THE OPPORTUNITY: Faith Fruit or Flesh Deeds

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Free People...are ya still FREE?!?

You may be asking yourself..."Self...why is Rod asking if I am still FREE?" Well...I'm glad you asked yourself that question. Here's my answer....because...I know what it is like to be set free from my sins...and return to them like a dog returns to his own vomit. I know what it is like to be a prodigal son...who had FREEDOM lavished upon him...only to be lavish in my squandering of grace...and have nothing but HOG FOOD. I know from very personal experience of going from FREEDOM back into the BONDAGE that I was set FREE from...by MY OWN CHOICE...and I see the same thing happen over and over again...to young believers who allow the little foxes to spoil their vineyard.

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you...but you were WASHED, but you were SANCTIFIED, but you were JUSTIFIED in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST and in the SPIRIT OF OUR GOD." (I Corinthians 9-11)

Paul is writing a letter of correction to the church in Corinth. They had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He starts of the letter by praising them..."I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus...that in EVERYTHING you were enriched in Him, in all speech and in all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was CONFIRMED IN YOU...so that you are NOT LACKING in any gift, awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also CONFIRM you to the end, blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 1:4-9)

These people were FREE...but they were slowly sliding into BONDAGE again...and Paul is writing a warning and correction. They were ALLOWING thing within the body at Corinth... that was not BENEFICIAL FOR THEM.

Paul wrote another letter to the church in Galatia...about FREEDOM and BONDAGE.

"It was for FREEDOM that Christ SET US FREE...therefore KEEP STANDING FIRM...and do not be SUBJECT AGAIN to a YOKE OF SLAVERY." (Galatians 5:1)

Here is a picture from the movie BRAVEHEART...where William Wallace leads the people with the cry of FREEDOM.

The church in Galatia were allowing things back into the grace that they had in the D.B.R....Death, Burial, Resurrection of Jesus only...by allowing things to be added back into the mix. Some of the things were not necessarily bad things...but when you add anything to unmerited favor aka grace...then the allowed things become NOT BENEFICIAL.

"For you were called to FREEDOM, brethren...only do not turn your FREEDOM...into an OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLESH...but through LOVE...SERVE ONE ANOTHER."
(Galatians 5:13)

If you don't deal with the little things...they can turn into the big things...and before you know it...you are back in a worse state than you were before you started. Check out the deeds of the flesh...that we as believers are capable of doing...if we all our FREEDOM...to turn into AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLESH (Galatians 5:19-21)

Again...as someone who has fallen...to the level of the pig sty and dog vomit...I know whereof I speak...and I see the same thing happen over and over to other believers...especially to the young lions and lionesses who are transitioning from child to adulthood... and they think that their chronological age...must mean they can do "adult things". Some of these "adult things" may be allowable...but they are not "beneficial."

NOTE: This is not limited to by young people...old people...doing "adult things" get bound again also.

Thanx and a Tip O Da Hat to my son Phillip for the cross artwork.

"All things are lawful for me...BUT...not all things are profitable/beneficial all things are lawful for me...BUT... I WILL NOT BE MASTERED BY ANYTHING." (I Corinthians 6:12)

FREE INDEED (Janny Grein)

"I was bound by the forces of evil
Lived on lies and the love I could steal...until I was told...that I could be set free...then He came and He told me He loved me...and I knew it was true when He touched me...through it all..I have been set free. I've been set free, free indeed...I got nothing that's binding on me...Oh Lord I'm free, free indeed...your love has set me free."

"But I say, walk and live habitually in the (Holy) Spirit--responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh--of human nature without God." (Galatians 5:16 The Amplified Bible)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

When you begin to write things like this...there will be those who will think...or some even say..."Who do you think you are to tell me how to live?" Or they will begin to misquote..."Judge not...lest you be judge." Or they will begin speaking about specks and 2 x4 in my eyes. Or they will ask..."Who died and made you the spiritual sheriff over me?"

Well...I always filter these things through my experience...so I won't be pontificated about something I don't know about. If I truly love you...ya gotta expect that I will try to restore you in the spirit of gentleness. (Galatians 6:1-5) If you received a box of rattlesnakes...and I knew what was in the box...don't you think I would do everything I could...to stop you from opening the box...and placing your hands in there to get snake bit?

I'm just saying...don't let your freedom turn back into bondage. I have been there and back... and it is fun for a season...but reaping is harsh.

Love and Loving Kisses
Rodney "Sheriff Elderodo" Boyd