Obstacles to Righteousness
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“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit”
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When we set our minds on things of the flesh – sinful attitudes, ideas and habits in our life – we are decreeing death to the things of God. What makes such desires hard to resist is that they are natural and involve common worldly aspirations like money, sex, prominence and power. But 1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man does not receive the things of God. Just because something is natural or “only human” does not mean it is right.
Notice that there’s nothing wrong with eating, but the Scriptures consider gluttony sinful. (Proverbs 23:20-21) Nor is there anything immoral about sex when it is practiced within God-given parameters. As long as our desires and appetites are subdued and brought under subjection to the Holy Spirit, our fellowship with God can continue harmoniously. But when yearnings are unrestrained, our closeness and communication with the Lord are hindered.
To give control of our life over to the Holy Spirit, we must be persuaded that we cannot live righteously in our own strength. Most of us already realize the attempt to live in a God-pleasing manner is a struggle; to correct the situation, we must surrender our entire being to Him: mind, will, emotion and conscience. Ask God to reveal areas of weakness and then give Him each frailty as it comes to light. This needs to be done not once, but every day. Each morning when you wake up, it’s wise to pray, “Father, today I’m totally Yours. I can’t live the Christian life, but You can live through me.”
Question: What are your own “obstacles to righteousness”?
About this Author: Charles Stanley
