WHY SMART PEOPLE DO DUMB THINGS
Dr. Paul Kingsbury

All of us have done dumb things. But one of the dumbest things that anybody could have done is found in Genesis three. An intelligent man and an intelligent woman made a very dumb decision. This decision was so damaging that six thousand years later we still feel the repercussions of their dumb decisions.

Adam and Eve were no dummies. Adam’s first assignment when God made him was to name all the animals in the world. It takes a lot of intelligence to do that. When God made man in His own image, He didn’t make man dumb. He gave man a 3-pound brain that can do things that super computers cannot do!

What takes place in Genesis three is so intricate to our lives now. I consider this chapter to be one of the foundational chapters of the Bible. It is a key to understanding life, success, eternity, God, each other, and everything in between!

My life and ministry is consumed with people work. And I tell you, as I deal with their problems, I see daily that people do dumb things! Now, we are not speaking of uneducated, simple people here! It’s not even the backslidden Christian of whom we are speaking! If Adam and Eve were members of our local church, they would be the perfect couple! These were intelligent people!

First Timothy 2:14 helps us also better understand what took place on that fateful day in the lives of Adam and Eve. Speaking of that very occasion in the garden, God tells us that, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

If we paddle up the streams of sin to the headwaters, we are going to find two sources for why smart people do dumb things. Why the smartest man and woman in the world, living in the best of environments, still sinned. This was extremely dumb! It was for two different reasons. We will first look at Eve’s story and then we will look at Adam’s.

The Bible says that Eve was deceived. It does not mean that Eve was of any less intelligence. Sin by its very nature deceives us.

How was Eve deceived? Well, at that time, there was only one deceiver available—Lucifer, otherwise known as, the devil. In Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, we find out that Lucifer had superior intelligence, beauty, and incredible skill in music. He was in charge of 1/3 of heaven’s angels! But through his pride, he attempted to be equal with God. This plunged him into the world as Satan. In John 8:44, Jesus said that he is the father of lies, the great deceiver. And at the core of sin in most people’s lives is a deception!

Sin by its very nature is deceptive. Paul put it this way in Romans 7:11, “For sin… deceived me, and by it slew me.” Sin is packaged to look so good! It never shows the real picture of sin. Proverbs 20:1 tells us that, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Sin is deceptive! The world ought to package the sin like it really is! They don’t show the Marlboro man just before death, eaten with cancer. Alcohol never tells of the broken lives, torn families, and regretful consequences. Why? Because sin is deceiving.

People can deceive you. “Deceive” is used 67 times in the Bible. Almost every time it is used it is warning the reader against being deceived by people.

Trace sin back to its roots, and we see that sometimes we sin because we are simply deceived! We actually think we are doing something that’s good, beneficial and helpful! And yet, we sin. Even though Eve was deceived, she still suffered the consequences. Even though you may have been deceived into sin, you will still suffer your consequences.

You see, the greatest deceiver is not Satan, it’s self. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” And that’s what makes this so difficult. We can often think that we are the ones that are okay. But in reality, we are being deceived. But that’s all part of being deceived—you don’t even know it!

Those on the outside, generally being authority, can clearly see the destruction of your foolish choices. But we decide, “Well, I just think it’s the right thing to do.” If it is contrary to God’s Word, then it’s not the right thing to do. You may say, “But I have such a good feeling about this!” Hang your feelings! If you live by your feelings, you will be like a yoyo. Feelings come and go, but God’s Word is eternal. He knows what is best for you.

When Eve took of that fruit, she thought she was doing something good for her husband, something good for her marriage, something good for the family! Why? Because sister Eve was deceived.

But a far more hideous and heinous crime occurred that day. Oh, yes it was more hideous and heinous than Eve’s. In fact, Adam’s sin was so great that God recorded in Romans 5:12 that, “…by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men.” What did Adam do? Adam went into this with his eyes wide open. Adam did not listen to the serpent as he suavely spoke to Eve and think, “Oh, this is a good idea!” He thought, “This is destructive! We can’t do this!”

You see, Adam’s sin was more hideous and heinous than Eve’s because here is what he did: He forsook his position under God’s authority, thus rendering himself ineffective as a leader in a position of authority in his own home to be the provider and protector of his wife. And by coming out from under his authority, Adam became his own authority, thus he lost his authority, and because of that, God said that his sin was the greater sin.

