Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Who is Your Hero?
Pastor Scott
Saturday, May 01, 2004
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"For he that is dead is freed from sin."
(Romans 6:7)
Many are looking for independence and liberty. We should be asking, "What can I do to become more dependent upon God? What can I do to become freer from all of those appetites of the world, the weights and the sins that do so easily beset us? How can I change the treasures of my heart?"
"Think upon these things," Paul said in Philippians. You need to reprogram your mind. If you're asking questions about what's lawful and what liberty you have, it's because you've been feeding your mind with all the garbage of the secular, of the world. If you're fearful, it's because you're thinking of all the things that could go wrong instead of thinking, "Greater is He that is in me than he that's in the world." What is dominating your heart? Who are you trusting in today to satisfy you? What gets you excited? Have you tasted the goodness of God? What are you thinking on?
"For he that is dead [in Christ, crucified with Him, he that is become a new creature, he that has tasted the goodness of God, he that has eaten His flesh and drank His blood] is freed from sin" (Rom. 6:7). The real issue, beloved, is not how close to the world can I get and still be right with God. The real question should be, "If I'm gravitating to the world, am I right with God?" The world is to be crucified to us and us to the world, the apostle said. What in the world is appealing to you? Most of us don't look deep enough to understand what this smoke screen is that's trying to attract us. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). What really draws me to the world? Why do we need to take on their jargon? We're being vexed by the Sodom that we live in. God said that Lot was a righteous man, but he was vexed. He was a messed-up dude, not because he wanted to be what they were, but because he exposed himself to what they were. What are you doing to stand against it? What are you doing to save one soul and pluck one brand from the fire?
Who is your hero? Is it some movie star or athlete? Who do you want to dress like? Most of us are going to associate with somebody. We're talking about being free from the power of sin. We're talking about walking in the spirit so we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh. We're talking about seeking the things that are above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father. We're talking about being in the world, but not of the world. We're talking about the world being crucified to us, and us to the world. I've got a question for you: who is your hero? Who are you trying to be like? Who are you trying to please? Who do you want to say to you, "Well done"? We say we want to be dead to the world; we say we are not carnal. But some of us will be in a much better and safer position if we just admit we're carnal and want it all. The fact of the matter is this: if you say you don't want it, you're lying to yourself, because it's in every one of our members. We are dealing with the elevation of independence, self-will and pride. To the degree that you derive pleasure from something is the degree that you are under the power of it.