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Subject To Like Passions
March 11, 2012
I often encounter people who say that they cannot serve God, or follow Christ, because of their passions and sins. What they need to understand is that those righteous men of old, acclaimed for faith and faithfulness, had similar passions to us. They fell short in disturbing ways, yet are the righteous heroes of the scriptures. Jesus died to take away our sins. John says that we all sin. We need to quit being so hard on ourselves. Avoid sin, put it from your life -- but realize that we are human beings with passions.
Bernie Parsons
Subject To Like Passions
by
Bernie Parsons
Presented to Load church of Christ on 03-11-2012
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 03-18-2012
What does it take to be a child of God? I have talked with too many people
who feel that they aren’t good enough to be followers of Christ. Thinking on
that, I wanted to share this lesson.
James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
17
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three
years and six months.
18
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth
her fruit."
I
have encountered many believers in Christ who feel inadequate. When asked to
pray, some say, “You to find someone more righteous than I.” Let’s look at
some people in the scriptures that most of us would say are righteous, yet
they were men of like passions.
Genesis 6:6 "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and
it grieved him at his heart.
7
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of
the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the
air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his
generations, and Noah walked with God."
Genesis 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
21
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his
tent."
Noah’s was seen as righteous in God’s eyes, yet he became drunken and naked.
1
Samuel 13:13 "And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast
not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for
now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after
his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his
people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."
1
Samuel 16:11 "And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he
said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down
till he come hither.
12
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful
countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him:
for this is he.
13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."
2
Samuel 11:3 "And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is
not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he
lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned
unto her house.
5
And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with
child."
David was said to be a man after God’s own heart, yet he was an adulterer
and murderer. He had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed so that he could
have his wife.
1
Kings 9:1 "And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of
the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which
he was pleased to do,
2
That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto
him at Gibeon.
3
And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication,
that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast
built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be
there perpetually.
4
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of
heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded
thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
5
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I
promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon
the throne of Israel.
6
But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will
not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go
and serve other gods, and worship them:
7
Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this
house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and
Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:"
1
Kings 11:1 "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the
daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians,
and Hittites;
2
Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel,
Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely
they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in
love.
3
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines:
and his wives turned away his heart.
4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his
heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God,
as was the heart of David his father.
5
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after
Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the
LORD, as did David his father.
7
Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab,
in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the
children of Ammon.
8
And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and
sacrificed unto their gods."
Solomon was said to be the wisest man that had lived. God accepted his
building and dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. Yet, Solomon lusted
after women, and finally worshipped false gods to please his wives.
John 21:15 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son
of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed my sheep.
17
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he
said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
Luke 22:54 "Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high
priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.
55
And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down
together, Peter sat down among them.
56
But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked
upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
57
And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
58
And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them.
And Peter said, Man, I am not.
59
And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying,
Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
60
And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he
yet spake, the cock crew.
61
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of
the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice.
62
And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."
We consider Peter a great apostle and a righteous man, yet he denied Christ
three times in the lead-up to the mock trial and crucifixion of Jesus.
We
are all sinners in need of a Savior. We are each beset by our own weaknesses
and foibles. Yet, if we seek God with all of our hearts, and try our best to
serve Him, He makes us righteous. He is always right, and if we align
ourselves with Him and His thinking and commandments, then we are righteous.
We should never doubt that the blood of Jesus washes away our sins and puts us into the good grace of God. Remember that Elijah was a man of similar passions as are we, and his prayers were answered.