You see, if I don’t stay under God’s authority in my life, and I try to lead my wife and my family, my church, my responsibilities, whatever positions, whatever hats I wear among human relationships, once I vacate my proper position under authority, I marginalize my effectiveness in my positions of authority. That’s why their home imploded.

Sin can be traced back to the headwaters of rebellion against authority. You see, Adam’s sin was not the sin of deception; his sin was the sin of deliberation! He deliberately chose to sin, knowing full well what he was doing. Now, for you and me, six thousand years later, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is this: If you don’t deal with your sin biblically, you are going to destroy your life. I don’t care how ideal your marriage may be, you could have the nicest home like Adam and Eve did, you could have the greatest relationship with God, but if you get deceived by the devil, you will be destroyed. It doesn’t matter who you are; you can’t get into a position with God that you can’t be destroyed. And if you deliberately step out from under God’s ordained authority in your life, it will influence and impact your ability to lead others, and you will be responsible for destroying lives. It’s bad news, but it’s the truth.

The good news is this: Through confession of sin, forsaking of our sin, and trusting Jesus Christ, that sin can be broken. Glory to God! It is as if God puts up a dam at the headwaters and says, “You don’t have to be deceived. My blood can cleanse you from your sin and set you free. I can give you a sound mind, and you can make good decisions and good choices; you do not have to be deceived, glory to God!

And you can come back under His authority. God gave us authority for our protection. Put yourself back under that protection. You will find, smart friend, that it will keep you from making very dumb things!

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SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST
Pastor Kingsbury

To be sanctified in Christ is to be sacred and wholly consecrated unto God. In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, it was of the utmost urgency to him that this church understand their sanctification. In the opening greeting, he mentions their sanctification: “…to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints (same word as sanctified)…” (I Cor. 1:2). As a child of God, we too are sanctified and called to be saints.

To the Corinthians reading this letter from Paul, sanctification had a strong religious meaning to them. The Old Testament book of Leviticus was solely dedicated to the sanctification process of worship God set up for the children of Israel. Their tabernacle was a visual place where they could meet with the Lord.

During Old Testament days, they did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling within them. The tabernacle was their place of worship. The tabernacle was sanctified. It was not to be like any of the other buildings among the people. It was special, sacred and holy. It was consecrated unto God.

Not only was the tabernacle consecrated unto God, but anything that was in the tabernacle or came into the tabernacle was sanctified. From the basins to the candlesticks, animal sacrifices to the priest, everything that entered the tabernacle was chosen, cleansed, and consecrated for the tabernacle’s use.

These people understood that to be sanctified was to be sacred and set apart unto God. Likewise, those of us who know the Lord as our personal Savior are just like that tabernacle. We are sanctified, set apart unto God. First Corinthians 3:16 tells us, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Cor. 6:19)

Sanctification is a privilege. Friend, God has chosen you! God has selected you! God has blessed you and me with the privilege of being in Christ. Out of all the people in the world, He has chosen us to serve Him!

Sanctification is more than just God choosing you. Sanctification is a personal responsibility. The sanctified Christian life is our being useful to God. The tragedy of the un-sanctified Christian life is this: taking that which is sanctified unto God and using it for an unholy purpose.

If there was ever a church that needed this subject it was the church at Corinth.

You see, sanctification teaches us our position in Christ. This is not because of our own merit or our own goodness. It is a position we receive simply because we are in Christ. I have a position before God of sacred, consecrated holiness before Him. Why? Because one day I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. What a privilege this position is! In fact, the second time this word “sanctification” is used in the Bible, it is in Exodus 13:1-2. The Bible says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn…”. The firstborn was holy, sacred, sanctified, set apart unto God. If you were the firstborn in the family, you enjoyed privileges that nobody else in the family enjoyed.

This principle is carried forth in the New Testament where Jesus is called the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). In Colossians 1:15, our Savior is called the firstborn of every creature. In Colossians 1:18, He is called the firstborn among the dead. This is a privileged position, reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I have news for you, my friend. Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, and the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven…”. In Christ, I positionally am as equal as the firstborn Son of God. God looks at me as the privileged person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees Christ when He sees me. Glory to God, that is the position of sanctification! What a privilege it is!

