Thoughts on a Sermon 2:
“Spiritual Adultery”
This morning’s sermon expounded on James 4:1 – 5, focusing on the idea of spiritual adultery, as stated specifically in verse 4: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Pastor Shaun covered three main points concerning this issue: firstly, some of the symptoms of spiritual adultery—when spiritual adultery has been committed, we will experience strife among brethren, and we will face unanswered prayer. Secondly, the essence of spiritual adultery—we are abandoning the true God and seeking self pleasure rather than God’s glory. In the act of spiritual adultery, we are forsaking our true love—our Beloved, our Lord—and going after another love. I am “betrothed” to my Savior; therefore, how am I demonstrating my love for my “future husband” when I forsake Christ and follow after the world?! Finally, we saw the heart of God toward those who have committed spiritual adultery—how even when we forsake Him, He does not forsake us, but “desires [us] to jealousy.” He will not let His people go, and He will ultimately remain faithful to us even when we are unfaithful to Him.
It was, as always, a powerful and convicting sermon, but there was one “blew my mind” thought in particular: why embrace the world when we know it will never satisfy us? It’s a lesson we as Christians have learned over and over again as we walk with the Lord, but it’s also one of those lessons our selective memories easily forget; thus we must continue to experience it over and over again. We know the world never satisfies. We all have seen it to one extent or another. No matter what we seek, no matter where we seek it in the world, if it is anything besides Christ, it will never ultimately satisfy. Every promise of the world will ultimately come up empty-handed, and the pleasures we sought prove to be pain and sorrow instead. The world’s promises and allurements are shallow, meaningless, false. We know this. And yet, we still continually stray from the straight and narrow path to seek after the world!
How difficult is it for me to realize that only God can truly satisfy? How many times must I stray away from Him before I recognize the futility of life apart from His face? I have known the joys of communion with my Savior, and I should be seeking such communion every single day of my life! Why is it so hard to remember? Why do I continually forget? If my heart belongs to my betrothed, why would I ever look elsewhere for my heart’s satisfaction? Is it not enough to gaze upon His face, to know that He has set His love on me before the foundation of the world, to know that He is faithful to me even when I am infinitely unworthy? How can there be one moment when my gratitude loses its fervor? Why do I, for one moment, take my eyes off His face?!
Why seek the world when I know it will never satisfy?
posted by Genevieve @ 9:38 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Lovely new blog! I enjoyed reading your reviews; I'll have to read the rest of your posts later today. :)
God bless!
NB
Something that we must consider is the fact that the pleasures and allures of the world are fun...for a time. Having an eternal perspective, we can look at straying from the way as ultimately idiotic, of course. However, man has a problem that he often does NOT have the eternal perspective that he ought to have.
Look at people's conduct when they have problems. We discussed this earlier in James, of course, but look at how many Christians react when they hit a rough patch in the road of their lives. They act as though all that exists is their problem. They don't seem to think about the fact that all of this life is fleeting...it's all going to go away. Nothing that this world throws at us can be eternal, and there's no real reason why we should act as the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
If our problems often cause us to behave in this manner, should we be surprised that the pleasures of this world cause us to act in a similar manner?
That being said, there's no reason why we should not chide ourselves for following after the ways of the world. After all, ultimately, it's ridiculous. :)
BTW, I love the new layout. Have I said that? I dig it!
Greetings, NB!! Thanks for the comment. Glad to see you here. =D And a most belated thank-you for the lovely comment you left on my Xanga ages ago; I really must get back to commenting on your Xanga. >_>
Very excellent point, Chris. Thanks for bringing that out. I suppose one way to think about it is that we should be constantly seeking for a more heavenly, eternal mindset--not focusing on the here and now, but considering eternal implications. If we did that more often, the pleasures of earth might seem less like pleasure and the pleasures of heaven would be infinitely more attractive.
Glad you like the new layout! =D I decided the other one was too pink... even for me. >_>
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