No middle ground

Ephesians 2:1-3 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

When we disobey, live in sin, or follow the desires of our flesh, we are obeying the devil. Although we have a free will, we are called to choose two paths. We can choose to obey God or we can choose to obey the devil. There is no middle ground. Many people and Christians think when they are choosing, they are being led by their own choices. But in reality, when we follow the desires of the carnal nature, we are actually being led by Satan. Sometimes, the desires of the carnal nature can also be viewed as benign or harmless but, in realty, we are actually deceived thinking we are making our own choices. When we lust after the things of the world over God, we are being led by the spirit of the world. Yes, we are in the world and not of it. Therefore, we must choose and be in control of our priorities. Our main time is focused and spent on who we serve. Many Christians deluded themselves by mixing God and the worldly things to justify their time with the world.

However, our choices or free will is granted and surrendered to God or the god of this world. When we are truly surrendered to God, we will begin to walk with the Spirit of the Lord. We will do what God desires for our lives. When we are not fully surrendered to God, then our heart or some areas of our heart will be surrendered to Satan. When we sin or give into temptation, we are surrendering and choosing to obey Satan. If we do not change, then in the end, the wages of choosing to obey the god of this world will be death even for saved Christians who have lived a life of disobedience and rebellion.

Romans 8:5-9 NLV 5 Those who let their sinful old selves tell them what to do live under that power of their sinful old selves. But those who let the Holy Spirit tell them what to do are under His power. 6 If your sinful old self is the boss over your mind, it leads to death. But if the Holy Spirit is the boss over your mind, it leads to life and peace.7 The mind that thinks only of ways to please the sinful old self is fighting against God. It is not able to obey God’s Laws. It never can. 8 Those who do what their sinful old selves want to do cannot please God.9 But you are not doing what your sinful old selves want you to do. You are doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, if you have God’s Spirit living in you. No one belongs to Christ if he does not have Christ’s Spirit in him.

Pastor Steve

Fruit of obedience or disobedience

Jeremiah 18:9-12 (NLT) And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”12 But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”

When God spoke of a nation or kingdom in the book of Jeremiah, HE was speaking about His people which is you and I. We are a kingdom or nation and from our loins will come our descendants which are the nation or kingdom. Many good things were spoken over previous kings and of God's people but such promises and blessings are all conditional to our continued obedience. In the above verses, there is a warning. Even if God speaks good things over us but if we turn to do evil refusing to obey God, then HE said HE will NOT bless us but plan disaster or judgment.

We must look at our lives and discern our fruit. Our type of fruit is the manifestation of obedience or disobedience. We cannot just blame the devil, generational curses, our past, people, and etc to stay and live in our disobedience. We all have been given the power and grace to overcome and arise to a new life.

What are the fruit of disobedience? Many Christians think they are all obeying God but their fruit does not correspond with obedience. If we are fully obeying, then we should be bearing obedience types of fruit and if we are disobeying, we will be bearing disobedient types of fruit. We cannot look at the previous word spoken over us and think we will still be blessed if we are on a path of disobedience.

When we disobey, we are NOT being led by the Holy Spirit and thus such fruit will manifest in our lives as spoken in Galatians chapter 5 verses 18 to 21.

Galatians 5:18-21 NLV If you let the Holy Spirit lead you, the Law no longer has power over you. 19 The things your sinful old self wants to do are: sex sins, sinful desires, wild living, 20 worshiping false gods, witchcraft, hating, fighting, being jealous, being angry, arguing, dividing into little groups and thinking the other groups are wrong, false teaching, 21 wanting something someone else has, killing other people, using strong drink, wild parties, and all things like these. I told you before and I am telling you again that those who do these things will have no place in the holy nation of God.

If we are fully obeying God, then the fruit of obedience will manifest in our lives as spoken in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 to 26.

Galatians 5:22-26 NLV But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires (self control). The Law is not against these things. 24 Those of us who belong to Christ have nailed our sinful old selves on His cross. Our sinful desires are now dead. 25 If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things. 26 Let us not become proud in ways in which we should not. We must not make hard feelings among ourselves as Christians or make anyone jealous.

The demons are like maggots, flies, and all other unwanted nasty insects that thrive in dung and garbage. Dung and garbage represent disorder. The demons thrive in disorder and where there is disorder there is confusion. Where there is confusion, there are curses in our finances, health, mentality, families, etc.
When proper order is established, order is fruit of obedience. Where there is obedience, then order comes to manifest healing, restoration, power, life, etc. The demons cannot thrive in the realm of obedience. There are no flies and maggots in a clean orderly home. They are in the garbage where they thrive.

Which road are you on? The road of obedience or disobedience? Exam your fruit and make a choice to obey to the end. Be led by the Holy Spirit and not by your flesh or your personal desires. Learn spiritual authority and submission. Proper order in our lives will bring the good of the land. For many, they need to just go back to basics. They need to return to their first Love by praying, reading, worshiping, spending time with God, obeying their authorities, and to just stop sinning.

Do not make the same mistake as God's people previously had. They by their actions told God to stop wasting His breath. They told HIM they will continue to live as they desire and not change.

Pastor Steve