But it did not come without a price. Sanctification is priceless. Hebrews 10:10 tells us concerning the price of our sanctification—“…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” My friend, you can’t get accepted with God except through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through His death, His burial, and His resurrection, His shed blood, you and I can stand before God as His child sanctified in His sight. Praise God for the price that was paid.

However, in spite of all this, the people at Corinth were living far below their potential for Christ. They were living way outside of what God had really created them to be. I mean, God wanted them to be rocket scientists and they were out picking up garbage. But we as 21st century Christians are guilty of the same sin! If you are saved, you are a child of the King! We walk with the King. We know the King. We serve the King. It is a privilege and honor to have that kind of relationship with God Almighty and with His Son Jesus Christ. Why then ought we not want to sanctify ourselves that we might be vessels then that are fit for the Master’s use?

We are sanctified “in Christ.” But there is another side to the coin, so to speak. There is another issue you must face. It is not your position, it is now your progression. God has already positionally made us sacred. Now He is calling us to a sacred life.

Sanctification is a partnership. God is committed to doing His part. We must be committed to doing our part. You think about this. There is an unmistakable connection between how one lives their personal life and their effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in serving Jesus Christ. My friend, if you are a dirty vessel, you are not going to be useful for God. The reason the world is going to hell is because of the carnality of Corinthian-like Christians who are living way below their calling. We are called to be holy. Called to be saints. Called to be sanctified.

Now, I’m glad to tell you that you are not going to have to do it on your own. In fact, you cannot do it on your own. That is why God has given you a pastor. That is why God has given you a church. That is why God has given you the indwelling Spirit of God. And that’s why God has given us this book, the Bible.

Sin dirties the vessel and makes it unfit for the Master’s use. And as a result of that, we miss out on the blessing of serving Him and the world misses out on the blessing of serving Him. God is grieved and we are not happy. And it is all because we are not cooperating with God in this matter of sanctification!

You may think it is just a little sin. But it is the little foxes that spoil the vine. I’m simply saying that there needs to be in our lives as a sanctified Christian, there needs to be a zero tolerance for sin. Why? Because of who I am in Christ. I am a privileged person. I am sanctified in Him.

The apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth in I Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” What was he talking about? He is talking about this other side of sanctification. Sure, God has called us. God has chosen us. God created us to be a chosen vessel unto Him. But Paul recognized that it was up to him. He had to cooperate with God in this matter of personal sanctification.

When we got saved, all the equipping we needed we received right then. You see, there is a world of difference between being spiritually gifted and being spiritual. Far too many Christians are gifted, but yet they have allowed their vessels to become dirty.

Just the time you think a life is worthless, friend, think again! God can consecrate a life, and if we cooperate with His cleansing in our life, and the sky is the limit as to how He can use us for His glory.

I want you lastly to see that sanctification is a promise. First Corinthians 1:8 says, “Who (Jesus) shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we are in Christ, we have a promise from God that one day we won’t have to struggle with our ugly flesh any more. No more temptations, no more financial pressures, praise God! Someday I will be in heaven sanctified positionally and personally. We will be able to serve our Savior forever and ever. Amen!

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Do you know anybody you need to claim that verse for? Maybe it is you. Friend, no matter where you are today, the sanctified life is attainable for you. It depends simply on your position of remaining “in Christ.”

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SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST
Pastor Kingsbury

To be sanctified in Christ is to be sacred and wholly consecrated unto God. In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, it was of the utmost urgency to him that this church understand their sanctification. In the opening greeting, he mentions their sanctification: “…to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints (same word as sanctified)…” (I Cor. 1:2). As a child of God, we too are sanctified and called to be saints.

To the Corinthians reading this letter from Paul, sanctification had a strong religious meaning to them. The Old Testament book of Leviticus was solely dedicated to the sanctification process of worship God set up for the children of Israel. Their tabernacle was a visual place where they could meet with the Lord.

During Old Testament days, they did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling within them. The tabernacle was their place of worship. The tabernacle was sanctified. It was not to be like any of the other buildings among the people. It was special, sacred and holy. It was consecrated unto God.

