Choices

Our Consequences. Not God’s

“The reason God tells us not to sin is not because He is controlling, not because He is a bully in the sky, it’s because He knows that’s the only way the devil can get a foothold and a stronghold and a legal right to your life.”

“Sin births new lies. It tampers with our ideologies. Sin affects and infects the mind. You went past the sin but the consequence of the sin has now infected the mind. You were not just affected by it but there’s also an infection that can only be cured through sanctification. Fighting the lies that have now been birthed in the mind with the truth. Through prayers, Bible Study, Fellowship, in consistency and discipline! The infection is in the mindset that follows. Repentance and Sanctification allows for relearning and unlearning.”

Craft to Christ!

Reading the first books of the Bible, the Torah, and all the gruesome laws and battles entering Joshua and there’s an understanding of what we do to separate ourselves from God and push ourselves far from Him.

Our actions have consequences. And it’s not something to be used to, it’s something to be constantly conscious of. Looking at the laws given, there’s always a reason for order. It’s not restricting, it’s protecting. It keeps us from venturing into territories that will inadvertently cause issues for us.

God has a reason for everything He tells us to do. And more than anything, it’s never about Him because nothing we do or don’t do affects Him in any way. It’s us. We’re the ones always affected. And He is just watching out for us. Constantly.

Don’t steal. You could literally die if you’re caught and the owner defends himself and his property.

Don’t commit adultery. Our favorite😂. Don’t stir up certain desires outside of its original design. Why? Because it’s more spiritual than we realize and so much can be attached to it. That action. I’m no saint. But I see it for what it is, another form of protection. Unwanted pregnancies and decisions. Sicknesses. Soul ties. Whatever it may be. Every action has its corresponding consequence.

Everything you do or don’t do has an attaching effect.

So imagine this. I’m standing with God in front of me and I’m holding onto Him. I’m focused on Him and I’m asking Him questions or just engaging with Him, and then something comes along and stands outside of He and I.

He says, “Don’t look.”

I am naturally curious as to what it is and why He is telling me not to look. But He is telling me not to look because He knows exactly how things will play out against me when I do, only I don’t have access to this knowledge. I don’t know this. Not yet.

Do I pursue my curiosity? Or do I trust Him?

These two questions are more important than we realize. And every time in Bible History, the children of God have been faced with these questions.

It’s hard to pick number two. No matter how many times we say we understand what it means and what will happen for us when we do.

Why? Because we are naturally of sinful nature and that’s why the Holy Spirit is working with us to renew our minds. The flesh has to be subdued every day.

When we are born again in Christ and we take on His new nature, there’s a war that wages within us everyday between this beautiful new nature and the old one still trying to cling to our bodies.

And so, what do we need to do?

Kill it, constantly, consistently.

How?

Feeding this beautiful new nature to gain ascendancy over the old one. Feeding our hearts with truth that trumps all the lies we have accumulated all our lives. We still need to kill the traits and characteristics of the past nature of sin in our flesh.

It’s a fallen world, with fallen people. We failed the first time those two questions were asked and we are still paying for it.

But now we know better right?

With the consequences of that first time we chose we should know better right?

Unfortunately, it’s not the case. It’s still harder when we know better and that’s why at the crux of everything all we need to do really is trust Him. He knows that’s one key way to win the war against our sinful nature. Just Trust Him.

“Trust Me, my child.”, God says. “Don’t Look!”

“Don’t try to find out.”

“If I’m saying you don’t need to look, you shouldn’t. And I promise you, you don’t need to.”

“Just Trust Me”, God says.

Do I listen though?

Not all the time unfortunately. So, no.

Do I want to?

Yes. I really do.

But like Paul rightly said, I do what I don’t want to do and do not do what I want to do (paraphrased). Check out the verse in Romans 7:15.

And so I don’t kill that curiosity and allow myself to look, picking the first question. And when I do, my hold on God slips slightly but I don’t realize it until it’s too late. And so everything God knows would happen when I pay attention to that ‘distraction’…..

Let’s call it ‘distraction’.

…….happens and when I finally look back at Him because He is still working on my behalf, to keep me from getting lost. He is still looking out for me and chasing after me. He is still fighting for me. (And that’s if I actually eventually look back at Him. Because sometimes guilt looks like not looking back at God because I am ashamed of my disobedience.)

That’s what it really is. Disobedience.

When all of it happens and I look back at God as He is still calling out to me, I see that I’ve drifted far from Him and it becomes work, that was not necessary initially, to get myself back to Him. Obviously I can’t do this, and so what happens, He helps. Like He always does.

He draws me back to Himself. But there’s still the work I need to do now to get back to where He is. Get back my grip on Him, and allow it to hold.

Be steady.

When God tells us not to do something, it’s to prevent us from losing our steady standing. To prevent us from getting hurt. Because that ‘distraction’ could lead to hurt and we would need to work out the effect of that hurt to get back to where we were with Him before eventually progressing. Because God still remains, unaffected. We are the ones affected.

And it’s not a call for you to say “It’s not fair!”

Because He did warn us. He did tell us not to. He did tell us to just trust Him.

And it’s not like He can’t tell us why.

Because God knows that telling us why could be more detrimental than helpful and so if it’s not going to be beneficial all He can really say is, ‘Trust Me’.

But we always want to know.

Or it’s a case of we won’t understand. Sometimes until years have passed. Sometimes till never ever, not until Jesus comes again.

God knows too much about everything. Not just too much. He knows everything about everything for us not to just trust Him.

He can be trusted.

He has a track record.

Why then do we still not trust Him?

When He says it’s not time yet. The job is coming but not yet. The marriage is coming but not yet. The child is coming but not yet. That soul will be saved but not yet.

There are so many moving pieces we are not aware of, some we can never be aware of.

So many moving pieces.

We can’t see everything. No matter how hard we try….

No matter how many things we create to help us see.

Because the things that are seen, have been made by/from things unseen (Hebrews 11:3). We are already disadvantaged there. To have the advantage in that area, we need Him.

He and He alone. No one else. Nothing else.

We start seeing only through Him.

So, sin, a term Christians use all the time, is not a scare tactic, it’s a literal thing that came into existence when the first man failed to pick the right question. When we pick “Imma see for myself” instead (‘taken’ from Ariel Fitz-Patrick).

The consequences of that decision can still be seen today. There are always consequences for every choice we make. Either good or bad and it affects us. Not God. Us!

So imagine instead, I fought against that curiosity and decided to just trust God. Not for any other reason, just because of Him. Knowing who He is. His track record. Trusting who He is and what He knows.

Then time is not wasted. There is no unnecessary hurt. There is no distance between us. No lost ground I need to gain again, still with His help because I can’t do it myself. There’s just He and I progressing together in what is best for me because He knows what’s best for me and I trust that He knows this.

But let’s be honest, I don’t always do this. I would like to do it though. All The Time. But I don’t, and I can’t, not without His help.

I pray for the strength to continually pick the second and best question.

So help me God!

Amen!

What choice have you been struggling with lately?

How has this pieces helped shed more light on choosing right with God?

Feel free to drop it in the comments below☺️