"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance . . . and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19-21)
In the life of a Christian there are many things that we do that we can often refer to as "stumbling blocks." These are barriers in our personal walk with Christ Jesus our LORD. These "stumbling blocks" are small things, seemingly insignificant things that we sometimes don’t even realize we are doing. Yet in the end, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, they shall cry before us and condemn us before our Great God.
One such sin is that of "variance," to allow our feet to vary from the path illuminated by the Holy Spirit of our Saving Redeemer. In other words, to walk like Christ one day and the next live like the world. In such a state, the life of a Christian sends forth the message of confusion. Saying that God demands that we walk in "His ways and in His percepts" then we are seen of those we have preached to, living life to it’s sinful worst. Now don’t get me wrong! One does not have to kill, rape, or still to live life to it’s "sinful worst." As a matter of fact, some of Satan’s best witnesses can be found on the front pew every Sunday night, shouting "amen" as the preacher speaks his sermon. These "false believers" think in themselves that, "The little sins I commit aren’t important to God! After all, think of all the good that I do for Him in the sight of all these people and all the non-believers." Yet when these self-deceived believers stand before God, there shall be more hope for someone who has never heard of Christ, then for them. For they have accounted that God hath had partiality. That just because they have done good in the name of God they will not be judged for the sins they commit. In the end, they will learn that they never were the servants of Christ, but the servants of sin. For "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey." (Rom. 6:16) If we, as Christians, allow our trumpets to send forth that "uncertain sound" how will the world know we are Christians?
This message is for all believers, but it needs to be preached most of all to the youth of Christ! My generation, those that live amid the sinful lust of childhood. These young Christians have put God to an open shame more times then one can count. Proclaiming themselves Christians and living like the world. Shouting that they are the youth of Christ; the "hands," the "feet," the "ears" of Christ; then preforming the work of Satan with their hands and feet, and listening to the world’s music with their ears. The Bible declares that the Almighty God is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity!" (Hab. 1:13) Does the youth of today think that the ears of the LORD are not as Holy as His eyes? Behold and hear, the LORD shall declare from the roof tops, and shall sound the trumpet in His Holy Mountain. He shall shake His earth and will cause to crumble the workers of iniquity. He will purge our sins from among us, and shall deliver Zion once again into the captivity of our God.
We cannot allow the sound of confusion to escape from our lips, we must put out the embers of sin before they burst into the flaming fires of Hell. We cannot allow our earthly members, our carnal bodies, to deny the life of Christ Jesus. We must bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (II Cor. 10:5) This is our greatest challenge as followers of Jesus Christ and when it seems that we have done all to stand, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." (Eph. 6:13-18)
