To Have that Which I can’t Have

The one thing about human nature that never ceases to fascinate me is the driving force within to take to ourselves that which is not meant for us.  Or, to have that which I can’t have.  The small child is told that he or she can,”look, but not touch.”  Once we turn our back, what’s the first thing that child will do?  Another child is told they are not allowed, “to go into that room.”  One day when nobody is around, what’s the first thing that one will do?  It all started in God’s garden of Eden of course, with our first parents.  The one thing God told them they could not have, was the very thing they decided they would have Genesis 2:17; 3:6.

This truth helped some people I ministered to on the streets get a handle on self-will and to see that they too were sinners.  They were not self-righteous, sin-deniers, but because of the lives they now led as law abiding, good citizens seeking to always do what is right rather than wrong, their concept of sin was reduced to that of law breakers, drunks, druggies, tax cheats, thieves, perverts, molesters and murderers and the like.  When one man saw the truth of Adam and Eve’s sin and then related it to his own life of thirty-seven odd years, he began to open up and share with me. Then he asked me to lead him to the Lord Jesus in prayer.  He left the area some weeks after that event but his encounter with the Lord was very real.

A well-to-do business lady of around the same age as the man saw this truth and went on to say that it helped her get insight as to why she was always discontented – particularly with regards her car and her house.  I don’t know what happened to her but I praise God that He gave her the light to see that Jesus is the only one who can deliver us from such discontent, no matter what it is.  Another man began to see that it was not divorce that was his biggest problem should he leave his wife, but rather, wanting the woman that was not rightfully his because of his present marriage.

It seems to me that Satan the devil is having a field day with Christians around the world when it comes to addressing abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.  Scripture compromisers, the politically correct and the biblically ignorant among them are quick to defend these practices as they hide behind words such as: compassion, love, tolerance, grace and, “let us not be judgmental” etc.  They have allowed Satan to paint them into a corner and become trapped by focusing on these specific practices, rather than allow the Holy Spirit of God to reveal to them the real truth underpinning Adam and Eve’s sin – which was – they only wanted what God said they could not have.

Whatever other excuses people have for the condoning of these practices, wanting that which God says is forbidden is at the heart of it and there are no exceptions to this universal law.  It’s too late now for the institutional church to turn back.  It’ll never happen.  Why not?  Because those who were equipped with truth and mandated to stand up for it and preach the whole counsel of God caved in to the manipulations, intimidations, opinions and feelings of people who hate truth.  Scripture compromise, political correctness and biblical ignorance is so deeply entrenched and rampant in that system today that nobody even dare attempt to close the well and truly opened floodgates.

On those streets years ago, I never allowed myself to get side-tracked by any questions on abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.  I met plenty of people who were or had been practitioners of the first two but they were not issues for me.  Nor was any other specific sin for that matter.  Besides, those practitioners didn’t need to be told they were not right before God, they already knew it.  What they needed to be told was that their sins were no surprise to Jesus and that if they came to Him they would be set free, regardless of what it was Hebrews 4:15-16.  And they were told that.  I can still see the look on (more than) one homosexual man’s face as he thanked me for telling him about Who Jesus is and why He came as one of us.

Another reason I would not allow myself to get side-tracked by specific sin practice was because the people were not born-again by the Spirit of God.  Therefore, it was only to be expected that many of them would be indulging in those things.  But, all sin is sin.  If one is not born again then a liar needs to be set free just as much as a murderer Proverbs 6:16-17.  It is not only Roman Catholic people who have bought into the lie that sin can be graded into those mortal versus those venial.  Protestantism has bought into it too and together with Romanism they have done a masterful job in getting the secular world to buy into it as well.

However, when it comes to those who claim to be born again, I have a different view.  Specific sin should definitely be challenged – especially from the pulpit.  Not only should it be challenged, but under the Spirit’s anointing, it should be labored upon until the people see it for the sin that it truly is – wanting that which God says is forbidden – and, that they would seek out counsel, repentance and deliverance.  Yet, when Scripture compromisers and politically correct ministers fail to speak up on the root cause that underpins all specific sins, what hope has anyone in the fellowship got of becoming free from it?  Were it not for the sovereignty of God, His mercy and love for truth they would have no hope.

Church people who fail in their God-given mandate to stand up and speak out against one sinful practice going on in their fellowship are condoning that practice by their silence. Worse too – they will most certainly become a  pushover for Satan and his cohorts when the next challenge comes along.  Abortion, adultery, lesbianism, homosexuality, (with same-sex marriage, child-sex and euthanasia becoming the next challenges) – all of these practices will continue to grow at an exponential rate as much inside the church as out of it, because those who should know better will not address the sin of “wanting that which God says is forbidden.”

When Christians willingly fail to address any such serious sin, they not only forfeit their spiritual power and authority in one area, they forfeit them in all areas.  Most people in the church don’t believe this, but Satan does as he walks all over them day and night, together or separately.  Which brings me to this point:  It is not difficult to discern who lacks spiritual power and authority in the church system, but noticeable to me are men who have condoned women to take to themselves the ministries of elder, pastor or/and reverend.  In other words, just like Adam, these spiritually blind men have allowed themselves to become spiritually seduced by the Eve’s of the modern day church and, as a result both are dying in the spirit and they don’t even know it!

One of the ways in which the truth of this can be tested, is to challenge both the men and women involved in this.  If one should do so, the first thing one will notice is the manner of their response.  Firstly they will give a wide-eyed smile and say something like, “In our church constitution we allow for no distinctions in ministry to be made between male and female, which is in line with Galatians 3:28.”  If you should next challenge them on the fact that this Scripture, whilst it does speak to us as male and female being equal in Christ, but that it does not abolish gender-based roles established by God and redeemed by the Lord, the wide-eyed smile is the first thing to go, followed by something like, “It all depends on how you interpret that Scripture……..”

Further challenging does not cause them to stop, listen and look into the word of God and humbly wait upon Him for further revelation on the matter either.  But rather, they will continue to pull other Scriptures out of context  so as to justify their “theological” stand on the matter.  They will become defensive, condemnatory and accusing in the process.  Why?  Because come hell or high-water each one is determined, “to have that which I can’t have.”  The men believe themselves to be enlightened, fair-minded and accommodating, when the reality is they have placed themselves outside of God’s ordained order.  That’s why they’ve lost their spiritual power and authority.

As for the women, well, it was role reversal that got the first two people into trouble in the beginning and it is role reversal that is causing the church to spiritually die wherever women are usurping their authority in the church throughout the world today.  Any appearance to the contrary is just that – only an appearance.  Spiritual death is inevitable because they have not been graced with true spiritual power and authority for those positions of leadership.  That’s doubly sad too, because they are missing out on all the blessings upon ministries that they have been graced for.  The same principle applies in the family home too – Christian or otherwise.

There is no blessing or grace for the one who takes to him or herself that which God says is forbidden.  There is much room in the mercy of God for people to turn to Him and ask for further Scriptural revelation on such present and future issues, but just like those first two people in God’s garden of Eden, most will not do so.  Why not?  It takes humility.  And someone who is hell-bent on having that which is not meant for them, whilst they are skilled at presenting themselves as humble people, the reality is they are falsely humble.  Sadly, the institutional church is full of them.  “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself………Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3, 5.