Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Power



Wouldn’t it be cool if you had something so powerful, it could raise people from the dead and cure terminal diseases?  Something that could get you anything you want?  Something easy and available right now?  May I present to you…your mouth!
  
There’s so much in the bible about speaking.  During creation, God said let there be light.  When Jesus was tempted by the devil, he said “Get out of here, Satan”.  He also shouted “Lazarus, come out”.  Crazy how simple it is, huh?  Who knew such power was hidden in the mouth?

Now, this power can be used for just about anything, but today I want to talk about temptations.  Most people think only the devil tempts, but we actually tempt ourselves.  Specifically, our minds do.  James 1:14 says we are lured by our own evil desires.  Not demons.  Ourselves.  
Whoa, let’s pump the brakes here for a second…we’re not evil!  We’re new creations- perfect and righteous!  Yes, but our minds are not so perfect.  They’re actually pretty weak and useless until they get renewed (which is a process the Holy Spirit loves helping out with).  But you know what’s not weak and useless: our tongues.  They are pow-er-ful!

So, if we get tempted with something, we have two choices: combat it using our weak little minds, or with our powerful tongues.  I would suggest the second option.  However, in order to use our tongues, we’ve gotta have something to say.  Something powerful.  Like grace.  
Grace says we’re allowed to do anything and still be righteous.  Grace says there are no more rules.  It says we don’t have to feel guilty anymore…about anything.  We’re perfect, righteous, and protected because of what Jesus did.  Our actions can’t undo that.  Pretty cool, huh?

Now grace can be a little scary for people who don’t have much experience with freedom.  They want rules, and to be told what to do.  But we’re no longer under law; we’re free.  That means no rules.  
So let’s say we get tempted with something (like anger, porn, or smoking).  We know we’re allowed to do all that but, since we’re new creations, we don’t want to.  If we open up the New Testament we’ll find, sure enough, that “All things are lawful” (1 Cor 6:12).  Shucks; no rules to hide behind.  But we still want to resist temptations, because we’re righteous and slaves to nothing.  This is when we can use the mouth.

Instead of answering temptations with our weak thoughts, we make it an unfair fight.  We use our spoken words! 

“I am a new creation!  I am righteous.  Even though all things are lawful, I don’t want that anymore.  The Holy Spirit lives inside me and loves me very much.  Jesus loves me.  Dad is very proud of me and has given me a happy life without pain or regret!”  

Spoken words are very powerful.  Thoughts, on the other hand, are weak (until the mind is fully renewed).  Mental battles are won simply by talking out loud.  So study scripture to learn what to say, and don’t forget to grow in the knowledge of how much Dad loves you!