Not only was the tabernacle consecrated unto God, but anything that was in the tabernacle or came into the tabernacle was sanctified. From the basins to the candlesticks, animal sacrifices to the priest, everything that entered the tabernacle was chosen, cleansed, and consecrated for the tabernacle’s use.

These people understood that to be sanctified was to be sacred and set apart unto God. Likewise, those of us who know the Lord as our personal Savior are just like that tabernacle. We are sanctified, set apart unto God. First Corinthians 3:16 tells us, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Cor. 6:19)

Sanctification is a privilege. Friend, God has chosen you! God has selected you! God has blessed you and me with the privilege of being in Christ. Out of all the people in the world, He has chosen us to serve Him!

Sanctification is more than just God choosing you. Sanctification is a personal responsibility. The sanctified Christian life is our being useful to God. The tragedy of the un-sanctified Christian life is this: taking that which is sanctified unto God and using it for an unholy purpose.

If there was ever a church that needed this subject it was the church at Corinth.

You see, sanctification teaches us our position in Christ. This is not because of our own merit or our own goodness. It is a position we receive simply because we are in Christ. I have a position before God of sacred, consecrated holiness before Him. Why? Because one day I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. What a privilege this position is! In fact, the second time this word “sanctification” is used in the Bible, it is in Exodus 13:1-2. The Bible says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn…”. The firstborn was holy, sacred, sanctified, set apart unto God. If you were the firstborn in the family, you enjoyed privileges that nobody else in the family enjoyed.

This principle is carried forth in the New Testament where Jesus is called the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). In Colossians 1:15, our Savior is called the firstborn of every creature. In Colossians 1:18, He is called the firstborn among the dead. This is a privileged position, reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I have news for you, my friend. Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, and the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven…”. In Christ, I positionally am as equal as the firstborn Son of God. God looks at me as the privileged person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees Christ when He sees me. Glory to God, that is the position of sanctification! What a privilege it is!

But it did not come without a price. Sanctification is priceless. Hebrews 10:10 tells us concerning the price of our sanctification—“…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” My friend, you can’t get accepted with God except through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through His death, His burial, and His resurrection, His shed blood, you and I can stand before God as His child sanctified in His sight. Praise God for the price that was paid.

However, in spite of all this, the people at Corinth were living far below their potential for Christ. They were living way outside of what God had really created them to be. I mean, God wanted them to be rocket scientists and they were out picking up garbage. But we as 21st century Christians are guilty of the same sin! If you are saved, you are a child of the King! We walk with the King. We know the King. We serve the King. It is a privilege and honor to have that kind of relationship with God Almighty and with His Son Jesus Christ. Why then ought we not want to sanctify ourselves that we might be vessels then that are fit for the Master’s use?

We are sanctified “in Christ.” But there is another side to the coin, so to speak. There is another issue you must face. It is not your position, it is now your progression. God has already positionally made us sacred. Now He is calling us to a sacred life.

Sanctification is a partnership. God is committed to doing His part. We must be committed to doing our part. You think about this. There is an unmistakable connection between how one lives their personal life and their effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in serving Jesus Christ. My friend, if you are a dirty vessel, you are not going to be useful for God. The reason the world is going to hell is because of the carnality of Corinthian-like Christians who are living way below their calling. We are called to be holy. Called to be saints. Called to be sanctified.

Now, I’m glad to tell you that you are not going to have to do it on your own. In fact, you cannot do it on your own. That is why God has given you a pastor. That is why God has given you a church. That is why God has given you the indwelling Spirit of God. And that’s why God has given us this book, the Bible.

Sin dirties the vessel and makes it unfit for the Master’s use. And as a result of that, we miss out on the blessing of serving Him and the world misses out on the blessing of serving Him. God is grieved and we are not happy. And it is all because we are not cooperating with God in this matter of sanctification!

You may think it is just a little sin. But it is the little foxes that spoil the vine. I’m simply saying that there needs to be in our lives as a sanctified Christian, there needs to be a zero tolerance for sin. Why? Because of who I am in Christ. I am a privileged person. I am sanctified in Him.

The apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth in I Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” What was he talking about? He is talking about this other side of sanctification. Sure, God has called us. God has chosen us. God created us to be a chosen vessel unto Him. But Paul recognized that it was up to him. He had to cooperate with God in this matter of personal sanctification.

