“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7–8, ESV)
I want you to read again what is written in that last sentence. Commit it to memory. Understand that if you let your life get caught up in sinful, worldly pursuits where you gratify your flesh and body; you “CANNOT PLEASE GOD”! (Romans 8:8).
It is so easy to have a “mind that is set on the flesh” (Romans 8:7). The mind that seeks to gratify the flesh, which seeks to bring pleasure to your baser instincts, will always take you down a road where not only can you never “submit to God’s law”, but you will also find yourself distant from God. When you let your mind get caught up in fleshly, worldly, selfish, self-serving pursuits, you will become “hostile to God” (Romans 8:7).
A very talented young man was extremely gifted in sports. He exceled at running. He was fast. When he started High School, he desired to make a name for himself on the football team. His speed only took him so far. He really wanted to get stronger. So, he took up weightlifting. Then, desiring to be even faster and stronger, he learned that some of the players were using drugs like steroids to enhance their muscles. He wanted this badly. So, he sought out and found sources for steroids. He shot up often. The more he bulked up, the stronger he got. Then, people began to praise his speed and strength. He lived for the thrill of publicity.
When the young man was recognized nationally in college, he made sure to dope his body with steroids all the more. When he became a pro football player, he had hit the big time. That made him work even harder to hone his body, keep up his stamina, increase his strength, and make his mark. When he found that the steroids made him angry, he used that anger to hit harder, move faster, and become famous (even winning a golden gloves award!). He achieved the greatest of fame in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. He was part of defensive lines that dominated pro football and helped carry the Broncos and later the Raiders to the Super Bowl. He was one of my childhood heroes. I always wanted to meet him. His name was Lyle Alzado.
While Alzado worked hard to hone his strength, used doping to increase his natural abilities, and used anger as a powerful motivator in his career, his body became the center of his life. He didn’t know how to live without his speed and strength. He refused to cut back on steroids and other drugs and enhancements. In the end, he died at the age of 43 by cancer of the brain. Before his death, Alzado publicly admitted that the steroids and his lifestyle had wreaked havoc on his health, contributing to the brain cancer. It wrecked his future. It made him angry and reckless on the football field, and he was never able to enjoy his life fully or be at peace or even spend the millions he made along the way. I never had the chance to meet him. When I found out about Lyle Alzado’s drug use, the news devastated my young mind. I saw him as a fraud, a drugged-out user, a guy who sold his soul for a career.
During those years when Lyle Alzado was a hero of mine, I also felt a call from God. I felt God reaching out to me. Then, I had a feeling God’s Spirit was asking to be in my heart. Then, I asked God to dwell in me. Throughout this whole period in my life while I grew closer and closer to God, it bothered me more and more that people were so caught up in worldly, fleshly pursuits. They lived to satisfy their lusts and desire for drugs and other pleasures. They threw away God for a life soaked with alcohol, tainted with drugs (even prescription drugs), most excited about what was on TV or getting that new car or moving up in the world. It was as if people cared more about gratifying the flesh than seeking God.
In those days, an exercise craze enamored the world. Tummy tucks and plastic surgery exploded in popularity. Everybody wanted to look young, live longer, and be rich. It was all part of the “ME GENERATION”. I looked around the world and saw fewer and fewer people who cared about God and more and more people who slaved for money, drugs, sex, power, and other fleshly pursuits. Didn’t they know that those who live in the flesh are hostile to God (Romans 8:7? Didn’t they understand that one who “loves the world loves not the Father” (1 John 2:15), or that “friendship with the world makes you an enemy with God” (James 4:4)?
Since today’s scripture urges you to keep your mind off fleshly pursuits, how is that accomplished? What are fleshly pursuits? What is it like to have a “mind on the flesh”? Throughout scripture, fleshly pursuits are considered the same as worldly pursuits. When you “put your mind on the flesh” (Romans 12:2), you essentially focus only on worldly things. Your goals are mostly focused on worldly gain, worldly pleasures, worldly pursuits. When that happens, worldliness replaces godliness. The desire to succeed in worldly terms pushes out the desire to please God. Everything in your life becomes enamored with what you can get for yourself in this life. Your looks, your name, your fame, your next hit, your next drink, your assets, your bank account…. whatever you value most in this world.. consumes your total focus. If you do it long enough, God is crowded out by all the worldly goals and responsibilities and desires.
