Mile Marker #35, Valentines Day!




courtesy of http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

  The HEART!  The Bible says, "guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life", Prov. 14:23.

Isaiah said. "The heart is deceitful and desperately sick above all else, who can know it?  The next verse says, "I the Lord test the hearts...".
Jesus said, "It is not what you eat that defiles you but what comes out of your mouth.  For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slander," Matt.15:19.

In Mark 7:21 Jesus added, "coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, pride, foolishness."

Paul had lists of these Lusts of the Flesh also.  "Strife, jealousy, tempers, disputes, gossip, arrogance, disturbances, impurity, and immorality," II Cor. 12:19.  "Idolatry, sorcery, enmities, dissensions, factions, drunkenness, and carousing," in Gal. 5:19.  "Passion, evil desire, greed, wrath, malice, abusive speech, slander, lying," Paul added in Col. 3:5-9.

Peter joined the listing also, "malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, slander," in 1 Peter 2:1, and sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, idolatries, and dissipation" in 1 Pet. 4:1-4.

Jude got in on it also, "licentious, immorality, homosexuality, bestiality, rejecting authority, revelers, unreasoning, grumblers, fault finders, arrogant, flattering, mockers, causing divisions."

Paul had another list in Ephesians 4, "sensuality, greed, impurity, lying, stealing, filthy mouth, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice, immorality, silly talk, and coarse jesting."

And finally, Jesus, after His resurrection, added, "Cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars," Rev. 21:8.

Paul said, "put off the old man and put on the new man."  He said, "If any man is in Christ he is a new creature, the old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new", II Cor. 5:17.  He also said, " I have been co-crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live but the Divine Nature now lives with in me," Gal. 2:20.  The minute a person places saving faith in Jesus and repents towards God, he is killed and born again at the same time.  Jesus told Nicodemus except a man be born again from above he can't even see the kingdom of heaven," John 3:3.  Romans 6:1 says we died to sin.  We should live in sin no longer.  Paul said let him who steals steal no longer but let him work.  If a man does not work, neither let him eat.  That's Gods welfare program for the unwilling capable.

Some refer to our 'flesh' as 'sin nature'.  Paul says sin is a law that lives in our body or flesh.  It is utter depravity.  The Greek word for 'flesh' is 'sarx' and means body or 'meat'.  The Carnal Christian or the unsaved try to remedy this problem by turning over a new leaf, trying harder, working, good works, learning, etc..  These solutions won't work.  They aren't God's solution.  Like Hitler's Mein Kampf, Paul had his struggle.  We all do.  Every human alive has this struggle.  At 53 years of age I found God's solution.  I got saved at 22 years of age, went on to get 2 degrees at a Bible College, and still didn't know the final and only solution to mankind's sin problem.  It took me 31 years to find it.  Do you know what it is?  I'm not going to tell you now.

Christians don't have a sin nature any longer.  Paul said in Romans 8:9, we are no longer in the flesh.  We are no longer in the 'sin nature'.  Or call God a liar.  Col. 2:11 says our 'sin nature' has been surgically amputated by God's own invisible hands.  Amazing.  If you don't know and believe this truth you are a Galationist.  You are a flesh fixer-upper.  A flesh perfecter. I call it a 'pig washer'.  I was one for 31 years.  Pathetic.  Unbelief leaves you in a quagmire of confusion.  Jesus said "the truth is what will set you free", John 8:32.

It's true, I'm crazy, or I'm lying?  You figure it out for yourself.  I can't make you believe.  Remember, "Without faith it is impossible to please God,"  Heb. 11:6.