When we got saved, all the equipping we needed we received right then. You see, there is a world of difference between being spiritually gifted and being spiritual. Far too many Christians are gifted, but yet they have allowed their vessels to become dirty.

Just the time you think a life is worthless, friend, think again! God can consecrate a life, and if we cooperate with His cleansing in our life, and the sky is the limit as to how He can use us for His glory.

I want you lastly to see that sanctification is a promise. First Corinthians 1:8 says, “Who (Jesus) shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we are in Christ, we have a promise from God that one day we won’t have to struggle with our ugly flesh any more. No more temptations, no more financial pressures, praise God! Someday I will be in heaven sanctified positionally and personally. We will be able to serve our Savior forever and ever. Amen!

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Do you know anybody you need to claim that verse for? Maybe it is you. Friend, no matter where you are today, the sanctified life is attainable for you. It depends simply on your position of remaining “in Christ.”

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Are you discontented with an empty, meaningless, pointless life where everything just focuses on you and your own pleasures? Have you found out that what you have is not satisfying; so you get another goal; and then, when you reach it, you find out it’s not satisfying either?  You are not alone.

Over and over in Scripture, we see people desperately crying out to God for mercy.  Whether it was the sick, the crippled, or the demon-possessed, these people came to Jesus seeking His mercy for their problems.  What is it that brings a person to a position where they are conscious of their need for mercy from God?  Hebrews 4:1, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” These people who are conscious of their need for God’s mercy are motivated to come boldly to God for mercy because of fear.  I understand that Jesus said, “Fear not” oftentimes to his disciples.  There are some things we should not fear; but at the same time, there is a healthy fear that every Christian ought to have. I want my life to count for Jesus Christ.  I want to know that I made a positive difference in this world.   I want my wife and our children to know that I was a man of God, and I had an influence in their life.   I want to be a faithful pastor.  However, I live with fear of falling short of that goal.  I do not want to do anything, be anything, or go anywhere that will ruin the potential that I have for Jesus Christ in this life. So, I am motivated by that fear. People who are conscious of their need for God’s mercy are motivated by fear.

People who seek God’s mercy are also motivated by the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Bible is alive, and it beats with the heartbeat of Jesus Christ.  It is far more than just pieces of paper in a bound book; it is the living Word of God. That means it is current for every generation. If the Bible is doing what it should in your life, it will be like a two-edged sword.  Swords are very motivating. If I said, “Move out of the way,” you might say, “Why should I?” But, if I had a sharp two-edged sword, and I poked you with it, you would move out of the way without any argument.

It is tragic, but many people have a relationship with the Bible that does not move them. As a result, they are not very conscious of their need for God and His mercy in their lives. When God’s Word starts piercing and dividing asunder your soul and spirit, you are going to be motivated to go to God for help.  When it begins to cut you, when it begins to reveal, as He says here in this verse, “the thoughts and intents of the heart,” you see your need for mercy very clearly.   Think about your thought life.  Aren’t you glad there is not a little monitor where everyone can actually see and hear what you are thinking?  When people are cut by the Word of God, it drives them to seek God’s mercy.

Do you seek God’s mercy today?  It is available, my friend, for his mercies “are new every morning.”

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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Good Morning!  Looking again today at I Thessalonians 2, I want to direct your attention to verse eleven.  Paul likens his balanced ministry to a father with his children, ^“As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.” I know that not everyone has the privilege of growing up with a godly father who expressed his love and guided his children.  But, there is nothing sweeter than a close parent-child relationship.  My 12-year-old son, Justin, still comes in to say good night to me.  I would not trade anything for the time we spend together, talking about the things of God, praying for each other and for God’s work in our church and our lives. I have never seen a parent shout and berate a child into good behavior.  But, I have seen patience and love work amazing transformations.  This is true with all relationships. You are not going to shout anybody into getting right with God.  You are not going to criticize anybody into getting right with God.  You are not going to insult anyone into getting right with God. Remember, the “goodness of God leadeth [them] to repentance.”

When working with people, Paul reminds us in verse 12, “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his kingdom and glory.” This is the vision that Paul and others had when they first came to Thessalonica; it had a vision that was “eternal”. Why do people do ministry? Why should we disciple others?  Sadly, some people do it for personal, selfish reasons. Paul said, “I want you to know that our vision for you is that you walk worthy of the vocation in which God has called to you; worthy of His kingdom; worthy of His glory.” Oftentimes, our efforts to help people with the truth of this Word are curtailed and hindered because we lose sight of the eternal nature of our purpose.  Paul and his team started out focused on the long-term goal, and they kept that focus no matter what else was going on around them.

After all is said and done, it really is not about our comfort.  It is not really about changing people to benefit us or even ultimately to benefit them. It is ultimately for Him.

The church in Thessalonica was not just great while Paul and Silas and others were there, because those people were not focused on pleasing Paul and others. They were not just “toeing the line” because someone, a spiritual leader, a mentor was overseeing them. They caught a vision that they could walk worthy of the vocation that God has called them fulfill. How do we “minister” when no one is looking?  We must walk worthy.  It is absolutely essential, but it will never happen unless we continually work in this matter of blending and balancing our mercy and truth in presenting God’s Word to others.  Your ministry, whether to an entire church or a single individual, will succeed to the extent that it matches this pattern established by Paul and his team.  Let us all learn from their example.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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How does the Hid-N-Life relate to my affections? If I appropriate my identity in Christ by faith, I need to also cooperate with God’s Spirit as He “restores my soul.” This process of renewal in the mind, will, and emotions (Romans 12:1-2) depends on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

An aspect of this renewal that has been impressed upon me lately is that of renewing the affections. If Christ is my life, I will delight in that which HE delights. My affections will be directed to what is valuable to Him.

How prone the flesh is to delight in the sensual and carnal desires of this fallen world. I recently heard a great definition to help identify present day idols in the lives of 20^th century Christians. One simple question will reveal unhealthy delights. How would you respond if it is taken from you? Idols are a very real addiction in our society today. This should be no surprise to us as it is in the list Paul gave us for the manifestations of the flesh. James rebuked the early Christians for following after their own lust or pleasures (James 4:1-3). Why else would John need to caution us in his first epistle? 1John 2:15-16, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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.” This delight to have, be and do can be changed by the inside persuasion of a new spirit as well as the Spirit of God.

The true believer has the blessing of a regenerated human spirit – “the new man” (Colossians 3:10). We have been made partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Yet the soul is still vulnerable to the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” 1 Peter 2:11.

When the Lord Jesus is functioning as my LORD and LIFE, He will redirect my AFFECTIONS. What should we delight in?

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

(Psalm 37:4)

Delight in God’s perfect will –  “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

Delight in the Word of God – “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”

(Psalm 119:162)

Delight in God’s moral principles – “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

(Romams 7:22)

Delight in God’s comfort – “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

(Psalm 94:19)

Delight in the Second Coming –  “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

(1Peter 1:13)

Delight in the blessing of eternal fellowship with God – “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

(Psalm 16:11)

Evan Hopkins wrote, “We shall seek what we love and delight in. It is where our treasure is that our heart will be also. ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is nothing upon earth I desire beside Thee.’ What are the things we are seeking? It is those things that are filling our thoughts and attracting our affections. It is upon these we set our wills and concentrate our energies. It is not difficult to seek what we love.

Will we ask God to search our heart and redirect our affections to where they belong?

Our Father, we confess that our affections tend to get misdirected as we live by sight instead of by faith. Illumine us so that we will set our hearts on things above, where Christ, Who is our life, is seated with You. Continually restore our soul by redirecting our affections to what is eternally worthy. Amen.

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Christianity without Christ is Boring!

II Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

The other day my wife and I were discussing the alarming rate at which we have noticed people dropping out of ministry and even out of local churches altogether. There are many excuses that people give for the dropout rate; however, I believe that much of it boils down to the fact that people are sick of “going through the motions” of a dead religion. How frustrating it is to try and start a car when the tank is on empty or trying to use a flashlight with the wrong type of battery. We need more people around to show them that Jesus Christ is alive! They need to realize the power of God living within them!

I would rather be a Christian than anything I know. Being able to live the very life of Jesus Christ on earth, right here and right now, and tap into the limitless resources of his Deity to accomplish only those purposes designed by almighty God is the most exciting life anyone can live.

