2 Peter 1:2-7 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
When she was in High School, my wife owned and showed Quarter horses. It is well-known in the equestrian arena that bridle and bit is used to control the horse and guide them as desired, The reins are the straps of a bridle, fastened to the curb or snaffle on each side, by which the rider of a horse restrains and governs them. There is also slang terms of “taking the reins”, meaning to take the guidance or government of someone or situation. A similar term of “giving the reins to someone else” means to give license; or to leave without restraint. A third term is they were “given free rein”, meaning being allowed unrestricted liberty of action or decision.
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
But, there is also the term “to rein something in”, which means to restrain; to control; to check by self-control or laws. Due to the “Fall of Man” into sin, there are natural flesh desires now, which lust after power, possessions and pleasures which are evil in the eyes of the Lord. We are all Sinners is what the Bible is communicating to us. Our inclination to sin and our tendency to rationalize that sin, make it all too easy to for us to ignore our responsibility towards God and our fellow man. Yet, when we believe by faith, repent of sin and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we receive a transformed heart and the indwelling Holy Spirit, but retain the fallen flesh and it’s sinful desires. Galatians 5:16-25 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Walking in the Spirit, reins in the sinful flesh desires.
Titus 2:11-13 tells us, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Take the reins and ride on paths of righteous with joy.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment