I bought a cantaloupe and a pineapple the other day. They smelled so sweet and their aroma filled the kitchen. After a week of so, I decided I better cut them up and use them before they turned rotten. Too late! I cut into the cantaloup to find the fruit already a dark terra-cotta color. I tested it to be sure it could not be salvaged and spit the bite out. I refocused on the pineapple. When I picked it up, it squished. I noticed mold next to the crown. Yuck! I was upset I waste two perfectly good fruits to my procrastination. They were trash bound.
If we apply this to our life today, how often do we portray rotten fruit in the form of lying, selfishness, fear, pride, course joking, addictions, sexual immorality, jealousy (Romans 13:13), idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, anger, envy, dissension (disagreements that split), factions (cliques), (Galatians 5:19-21)?
Immediately, we may say we do not do these things because we perceive the most radicle form of them, but we would be deceiving ourselves (1John 1:8). I think most people reading this try to follow Christ’s teaching and are not bent towards a wicked heart. I shared this article May 28th about a wicked heart: (http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/association-of-biblical-counselors/5-indicators-of-an-evil-and-wicked-heart.html).
But Satan is crafty. Remember the garden. Oh to only have ONE rule! Oh wait…we DO have only one rule: follow Jesus’ teachings.
So how is Satan crafty? Let’s filter some everyday situations through the Word to heighten our awareness of Satan’s schemes. Put your armor on folks, this is battle.
Four Schemes that Culture Portrays as Acceptable
One: Words We Use
Satan is so subtle that your way will appear right to you…until later (Proverbs 14:12). I think of the frog in the water. It is heated up slowly so no one catches on that there is a denigration away from holiness. For example, I told a friend my son could not watch a movie because it had over 100 of the ‘f’ word, and a smattering of others. She told me, “It is only a word.”
My mom and I had a discussion that words mean different things to different people. I remember my grandfather using the ’n’ word a lot. For him, it was just another word to describe people. But, just because he did not think it was a degrading word in his generation does not mean we should apply that logic to all generations and use whatever word is acceptable to our culture.
We should never filter our beliefs and actions through worldly means. We should filter every situation through the Word of God. Does it mean we will be perfect? No. I saw a great shirt that said, “I love Jesus but I Cuss a Little.” I think we could swop any word for ‘cuss’. This shows we know we are not perfect just because we are Christians but we strive to be better than the cultural norms around us.
Two: Calling Good, Evil and Calling Evil, Good
This seems almost inconceivable. How could anyone look at evil and call it good, or vis versa? Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Let’s list some examples. (I even expect some to disagree with some of these points.)
The Confederate flag was originally not a hate symbol. It was a symbol of freedom from Northern political domination and government. Now, because of some haters who have taken the flag’s meaning way out of context have made the flag to be a symbol for the destruction of blacks. I had the privilege of interviewing a man who is a member of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans. They believe in freedom and liberty and defend the rights given by the Constitution. They proudly take the Confederate flag to all their ceremonies and parades. Dean Boggs wrote, “Some of our school books, movies, television programs and press falsely portray Southerners as rebels and traitors who fought to preserve slavery, misleading our children and millions of Americans ignorant of history. Since my family fought for the Confederacy, they thereby falsely malign my family and me.”
Other examples: I saw this post (paraphrased): People celebrate Bruce Jenner for being brave in his transition, but the same people hate Tim Tebow for his bravery toward his beliefs. People are calling evil, good and good, evil.
The World Health Organization says, “Abortion is healthcare, not a crime”, “Access to abortion services is an essential part of a woman’s health”, and “You should not use your personal values as a way to interfere with women’s healthcare services.” Calling murder/abortion good under the umbrella of health is evil.
Same sex marriage is a hot topic. I read an interesting blog called, “The Good Gays and the Bad Gays.” According to this blogger, the ‘good gay’ is the one who lives with their partner in celibacy and the ‘bad gay’ is not celibate. Romans 1:24-32 says, “Because of the sinful desires of their hearts toward sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another…God gave the over to shameful lust. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, men also abandoned natural relations with women and inflamed with lust for one another….they do not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God…they continue to do these things and approve of those who do.” Calling something good that God calls unnatural and shameful does not make it so.
Three: Thinking Your Way IS the Way
Pride and selfishness are the root of demanding your own way. Proverbs 12:15, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” Whatever ‘it’ is, there is a difference in sharing what YOU do and making people feel like you are looking down on them because they do not participate also. This is a balancing act, or sorts, but if we always keep in mind Philippians 2:3-5, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourself not looking for your own interest but each of you to the interest of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ.” (Read vs. 6-11 for further study).
You may ask how you demand your own way? Do you speed? Do you rush to get a parking spot when someone else seems close, too? Do you think you should be respected by others (even though you don’t respect them)? Do you feel like you are more important than the cleaning lady at the hotel or the server at you favorite restaurant? Do you feel happiness when you see someone you know in a seemingly lower status job or relationship than you? Do you feel elation at some act or relationship or possession that makes you tell others (behind a FB post) that they will never measure up with you, never compete with your material possessions and can’t be as impressive as you are (yes, I follow someone like this). Do you think you acquired everything on your own instead of give God the glory? Do you disregard other’s plight in life such as the poor or disables thinking they should ‘just get a job’? Do you try to succeed at the expense of others? Are you repulsed at other’s success in the same field you are working? Do you ever neglect others because you are so busy?
Four: Luring People to Participate
When you lure people to participate in your depravity, knowingly or unknowingly, you are essentially defending rotten fruit and want others to indulge in decaying actions that demoralize the soul.
Extreme example: Some good friends of mine have Swingers as neighbors. It is not uncommon to see purple lights, hear loud music and ‘sounds’ from the other side of the fence. The neighbors invited my friends to participate. Asking others to participate is defending rotten fruit.
“Little White” example: When you gossip, you lure others to interject their own ideas about the topic, thus giving people the perfect situation to participate. 99% of people will not say they do not want to gossip and ask to change the topic.
1 Corinthians 10:20-22 discusses participation. If we apply the scripture, we cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, too. We cannot knowingly be a part of both. This is easy to read but harder to apply.
Conclusion: It is never too late with Jesus to stop defending rotten fruit in your life. There are so many schemes by Satan to trick us into thinking ‘this is just how it is’, or ‘this is just the way I am.” Culture is not a good filter! Your feelings are not a good filter! These two statements defend rotten fruit in your character. Examining ourself using the Word and being brutally honest as we filter our lives through it’s Truth is the only way we can be ready for the schemes of Satan. Let’s put on our armor and attack!!
What is your response to the Man who who was scourged and beaten and spit on and nailed to a cross...for YOU? Now this is some good fruit.
What is your response to the Man who who was scourged and beaten and spit on and nailed to a cross...for YOU? Now this is some good fruit.
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