It is exciting to work in a ministry that exposes the hidden life to so many different kinds of people, especially those that participate in one of our conferences, or listen to a tape or a book that explains this hidden life in Christ. At first, the hearer is often bewildered by what they hear, and many times it seems to go right over their head. Then slowly, they come to a moment of truth where it becomes so obviously clear. You can watch their faces as if the proverbial light bulb came on. They begin to see the truths of the crucified Christian life and realize how profound they are; yet simple, thus making them simply profound.

Paul expressed a grave concern to the church at Corinthians regarding this process of understanding the crucified Christian life. He even called it a fear that he had. The context of 2 Corinthians 11, Paul had just compared the church to a virgin, soon to be presented as a bride to her Redeemer, yet he was reminded of how the first woman, Eve, was deceived by a tempter, and led astray from walking with God to knowing about God.

II Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear (alarmed that it would happen again), lest by any means (no limit to gain a result), as the serpent beguiled Eve (to adapt temptation to a person’s character or circumstances) through his subtilty (trickery), so your mind should be corrupted (your thoughts should be perverted) from the simplicity that is in Christ (a single hearted devotedness to Him).

Paul was anxiously concerned that nothing in their lives should detract from the simplicity that was in Christ. That simplicity is found in Galatians 2:20, particularly in the phrase, “yet not I” I am also inclined that many Christians today believe they can have a relationship with the Lord by what they do for Him in the local church. Their mind has been “perverted”, that is to have an intended meaning altered, misrepresented, and corrupted. When the mind is corrupt, it is manifested by the affections being alienated from the proper object and the soul is filled with its own purposes and desires. The end result is our heart is alienated from not only the Source but the power gained from that Source. We’ll never have a relationship with Him because of what we do; we’ll only have a relationship with Him because of what He did. I also witness those who minister to people with the idea that they’re a good Christian if they do “these things” and the Christian life/discipleship is based on an outward appearance instead of an inward relationship. The utmost need in every ministry and in every outreach and in every denomination is to rediscover the Lord Jesus Christ and the Person of His indwelling Presence within the believer.

Today we can encounter the living, risen Lord who shares His life with us on our way to Heaven … so that He may accomplish through us what He began to do in His own physical body 2,000 years ago. What a fantastic privilege! Today allow that phrase ring in your heart, “yet not I” and experience the abundant life instead of a redundant life.

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2 Corinthians 3:17-18: Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

It is a great privilege to live in America and to enjoy a freedom that few nations have ever known. But it is a far greater privilege to be “born again” and to enjoy the spiritual freedom available only in Jesus Christ. This freedom is given through the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God, enabling us to know and to do the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures. Note three things from our text which will help us to understand and appreciate the wonderful liberty we have in the Spirit of God.

First, note the POTENTIAL of our liberty in the Spirit. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit from the moment of conversion. Thus, the potential of true liberty is found in the words “where the spirit of the Lord is” (v. 17b). Believers are not told to seek the Holy Spirit for He already dwells within. But we are told to yield to the Holy Spirit and when we do, the potential of liberty in the Spirit becomes a reality. One of the greatest deceptions of our day is the use of psychology and “brainwashing” techniques to help us supposedly discover our “hidden potential.” While these methods claim to give “liberty“ they will enslave us, for only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit can any believer reach his full potential and enjoy full freedom.

Second, note the POSITION of our liberty in the Spirit. Our position before God is perfect for we stand in the righteousness of Jesus Christ’s imputed righteousness, we are able to come boldly and confidently to the Throne of Grace for help in any time of need.

Third, note the POSSESSION of our liberty in the Spirit. Every believer has been sealed by the Spirit of God until the day of redemption. We may grieve the Holy Spirit but He cannot be “grieved away” as some mistakenly teach. The work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s children is a continuous work. We may hinder or delay that work and fail to enjoy the liberty God wants us to have, but that work never ceases, that liberty never ends.

Every believer should earnestly desire to be more like Christ with every passing day. And, as we keep our eyes upon the Christ of the Scriptures, we will be “changed into the same image” (v. 18). How thankful we all should be for the glorious liberty of the children of God. I pray that you will walk in that liberty today and live a victorious Christian life.

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