WHOM DO YOU OBEY?
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves (as) servant unto obedience, his servant ye are whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16 (ASV).
Babs is a young and dynamic handsome man with a very promising future and a godly parent. In April 2005, he ventured into the world of pleasure and sex gratification, he is now living with inconsolable regrets. Babs left his house somewhere in the Island to go and browse the internet in a community cyber café. On getting there, the system he opened, he met a pornographic site which the previous user had left unclosed. Babs fell for the temptation of adventuring into the site. He saw nude people and those in the act of sexual immorality. The sight tuned his body on; he lost his sense of morality and immediately logged out the computer with the sexual urge that has been aroused in him. He went to get someone (lady) to experiment sex with. He was pushed to a brothel to look for a prostitute and demanded to have a time out with her. Babs even refused the use of condom offered him by this prostitute; he wanted to do it as he saw it on the net. What a dangerous times we are in? Babs obeyed his body lust as his servant. Here is the pathetic outcome. Two months after this escapade event, Babs was under a lecture in their assembly which was on HIV/AIDS. He got struck in the course of the message. After the message, he came out to meet the guest speaker and narrated his ordeal and how he has been feeling. He was advised to go for HIV/AIDS test, which he did. Alas, Babs tested positive. An irreversible damage has been done just for a pleasure of few minutes by the reason of whom Babs obeyed.” His servants ye are whom ye obey? “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slave to obey, you are one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16b.
Friends, whom do you obey? “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slave to obey, you are one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Rom. 6:16NKJV). What is controlling the desire of your heart? Is it the world and its lust or God and His word of life that has eternal benefit?
1John 2:15-17 (NKJV). 15“The word of God says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16“for all that is in the world… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life… is not of the Father but is of the world. 17“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever” I John 2:15-17(NKJV). Be reminded, that all that glitters is not gold. What the present world system is suggesting and presenting is full of evil and are actually evil inventions. You need to know the truth to make right judgment, so that you will not be a victim of the world traps called pleasure and freedom.
The worldly dictates are lust and pride “For everything in the world the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does come not from the father but from the world” (I John 2:16 NIV). Hear what the scripture says in Romans 1:21-28(NIV).
21“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fool 23“and exchanged the glory of immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24“Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25“They exchanged the truth of God for a life, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator-who is forever praised. Amen. 26“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to depraved mind; to do what ought not to be done.
Remember, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Are these all that you give your life to serve or obey? You are a slave of sin, invariably you are under the bondage of Satan the prince of this world is the one working in the life of every disobedient children to the word of God. (Eph. 5)
He also is a liar and father of lies (John8:44). So if you are under the control of flesh and several like deeds, you are a slave of satan. Be warned, the end of that service years with the devil is filled with sorrow, pains, regrets and calamities.
Read this Rev. 4:7-12(NIV) “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The LORD wants you to overcome all these evils to be free from being a slave to sin and the devil. The way to become an overcomer from all these, is by changing whom you obey. If you will turn to obedience in the word of God, you will become a servant of what is right and good and has eternal benefit. 1Sam 15:22(NIV) “…Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fats rams?”
Friend, God has made a way out of that slavery, because you cannot free yourself from the old man i.e. devil. This is the goodnews “But thanks to God that, though you asked to be slaves to sin, you whole heartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness, Rom. 6:17-18. What is it that you must believe now and obey to be freed? That Jesus Christ has paid the price for your release from bondage of sin and death through his death and resurrection from death and all your sins have been forgiven and your life redeemed from sin. Eph 1:7. “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Col 1:13-14 “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son He loves. In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.”
He said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commit are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body… you were bought at a price, therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor.6:18-20). The Son of God has set you free and you are free indeed as you surrender your life to him as your Lord and Saviour. (John 8:34-36).
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
He says, “That if you confess with your mouth” Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame… For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-13, NIV). I plead with you to turn in total obedience to the Lordship of Christ over your life so that you can be from sorrow and calamities of sin. He will prosper your life here and hereafter. He says, “Whosever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show Myself to him”… “If anyone loves me he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (John 14:21,23NIV).
Friend, what is your decision now as you hear the Lord of lords saying, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned: he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24. Will you please cross over to the side of the Lord Jesus Christ who is able to safe to the utmost those that come unto Him for He is the captain of our salvation? His cross is the bridge placed before you now and be free forever, for a glorious life. Let Him become whom you obey from today.” Therefore if anyone is in Christ Jesus he/she is a new creation: the old has passed away behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness – Romans 6:18 “But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bow your heart and your head right now and pray, confess your sins, forsake them, ask for forgiveness and cleansing by His blood and confess Him as the Lord of your life. He forgives, cleanses and accepts you unto His beloved. Never return into bondage of sin again.
You are welcome to a new life in Christ Jesus, Shalom!
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