, what is the antidote for a life given over to sensuality? We must find again our passion for God, beginning with the faith that He still loves us despite our waywardness. Without hope of being forgiven and restored, where is the motivation to repentance? Why not rather eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die? The father of the prodigal is eagerly anticipating your return! Give him the opportunity to vent his love upon you so you can return the favor.

 

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20 (NLT)

We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NASB)

 

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