The “I Am Enough” Debate - Example Two
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14 (Image: Unsplash)
Example Two: The Apostle Peter and the Church of Asia Minor-
1st Peter 2:11 (See also: 1 Chronicles 29:15 and Romans 13:14)
Paraphrased: Since we are strangers on this earth, fill not your belly with the things of this world, for it is not your home.
In AD 62-69, the Apostle Paul was sent to Asia Minor to encourage them to keep their faith and avoid the distractions of this world. To remember that they are representatives of Christ, and were to reflect or be examples of the life Christ promised. And their continuous devotion to Jesus was the way to get there.
As faith leaders, we are often met with temptations of many kinds because telling people about the goodness of Jesus means exposing ourselves to a sinful world. And no matter how saved you claim to be, that is an uncomfortable experience.
As the late, great Maya Angelou once said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
Our time on this earth is temporary, and getting shorter every day. Men and women are savagely killed. Pills on the market come with dangerous side effects and barely care for the illnesses that are present. Our government, while profiting from itself, turns itself inside out, taking your money and rights away. And those you thought you could depend on with your life prove that they can't be trusted.
So, why attach yourself to these things? What profit or gain is there in practicing the same sins that God condemned thousands of years ago? Why leave yourself open to the possibility of temptation? It is because man was born into sin, and without the knowledge of Christ, he only knows this life as his nature.
Nevertheless, if we claim to be God's representatives and prisoners of Christ, and he has already assured us that he has overcome the same temptations that we have, but without sinning, we by default should take courage and stand with faith, knowing that the same God can keep us from falling.
How? By submitting to Christ and ignoring the wants of our flesh and emotions, we break that connection to the enemy that causes man to sin.
