From the inception of human history, God has put boundaries around mankind and limitations before them. The garden of Eden was enclosed from the harsh elements beyond its border. The only restriction for Adam and Eve was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Both the boundary and the tree offered the image of constraint for the coming human existence.
However, people reject such limitations. It is against our nature to deny ourselves of things we desire. Debt is mostly the result of a lack of self-denial.
Paul introduces the “weapons of our warfare” which are spiritual
(2 Cor 10:4). He said that our weapons cast down imaginations and bring every thought to the obedience of Christ (vs. 5). Thus, the boundary of both deeds and thoughts are part of our duty as warriors in this spiritual battle.
Our words, most of all, must be guarded and limited. What we say creates the life we live. Our words are powerful. They set us free or condemn us. Without proper constraint, we can imprison ourselves by the things we say. The establishing of our very lives; confidence, freedom, and the ability to grow are all found in the careful consideration of what we think and say.
I write with a hope that we will employ self-discipline and submit ourselves to the Word of God and the Spirit. It is so easy to become unsettled when we are not centered on God’s divine will. Life gets out of order quickly when we walk outside of the boundaries of spiritual authority. Even Paul knew the power of submission. He wrote:
1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Morality is found within God’s design. Ethical conduct, the bonds of marriage, and financial health reside in these constraints. Ultimately, this is about obedience. We must remember that the Lord has called us to come from among the world and be separate. This is the time! We must worship Him in Truth, which is distinct and confined within the parameters of God’s Word. I pray today that we might hear the Voice of the Spirit and live our life’s framework designed by God.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole