Pleasing God

Pleasing God: Romans 7:8-10

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Believers may be chastened of the Lord, but will not be condemned as will be worldly. By their relationship and blending with Christ through faith, they are thus shielded against the wrath to come and condemnation in this very hour. What life’s path do the Godly walk; the flesh or the Spirit, the old or the new nature, corruption or grace? For which of these do we count most important, by which are we moved into action? The non-renewed will is unable to fully keep any commandment to labor for Christ. The law will suffer, outward duties, require inward obedience. God proved His abhorrence of sin when He allowed the sufferings of his Son in the flesh, that the believer's transgressions might be pardoned and justified. Thus satisfaction was made to Divine justice, and the way of salvation opened for all sinners. By the Holy Spirit the law of love is written upon the heart. We do not fulfill the righteousness of the law. Praise be to God, Jesus did that for us and prepared us to allow it to be fulfilled in us. The Holy Spirit abides in all true believers. He directs in the answering spirit of the law as God intended. The Love of God, the welfare of the soul, the concerns of eternity, are the things of the Spirit. In God and with God in us are things that move us to action. Which way do our thoughts move with most pleasure? Which way do we plan and execute our lives? Are we most attentive to worldly things, or for our securing our souls? Those that choose to prefer the pleasure of this world are dead; being servants of Satan. A sanctified soul is a living soul devoted to glorifying God; and that life is passed in the honoring of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 9:9 “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

The carnal mind is not only an enemy to God, but enmity itself. The carnal man may, by the power of Divine grace, be made subject to the grace of God This only after the carnal mind is broken and driven out. We may know our real state of our salvation by comparing our works with that of our Lord as He walked in the flesh. We Christians are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Having the Spirit of Christ, means having a renewing of life to mimic the mind that was in Christ Jesus. It will be shown by a life’s walk and conduct suitable to his precepts and by the example He left for us.

If the Spirit be in us that was in Christ Jesus, Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart by faith. Grace (love) is God’s commandment and it will fill the heart to overflowing. Christians live to serve God. They have begun a holy happiness which shall endure for ever. The righteousness of Christ imputed, secures the soul, from death. From hence we see how much it is our duty to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; loving God. Know God, no peace. Amen. 11-26-2019 BLL.