Don’t underestimate the lure and dangers of loving the world. Even the most faithful of people have succumbed to the desires of this world. King David was lured by the beauty of Bathsheba. Judas was lured by thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Jesus three times in order to save his own skin. The world has a way of tempting you, enamoring you, then eating you alive.
James Bakker desired for people to be real with God. In his early life, he wanted nothing more than to help people feel God’s presence and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He cherished prayer. He found great comfort in scripture. He started a ministry with little to nothing, building a TV ministry before others even pictured it. Along the way, however, he lost his soul. He became enamored with wealth and fame.
Bakker originally envisioned a vacation place for Christians to feel closer to God. Money poured in. Church people became excited about the possibilities. With his ministry coffers filled to overflowing, he changed his vision for the vacation spot. He began to build lavish and expensive accommodations. He blew thousands on buildings with ornate furnishings, bathrooms with gold fixtures, and attracting a wealthy clientele. His growing desire to be a famous religious personality who was surrounded by wealth caused him to make poor financial decisions and then hide his financial improprieties. He also became involved in an adulterous affair and ended up paying $279,000 in ministry funds to keep it quiet. Somewhere along the way, Bakker threw away his ministry and wrecked his spiritual life. Along with it, he served jail time. The world, the flesh, had stolen another soul who could no longer please God. Only after losing everything did he find Jesus again.
Is there a worldly desire that seems to dominate your time? Are you slaving after something in this life? Has God receded in importance? Has an emotion or insecurity or fear pushed you to focus too much of your attention on something physical or financial or sinful? Worldly pleasures have a way of corrupting your soul. In the end, you become hostile to God. Again, read the final sentence from the scripture for today. Clearly, those who live for worldly pleasures CANNOT PLEASE GOD!
It is so easy to have a “mind that is set on the flesh” (Romans 8:7). The mind that seeks to gratify the flesh, which seeks to bring pleasure to your baser instincts, will always take you down a road where not only can you never “submit to God’s law”, but you will also find yourself distant from God. When you let your mind get caught up in fleshly, worldly, selfish, self-serving pursuits, you will become “hostile to God” (Romans 8:7).
A very talented young man was extremely gifted in sports. He exceled at running. He was fast. When he started High School, he desired to make a name for himself on the football team. His speed only took him so far. He really wanted to get stronger. So, he took up weightlifting. Then, desiring to be even faster and stronger, he learned that some of the players were using drugs like steroids to enhance their muscles. He wanted this badly. So, he sought out and found sources for steroids. He shot up often. The more he bulked up, the stronger he got. Then, people began to praise his speed and strength. He lived for the thrill of publicity.
When the young man was recognized nationally in college, he made sure to dope his body with steroids all the more. When he became a pro football player, he had hit the big time. That made him work even harder to hone his body, keep up his stamina, increase his strength, and make his mark. When he found that the steroids made him angry, he used that anger to hit harder, move faster, and become famous (even winning a golden gloves award!). He achieved the greatest of fame in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. He was part of defensive lines that dominated pro football and helped carry the Broncos and later the Raiders to the Super Bowl. He was one of my childhood heroes. I always wanted to meet him. His name was Lyle Alzado.
While Alzado worked hard to hone his strength, used doping to increase his natural abilities, and used anger as a powerful motivator in his career, his body became the center of his life. He didn’t know how to live without his speed and strength. He refused to cut back on steroids and other drugs and enhancements. In the end, he died at the age of 43 by cancer of the brain. Before his death, Alzado publicly admitted that the steroids and his lifestyle had wreaked havoc on his health, contributing to the brain cancer. It wrecked his future. It made him angry and reckless on the football field, and he was never able to enjoy his life fully or be at peace or even spend the millions he made along the way. I never had the chance to meet him. When I found out about Lyle Alzado’s drug use, the news devastated my young mind. I saw him as a fraud, a drugged-out user, a guy who sold his soul for a career.
During those years when Lyle Alzado was a hero of mine, I also felt a call from God. I felt God reaching out to me. Then, I had a feeling God’s Spirit was asking to be in my heart. Then, I asked God to dwell in me. Throughout this whole period in my life while I grew closer and closer to God, it bothered me more and more that people were so caught up in worldly, fleshly pursuits. They lived to satisfy their lusts and desire for drugs and other pleasures. They threw away God for a life soaked with alcohol, tainted with drugs (even prescription drugs), most excited about what was on TV or getting that new car or moving up in the world. It was as if people cared more about gratifying the flesh than seeking God.
In those days, an exercise craze enamored the world. Tummy tucks and plastic surgery exploded in popularity. Everybody wanted to look young, live longer, and be rich. It was all part of the “ME GENERATION”. I looked around the world and saw fewer and fewer people who cared about God and more and more people who slaved for money, drugs, sex, power, and other fleshly pursuits. Didn’t they know that those who live in the flesh are hostile to God (Romans 8:7? Didn’t they understand that one who “loves the world loves not the Father” (1 John 2:15), or that “friendship with the world makes you an enemy with God” (James 4:4)?
Since today’s scripture urges you to keep your mind off fleshly pursuits, how is that accomplished? What are fleshly pursuits? What is it like to have a “mind on the flesh”? Throughout scripture, fleshly pursuits are considered the same as worldly pursuits. When you “put your mind on the flesh” (Romans 12:2), you essentially focus only on worldly things. Your goals are mostly focused on worldly gain, worldly pleasures, worldly pursuits. When that happens, worldliness replaces godliness. The desire to succeed in worldly terms pushes out the desire to please God. Everything in your life becomes enamored with what you can get for yourself in this life. Your looks, your name, your fame, your next hit, your next drink, your assets, your bank account…. whatever you value most in this world.. consumes your total focus. If you do it long enough, God is crowded out by all the worldly goals and responsibilities and desires.
Don’t underestimate the lure and dangers of loving the world. Even the most faithful of people have succumbed to the desires of this world. King David was lured by the beauty of Bathsheba. Judas was lured by thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Jesus three times in order to save his own skin. The world has a way of tempting you, enamoring you, then eating you alive.
James Bakker desired for people to be real with God. In his early life, he wanted nothing more than to help people feel God’s presence and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He cherished prayer. He found great comfort in scripture. He started a ministry with little to nothing, building a TV ministry before others even pictured it. Along the way, however, he lost his soul. He became enamored with wealth and fame.
Bakker originally envisioned a vacation place for Christians to feel closer to God. Money poured in. Church people became excited about the possibilities. With his ministry coffers filled to overflowing, he changed his vision for the vacation spot. He began to build lavish and expensive accommodations. He blew thousands on buildings with ornate furnishings, bathrooms with gold fixtures, and attracting a wealthy clientele. His growing desire to be a famous religious personality who was surrounded by wealth caused him to make poor financial decisions and then hide his financial improprieties. He also became involved in an adulterous affair and ended up paying $279,000 in ministry funds to keep it quiet. Somewhere along the way, Bakker threw away his ministry and wrecked his spiritual life. Along with it, he served jail time. The world, the flesh, had stolen another soul who could no longer please God. Only after losing everything did he find Jesus again.
Is there a worldly desire that seems to dominate your time? Are you slaving after something in this life? Has God receded in importance? Has an emotion or insecurity or fear pushed you to focus too much of your attention on something physical or financial or sinful? Worldly pleasures have a way of corrupting your soul. In the end, you become hostile to God. Again, read the final sentence from the scripture for today. Clearly, those who live for worldly pleasures CANNOT PLEASE GOD!