Monday: Once Deluded by Our Own Desires
“ All of us also lived among them [the disobedient] at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3, NIV).
Apart from the intervention of God, human existence is dominated not only by the external forces mentioned in Ephesians 2:2-3, but also by internal ones: “the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (; compare James 1:14-15; 1 Peter 1:14).
What does Paul mean by stating that his hearers were once “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV)? Compare Ephesians 2:3 and Ephesians 5:6.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
The present reality of a lost life is distressing enough, but its last-day implications are more frightening still. Human beings, being “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV) stand under the threat of God’s judgment at the end of time.
The phrase “by nature children of wrath” points to another daunting reality as well. While still bearers of the image of God, we have come to understand that there is something deeply awry in us. Living the Christian life, then, is not just a matter of conquering a bad habit or two, or overcoming whatever “trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) are currently threatening. We do not just contend with sins but with sin. We are bent toward rebellion against God and toward self-destruction. Humans, by default, are caught in a pattern of self-destructive, sinful behavior, following the dictates of Satan (Ephesians 2:2) and our own innate, sinful desires (Ephesians 2:3). Believers once were “by nature the children of wrath.”
It is important to note that Paul employs a past tense — we “were by nature the children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). This does not mean that an inherent bent toward evil is no longer a reality for believers. Paul spends a considerable portion of his letter, Ephesians 4:17-5:21, warning that sinful acts, rooted in a sinful nature, remain a threat for Christians. It does mean, though, that this “old self” need no longer dominate the believer, who through the power of Christ can “put off your old self” and “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24, ESV).
| Who hasn’t experienced just how corrupted our own nature is, even after we have given ourselves to Jesus? What should this teach us about how important it is that we cling to Him every moment of our lives? |
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I have told this story before but it is relevant to today's study. When I was a teenager, a student colporter, I had a discussion with a Christadelphian elder who gave me a Bible study on evil. His main point was that there is no Satan; he is just a metaphor for self. At the time it blew my mind and I simply did not have the answers to what was obviously a well-rehearsed theme for him.
One consequence of this encounter was that I did start to think seriously about the problem of evil and its personification in Satan. I still believe that Satan is a real being, but it raised my level of understanding of the role of "self" in the battle between good and evil.
We are quite capable of deluding ourselves and placating our consciences. I have learned I cannot blame Satan for my choices. I am a free moral agent but self is not on my side.
Paul was well aware of this internal battle and documents it in Romans 7:
The Battle:
The Agony:
The solution:
Where should our focus be?
I have found Christians seem to stop at "Oh wretched man that I am". They think Paul was saying he often fell into sin, and we can expect we will also. They fail to see in the following vs. "Thanks be to God". Here I take it that he was saying that Jesus' salvation delivers them. Those who walk after the Spirit where they see Christ's attributes are no longer "wretched men"!
Philippians 2:12,13 admonishes us to Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling that God will work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Unless we do, our “filthy garments” will not be taken from us. We need never expect that these carnal inclinations will be instantly torn from us; we must first show a desire to rid ourselves of them. We must seek to separate sin from us, relying upon the merits of the blood of Christ. RH Review and Herald November 19, 1908 Article A The work of overcoming is a painful process. Let self break in pieces before God. It is hard to do this; but we are warned to fall upon the rock and be broken, else it will fall upon us, and grind us to powder. It is to the humble in heart that Jesus speaks; his everlasting arms encircle them, and he will not leave them to perish by the hands of the wicked. RH Review and Herald November 19, 1908 Article A paragraph 17paragraph 20
Alice, thank you for sharing that our salvation is not automatic - that we have a part to play.You wrote
I would like to suggest that even this desire is a gift from God. The sinful heart cannot generate it. But we can reject this gift or accept it to come to repentance. See Acts 5:31. God seeks after us sinners and draws us to Himself. It is all of Him. We need to respond by accepting His grace, and, yes, that may involve a painful struggle. But we can take no credit.
What I learned in today's Lesson is that 👇
"We are fighting sin, not one or two sin but SIN (that runs inside us)"
And Christ is the only way to win
This lesson point out that we live, as human beings, by our lust. And we are responsible by choice we made, even for good even for evil. But when Jesus cames to our lives, we must be available to put away our driving-lust live for driving-spiritual live.
That's the best way of fighting human nature, always cling to Jesus. He is the fountain of youth, which many try to find. He is fresh and new every moment, creative, and never dull. Jesus is the source of a whole life.
Also if we want to overcome the devil and not fall to his temptations like Jesus did in the wilderness we need to hide the Word perfectly in our hearts so we can apply it correctly. Deuteronomy 6:6, Matthew 4:4, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3
For me, the most important aspect of the change from the old to the new is that our God shed His Grace on us to make us aware that there is a better way to live ones life. I discovered that there really is a right way to think of myself, people I interact with, and to understand the various ‘powers’ in place offering their guidance to those who search for 'righteousness' through knowing ultimate Truth.
Not all have experienced a life filled with vices and debauchery, but all have recognized that without the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit the ‘broad road leads to destruction’. Since it is our heart’s desires which lead us to engage with life, our Lord's Spirit starts His influnece there; the heart changes and the mind follows as it is renewed to recognize the value of the new nature.
I appreciate Maurice putting his finger on the Scripture which helps us focus on the type of ‘newness’ the believer experiences in his new life. For all who desire to walk upright before the Lord, our new life by faith in Christ Jesus empowered us to live free from all condemnation - the old nature has lost its power to entice!! I see this to be the believer’s victory in Christ. Eph.5:15-16.
Every believer experiences the ongoing struggle between their old, corrupted nature and the new nature they've received through faith in Jesus. Despite surrendering our lives to Him, we can still feel the pull of our former sinful tendencies. This reality underscores the need to rely on Jesus and His enabling grace continually.
This teaches us the importance of daily dependence on Jesus. Our transformed lives are not a result of our own strength or efforts but the renewing power of Christ working in us. We are called to "abide" in Jesus (John 15:4), implying a continual, moment-by-moment reliance on Him. This means daily seeking Him through prayer, immersing ourselves in His Word, yielding to the Holy Spirit's leading, and constantly reminding ourselves of our identity in Christ. The more we cling to Jesus, the more we can experience His power to overcome the corruptions of our old nature.
We're to rely upon Jesus, and his words, for in 2peter 1:3-10 knowing how to escape from selfish desire.