All authority belongs to God. As I give in to God’s plan for my life and I adhere to His laws and commands, I am made to feel alive and free. Feeling free can cause me to feel unrestricted and unrestrained and by His ridding of the evil in my life, God has given me this feeling of liberty and authority; authority in the sense of right or privilege not in domination or decree. Authority to rejoice and the confidence to gain the victory over all God has commanded. As I gain God’s permissiveness it is then I hear the enemy ask, “Hath God said?” and I know that he is there to buffet and to bewilder me. I have been made free to choose where I want to go and to do what I choose to do, but while I remain in God’s will, I am no longer under the control of the enemy and have become a threat to his authority and purpose. If I am truly free does not give me the right or liberty to choose what is evil and if I should choose to go there I am only placing myself back into the bondage from which I was once delivered. Salvation infers a state of deliverance and to continue in doing those things that are of this world shows no true repentance or transformation.
As I am being tempted, I ask my self what will I gain by yielding and what will I lose if I willingly surrender my integrity? This is not a question that takes long to answer and it is not a question that has multiple answers or solutions. Sacrificing the moment for a minute of evil passion can never be considered as redeeming the time and wasted opportunities can never be recovered or redeemed (Ephesians 5:16). It is a time or moment in my life that will draw me closer to my God or will cause me to experience deep bitterness and shame by forcing me away. Sin will never cause me to gain and losing will never cause me to win. The weakness of my flesh has caused me to desire the things of this world and anticipate their importance or value. As I contemplate their significance, I can find no true worth or eternal merit. We truly have momentary defeats in our lives; we are forever being tempted to sin. If we have given our hearts to the Lord, the final outcome has been determined but we must be faithful to His cause if we are to enjoy His daily deliverance. GLH