I John 5: 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
We continue with the second part of our treatise on Victorious Christian Living- Taking God at His Word.
The word of God, have you thought about it of late? I mean have you revisited the reality of it being God’s word? In America, there are at least are least two Bibles in the house. There is no scarcity of it. You can go virtually anywhere in the U.S. and buy one. This is not true for those living behind the Bamboo Curtain, many portions of EurAsia- Albania specifically comes to mind. Many Muslim states have banned the sale of Bibles. But, since you and I live here, I must address our plight, not theirs.
Back to the original question- have you thought about the reality of the Book you read each day as a Christian is the word of God. II Tim. 3 and II Peter 1 states this to be the fact to believed, not quarreled over or up for grabs. One theologian has termed faith in this light- “Taking God at His word.” Simple, but not simplistic. At this point, you may be wondering where I am going with all of this and I only ask you stick with me.
One thread I want to interweave here, is the idea of victory in Christian living is directly connected with believing and taking God at His word. This thread directly correlates to the strength and weakness of your faith. If you let yourself doubt the word of God, then you are setting yourself for a terrible fall. Where did I get that?! I learned from Moses when he described what happened to our federal head- Adam. Turn to Gen. 3
I. Love for something other than God leads to no love for God- When the Christian begins to doubt God’s word the love of God and the love for His word begins to wane.
1 ¶ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’ ?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
These verses describe to you what John said in I John 5: 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
Verse 6 of Genesis 3 is a very telling statement in this light-6 ¶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Pleasure for something that exceeds the love for God will ultimately shuck the word of the Lord out the window. Pleasure that disregards the word of God will always lead to sin. This the key to James 4- you have inordinate desires and thus you have war within your souls and thus you lust to the point of sin. Adam, it is traditionally believed, loved Eve more than God and his desire for her blinded his love for God and obedience to His word
II. Love for things other than God makes God’s word for your life seem like a drag- Where did the serpent in Gen strike first? Has God said? 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
What was the enemy seeking to do- undermine the word of God? Yes; but, even more than that-he sought to make her life seem like a drag because she was living according to the word of God. You’re missing out on life and by living by His word, you’re going to miss out on even more. Isn’t that what the enemy says to you now? You’re stuck in a bad marriage and because you live according to the word of God, your personal happiness is being compromised. God is holding out on you. Why live according to an archaic, out dated, old fashioned book? This is the 21st century man- live like it. Maybe you are tempted to steal from your employer or malign a co worker to get ahead by lying just a bit. If you see the word as your enemy, then ultimately God must be as well because He is the One who said what is written in the scriptures. Who was the serpent lying about? Them- Adam and Eve? Nol God Himself. Whose word was being challenged? Whose word continues to be challenged? Is it not God’s?
The Apostle John links in I John 5: 3 And His commandments are not burdensome with the victorious Christian life. How many Christians in America are living as though the Word is the burden? The roadblock to a happy life? A book of propositions to be considered or as the actual word of God? If the church is to regain a powerful life once more; it must regain the power that’s in the Word.
