Feeding the Sheep - Living the New Life 3
-Apostle Paul, 1st century
Colossians 3:5b
[This is the 18th message of this series]
This lesson is intended for mature believers (or adulting believers). For a more orderly study, please go through all the previous messages first, if you haven't yet.
Greed
This is the 3rd part of this series, within a series.
To continue, the Apostle Paul in telling the first church in Colassae what "to do", he particularly mentioned that it is important to put off greed in the new life that we live. Christ calls greed as the lust of the eyes.
Paul likened this pursuit of eathly things to idolatry which is most probably the worst offense we can actually commit, this is why Paul had to emphasize it.
Covetousness
This offense which many will regard as petty, actually leads one on a downward spiral as they will eventually be continously hooked into a vicious cycle of wanting things or the desires of this world we live it.
Earthly vs Heavenly
Innocently, everyone is led into this trap, precisely because it is so innocent. Because even though we have been made new, we are still living on earth. We still need things. But need is so much different than want.
So What?
So what if we constantly want to be the first to own the latest iPhone?
What if we want to be the first in our circle of friends to have the latest kitchen appliance or the newest electronic device?
What if we want to be the first one in our neighborhood or office or church to drive the newest Tesla or Ram 3500?
What if we should always be wearing the latest in fashion, vacationing in the hottest spots and places to be in and be seen at?
What if we want to dine in the fanciest restaurants or indulge in the finest food and drink, and entertainment?
Nothing really wrong with any of these right?
Trap
As we have already discussed, Paul emphasized that greed for the desires of this world is a form of idolatry. Those who worship earthly things have these things as their gods. And these gods can and will have power over them.
Nothing really wrong with any of these right?
Trap
As we have already discussed, Paul emphasized that greed for the desires of this world is a form of idolatry. Those who worship earthly things have these things as their gods. And these gods can and will have power over them.
[To check if the desires of this world still have power over you, see if you can be okay without them. Whats app, Instagram and Facebook were recently down for a long time, did that affect you? If we are fine going without our wants for an extended period of time then their hold on us is no longer there.]
You see, the new creation still walks on this earth but is not of this world. Our citizenship is in the heaven and we are merely ambassadors or representatives of heaven while we are still earthbound.
How to be Heavenly
To escape this trap, we need to remind ourselves that we have One God, the God of Creation. Nothing else should have power over us.
We worship God and not His creations.
So what if we buy iPhones after a year or more from its release? It will defintely be a whole lot cheaper (these gadgets are definitely over priced anyway). And waiting means the desire is no longer there and we have gotten loose from it's hold or power over us.
You see, the new creation still walks on this earth but is not of this world. Our citizenship is in the heaven and we are merely ambassadors or representatives of heaven while we are still earthbound.
How to be Heavenly
To escape this trap, we need to remind ourselves that we have One God, the God of Creation. Nothing else should have power over us.
We worship God and not His creations.
So what if we buy iPhones after a year or more from its release? It will defintely be a whole lot cheaper (these gadgets are definitely over priced anyway). And waiting means the desire is no longer there and we have gotten loose from it's hold or power over us.
The need is still there, but not the want. We fulfill the need and not the want. Want is earthly. If we need to want something, it is to have more of Him who is able to immeasurably give us more than we can ask or imagine -- more of God, more of His heavenly things.
The Old Has Gone
In our old lives, so many things have power over us. But as a new creation, God is the Ultimate Power and day by day, the desires of our hearts will turn to be like that of God's own heart.
Let us start our day with a quiet time with the Holy Spirit and God's Word, and everything else will fall into its proper place.
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