Enemy Of God - Proud Series

21 States of Man without God

(Third in series)

In the continuation of our series about the 21 states of man without God we will look at further states of our condition of life apart from God. So far, we have gone thru an alphabetical list of states of man without God, and we find ourselves in the E states of man.

1. Enemy of God

a. This is the state where we are just in plain opposition to the will of God, longing the world more than the God that loves us. And the book of James pulls no punches when he speaks about this state of man being an enemy of God.

b. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ~James 4:4

c. We are told in Scripture that we are in the world but not of the world. Although we must live our physical lives on this planet, we do not need to subscribe to all that the world does that opposes God. Nor do we look longingly to the things of this world but look to the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus.

d. There was a comic strip named Pogo, known for its seemingly simplistic, but slyly perceptive comments about the state of the world and politics. In this comic strip there was a quote, which was a pun of another famous quote by an American Naval commander. In this quote the strips creator summed up the world like this: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” So true that attempt at humor was. For as long as we rebel against God, we continue to be that enemy.

e. On the way to work, I noticed some interesting signs on the SUV in front of me. The spare tire mounted on the back had the words “Texas Longhorns” and an orange, steer-head icon on it. The trailer hitch displayed another steer-head icon and the word “Texas.” The license plate frame was bordered with the words “Longhorns” on top and “University of Texas” at the bottom.

But something didn’t add up. The license plate frame was screwed into a “California” license plate with a picture of a bear on it. I live in California, and the SUV’s license plate showed that this driver now did too. I assumed the owner of this SUV had moved but had not yet identified with his new home and had no plans of changing loyalties.

When we move, we often go through a slow transition of loyalties to our new home. And so, it is as a Christian. When we come to Christ, the kingdom of God becomes our home, but the kingdom of this world does not easily leave our hearts. The great challenge of the Christian is to overcome divided loyalties and fully identify with God’s kingdom.

f. Scripture tells us that our God is a jealous god and that worship to anything other than Him is considered adultery. So figure out what it is that means the most to you: God or everything else.

2. Evil

a. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this state of man as one residing in the heart, our inner being:

b. The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? ~Jeremiah 17:9

c. Only God can know the heart, and Jesus came with a cure for this state of man. In Romans chapter 12 the apostle Paul begs the Roman readers to turn from their internal sinful conditions and look to the mercies of God. And those mercies being an eternal life with the Father by way of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

d. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ~Romans 12:1-2

e. Make a confession from your mouth that Jesus is Lord and allow Him to start the change in you so that you can be a part of the internal change of your heart and mind. Allow the saving power of Jesus to make you a new creature today.

3. Foolish

a. In this state we find that we fail to see the truths in life. A state where we try to shortcut or bypass the responsibilities and commands given to us.

b. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” ~Matthew 7:26-27