Driven

Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. NKJV

Lions are perhaps one of the Lord’s most majestic creatures He placed on the earth. When they walk they appear so regal and stately. In their environment they have no natural predators and are considered the King of the jungle. I have always enjoyed learning about their behavior in the wild. I am often fascinated by the relentless way they stalk and pursue their prey. A pride of lions on a hunt will work together with precise detail and strategy in order to bring down prey 4 or 5 times its size. These big cats are very social (thus the formation of prides) where the other big cats are primarily solitary.

However, once the prey is caught and has been suffocated to death something happens to each lion as the feeding begins every individual lion of the pride that worked so closely together in unity to kill their prey snaps inside and is driven to violent displays of aggression clawing and biting one another for the consumption of the dead prey animal. It is as if for that period of time they are driven by something inside of them to hurt anyone of their pride members that would keep them from consuming as much of the meal as they possibly could consume.

You can see in their eyes that they lose all sense of any bond with their sisters, daughters, brothers, and mothers in their pride. They are driven by an internal desire filled with rage, greed, and selfishness until every individual is full or the carcass is completely consumed. Many of the weaker and smaller lions are hurt and sometimes even killed during this feeding frenzy. After the lions have eaten their fill, the violent drive subsides and they begin to groom one another by licking off leftover blood and bonding by rubbing heads together as if the violent drive during their feeding never occurred.

The fall of man thrust all of creation into this barbarian tail spin. Before Adam sinned lions and other big cats did not eat other animals, but only plants and other vegetation. The word futility in verse 20 of Romans 8 above is from the Greek word mataiotes, which means moral depravity. Adam’s sin plunged all of God’s creation into a perpetual downward decline away from everything good, right, true, and best. The whole of the animal kingdom has been deformed by the fall of man and this is why we witness the above behavior of lions.

The human race has suffered most from Adam’s disobedience, because we were originally made in the likeness of the triune God and unlike the animals we (individually) are somewhat aware of our corrupt moral condition due to the conscience we have been given and animals have not a conscience. The animals only function or operate from instinct that manifested itself after the fall.

Therefore, the person involved with sexual behavior that is outside of the will of God, experiences this type of inner conflict (similar to what is described above with lions at feeding), where something clicks or snaps inside of their souls and thus they are driven by such a strong and insatiable impulse that they lose all sense of reality. They care not that other people might be hurt, but they must satisfy this drive. The person that thinks that any drive within the soul must be natural or from God or approved by Him does not believe God exist or will not except the fact of man falling into corruption. The fact that the heart desires unclean things does not serve to normalize those things. Verse 21 in Romans 8 states that the whole creation is under bondage of corruption, which means slavery to decay and ruin.

Consequently this slavery to decay and ruin is the entire creation and specifically the heart of every individual human being. The Prophet Jeremiah tells us that man’s heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. This heart that every human being is born with is the result of the fall and now is under bondage of corruption. This heart cannot be legislated into better behavior. There will never be laws with penalties harsh enough to change its conduct. There will never be environments that are better or more pristine to curb this hearts evil appetite. This heart is worthless, useless, and beyond repair. Sin is a heavy load bearing down upon the heart/mind of human beings unleashing guilt that cannot be quenched by awards, money, trophies, commendations, earthly gifts, earthly status, or any other temporal gesture or thing. The only solution for the person with this heart is for them to be given a new heart.

This is a quote from an earlier article (8/18/08) I wrote entitled “The King of Hearts”, “Christ comes to apply Himself directly where the root or seat of the problem is located and that is every human heart. If you have a sore on your left arm, you don't apply ointment to the right arm and expect it to cure the sore on the left arm. Likewise, Christ does not come to teach us how to behave better. On the contrary, He comes to change our behavior by changing our hearts. He instantly upon entrance into the heart becomes the King of Hearts to every soul that receives Him.” Jeremiah 31:33 “I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” (Quick Amplified Bible) Finally, we see that by the gospel (Christ supernatural birth, His death, burial, and His subsequent resurrection from the dead) the heart that is under the bondage of corruption is quickened (made alive to God) and given new affections/desires that radically differ from the un-quickened or unregenerate heart.

"Sanctification" — My Utmost For His Highest for 07/23/2012

Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ... sanctification. — 1 Corinthians 1:30

The Life Side. The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly. The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is "Christ in you." It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification, and imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God's grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?

Sanctification means the impartation of the Holy qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness: "Kept by the power of God."

By

Oswald Chambers

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book will be available soon…