What, then, shall we declare? That we may be persisting in sis that grace should be increasing? May it no be coming to that! We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?
Pual to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament Translation
I recently saw a video posted by disgraced Christian pastor Mark Driscol in which he made the statement that sexual sin has been the cause of many families to cease to exist. Now, I can't dispute his claim, as my own family was broken up over the misguided thoughts of my father. Meanwhile, my own thoughts once migrated to the desires of the flesh as well. Like father like son? Growing up, my main goal was that I did not become the man that my own father had been. I'm thankful to say that it never happened. While I might have dabbled in the misguided thoughts of the flesh which he did, my thoughts would eventually be guided by the Father and not the flesh. Many Christians might have described my fathers life as one prone to sin, and they might not be too far off the mark. What is obvious is that his thoughts were focused on the flesh and not on the man he truly was in the Father. This is where I and my father differ. While I may have gone through a time when my thoughts were focused on the pleasures of this life, I eventually realized that this is not the man that I am. This knowledge of the flesh came knocking at my door once again recently as I have been aware of the thoughts and actions of an acquaintance of mine. I look at him and I see that which I once partook in. I see in him the thoughts of the flesh. This is the carnal mind. The mind directed more towards thoughts of what this world has to offer than what the Lord has already given unto us. The scripture tells us that to be carnal minded is death, but to dwell in the spirit is "Life and peace" {Paul to the Romans 8:6}. Again, I would say that when are thoughts are on the pleasures of this world, that they are misguided. THIS is not who we are. Indeed, when it is revealed unto us who we truly are in the Lord, our thoughts and mind will follow. My own father never realized that which was revealed to him.
I don't think that I would be too far off base to say that my acquaintance is suffering from a mental disorder. His mind is set on that which is not beneficial to him. This was my own mindset for some time. Of course, along with these thoughts came those of guilt and shame over what I was doing. Yes, I knew that what I was doing went against those plans which the Lord had for me, but I also had been taught that God was on a different plane that I was. I hadn't yet realized that my life...is His life. Jesus has spoken to the union which we have within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. There is truth in the passage that we will know the truth and that it shall make you free {Johns Account 8:32}. That truth is knowing who we are in the Father. If Christ Jesus has set us free, then we shall indeed be free {Johns Account 8:36}. It is Christ Who has freed us from that bondage, that we would no longer be "Slaving for sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}. Those within the church will describe the person entrenched in thoughts of the flesh as someone engaging in sin. Yet the apostle Paul had a different understanding. He understood that one who has died to sin cannot be living in it any longer {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}. The truth is that we have died to sin together with Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}. This is the truth which sets us free. Free from the guilt and shame of a mind focused on the carnal world. Free from that which once held us in bondage. Our issue, as with my own father, is that we do not yet realize that Christ has freed us.
Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also
Paul to the Romans 6: 8, Concordant New Testament Translation
~Scott~
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