April 13- Fighting the Flesh

April 13, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Joshua 7:16-9:2; Luke 16:1-18;
Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:23

Joshua 7:16-9:2

Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy.  This is especially true about dieting.  I decide that I am going to lose a few pounds and all I have to do is reign in my eating, right?  Wrong.  What I really have to reign in is my mind.  It is my brain that often keeps me from losing weight.  For example, I will have a nice breakfast, go to exercise class, eat a small lunch, have a healthy snack in the afternoon, and then consume a nice dinner in the evening.  At this point, I will have stayed within my desired calorie count without any problems.  And then it happens.  I sit down on the couch after dinner and my mind starts messin' with me.  It will say things like, "I sure would like to have something sweet."  "Do we have any chocolate in the pantry?"  "Dinner was too small." "Gosh, I have GOT to have a cookie."  This goes can go on for quite some time.  Sometimes I can control my thoughts and sometimes I can't.  Today we read the story of a man who could not control his own thought and desires and in the end, his sin ended up defeating him.

As the story begins, the nation of Israel is unable to defeat a small town called Ai.  For you and me, the town of Ai represents our flesh.  The Israelites cannot defeat Ai because they have sin in their midst.  Someone in the Israelite community has stolen goods that belong to God.  It is determined through a drawn out process that a man named Achan has taken a beautiful robe, two hundred silver coins, and a bar of gold.  Achan confesses to God and the community that he wanted them so badly that he took them, even though he knew it was wrong.  Because of his unconfessed sin 36 Israelites died in battle trying to capture the city of Ai.  There were strong consequences for Achan's dishonesty, covetousness, and pride.  Men died because of Achan's greed.  Now there will be strong consequences in Achan's life and in the lives of his family members.  Achan and his family are stoned to death as a judgment against their sin.  The pile of stones over their bodies served as a warning to all of Israel to avoid sin. 

Next, the Israelites go out and defeat the same small city they were unable to conquer prior to Achan's confession.  Achan's confession and the subsequent judgment of his sin ended Israel's inability to defeat Ai.

This story serves as a good example to you and me.  Just as Achan had a hard time defeating his flesh, you and I have problems defeating the "Ai" or flesh in our lives.  As we attempt to occupy the promised land of the good Christian life here on earth, we are battling "Ai" every day.  Our temptations  to covet things that we do not own, covet positions that we do not possess, and cover our sins with religious platitudes represent our own struggle with the flesh.  Just as it was hard for Israel to root out who had sinned within their community, it is hard to identify and root out sin within the Church and within our own lives.  These wrong attitudes and wrong decisions bring us defeat. Who among us has not behaved like Achan?  Haven't we all been greedy at one time or another?  Haven't we tried to hide our sin?

Lesson:  In order to defeat the flesh in our life, confession of sin is key.  Just as Achan was required to confess sin, we are admonished by Scripture to confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  I John 1:9 says, "If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness."   Achan's sin was punished by death.  The judgment for our sin was paid by Jesus' death.  Have you confessed your sin and relied on Christ's punishment for your sins today?


Luke 16:1-18

How appropriate that our New Testament reading today deals with being honest with money.  Jesus teaches that if you are untrustworthy about your worldly wealth, you will not be trusted in the next world with responsibility.  Our lives on this earth are a measure of how we can be trusted with responsibilities in the new heaven and the new earth.  Jesus admonishes us to serve God rather than money.  The Pharisees scoffed at this teaching. 

Do you scoff when Jesus admonishes you to stop being obsessed with worldly possessions?  Are you trying to serve two masters?

Psalm 82:1-8

God serves over a heavenly court according to this psalm.  That squares with our other teachings today.  Judgment is His purview.

Proverbs 13:2-3

We see that words matter according to Scripture.  Be careful with your words.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton