Have we got Muddy Feet…..

 

So how did it all begin… At first there was no mud but God said to Adam and Eve…if you eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall die, yuk mud! “disobedience” so we can see punishment for disobeying God was already established before the fall, it is a warning so we do not continue to sin. We were created in God’s image to Love 100% and His Love is pure, we can only have His Love in and through Christ Jesus, as The Holy Spirit empowers us, anything less will leave us feeling a void.

Eve at first was deceived into disobeying God but Adam chose to splash in the mud because he listened to Eve instead of God and did the evil that she wanted, Eve also chose the mud by enticing Adam to disobey God and do evil too. Yes they were chastised and Disciplined by God because of their disobedience in that they reaped what they sowed, Adam now had to work hard to provide what was needed to survive and Eve had more painful Childbirth without the help provided in the Garden but what was very sad was they no longer had close fellowship with God, their sinfulness separated them from Him.

But why should we be punished for the wrong Adam and Eve did… We are Not… all of us have sinned and need Salvation, to say we don’t is calling God a liar, without heart repentance which means not only being sorry for the wrong we have done but choosing to turn from evil and to do good by The Spirits empowering, we will reap the evil we have sown and separate ourselves from God.

God knew mankind would sin and yet He still gave us free will, He didn’t want Puppets, He Loves us passionately and wants us to choose to Love and obey Him freely, He has known us from Eternity and in His heart the good outweighed the bad, it was why He sent Jesus to Redeem us and set us free from the punishment we deserved and from the slavery of sin, so we would not sin, no Temptation will be greater then we can bear, Jesus is our Armour.

It’s our choice how we choose to walk and it will either bring Joy and blessings or suffering and heartache. If we do good, we are blessed and we feel deep inner Joy but if we do evil, we are cursed and will feel guilty. God created us this way so we would know Joy in doing good and refrain from doing evil but man choice to do evil.

Psalm 119 :103 -104 How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

But it’s not God’s will that anyone perishes, meaning to be eternally separated from Him, He wants a close and Loving relationship with us but if we continue to sin we are separated from Him and even if we feel guilt at first, if we don’t repent we will either cover it up, ignore it, deny it, minimize it, excuse it or blame others, some even claim it doesn’t matter if we sin because we are forgiven, or they say whatever bad things we do God will use it for good, yes He does work all things for good but this does not condone our sin or can we use this to justify it. If we continue to sin without heart repentance we will die spiritually and not even recognize or care that we are sinning and in the end we will turn away from God and reject Him in our heart and so we will Perish.

James 1:13 -15 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
If we Splash in the mud, our path will be hard and fearful and we will hurt God, others and ourselves and we will reap even if not straight away, a harvest of weeds and thistles, causing us to doubt God’s Love and blaming Him for the bad things that happen and yet also fearing punishment in our inner being which we will try to blot out in destructive ways.

Romans 6:6- 7 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Choosing to obey God is not works it’s obedience and will bring deep inner Joy and regardless of the circumstances, we will reap a wonderful, uplifting bounty of good tidings by knowing without doubt that our Eternity is with Him and also that regardless of the Storms we encounter in life, He will always be with us and will strengthen us so we can endure and not give up or choose to sin.

Psalm 119: 1-3 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.

Like the Prodigal Son’s Father, God allows us to choose the path we walk, including splashing in the mud but until we come to our senses, repent and seek Him with all our heart, putting our flesh to death and so being perfected in Love, we are without His provision and presence in our lives, yes He warns us which shows, He Loves us, but never forces us to Love and obey Him, He has giving us free will… He wants a willing heart. God is Love and cannot do evil and He does not willingly  afflict us .

Lamentations 3: 33 For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

1Corinthians13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth.

Deuteronomy 32:5 His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of Truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.

So have we looked at our feet to see if they are clean or dirty, are we splashing in the mud or walking in the clean fresh water of The Holy Spirit.

When we really Love God we want to obey Him and not hurt Him in anyway and we long to share about Him with others, our Joy overflows because we know Him as a God of Love who can do no evil and we are assured that we Love Him because He first Loved us.

One of the Scriptures that always encourages me to share openly about our Awesome God is …

Titus 2 :11 -15 For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men,Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might Redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

These are some of the Scriptures that convict me now to choose to walk God’s way and to Trust in The Holy Spirit to keep my feet clean …

Galatians 5 :24 -25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. or if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God.

Psalm 119:100-102 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word. I have not departed from -Thy judgments: for Thou hast taught me.

1John 3:4-10 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

 

These Scriptures warn me to no longer splash in the mud but to always seek to do God’s will by the empowering of The Holy Spirit …

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 94:23 And He shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.

Matthew 24:11-13 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the Love of many shall wax cold.

I will share soon about the wonderful Hope we have in Jesus Christ, who has set us free so we don’t splash in the Mud. If you would like to have more understanding about your feet see the link below…..

Feet – https://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/how-are-your-feet/

Thanks for listening – Christian Love from both of us – Anne