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5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6). I am marinating in these two verses this morning. For those who believe in Christ, we no longer belong to the darkness.  Jesus has broken its control over our lives, the darkness does not own us! We instead walk in His brilliant glory! The Greek word for “sleep” in this instance is katheudō. It means “unaware”. We must remain aware of God, His workings, His will for our lives, and His love for all His children. Put on His breastplate of love and faith this morning to protect your hearts today. Add the helmet of hope that is our salvation in Jesus Christ to give you a clear mind. Abba Daddy, prepare our hearts and minds this day to show the power of your love, grace, and mercy to this world today. Amen.

I’ve been writing this lesson since last September. I’m not sure what to do with it now that I think it’s finished 😂 so I decided to share it with you guys. I hope someone gets something out of it. Oh wretched man that I am. Let’s look at John chapter 11 verses 38-44. A man named Lazarus was very sick so his sisters Martha and Mary sent for Jesus in the hopes that He might heal Lazarus. When Jesus got there Lazarus was dead.  Jesus said “take me to where you have laid him and roll the stone away”, “but Lord” Martha said, “by this time there is a bad odor” But Jesus called in a loud voice “Lazarus come out!” Notice in verse 44, The dead man came out,wrapped in grave clothes. Jesus said “take off the grave clothes and let him go” When we are called from this life of death in sin, after we are reborn we still have this old body with the stench of sin/death. Like those burial clothes, we need  to take off that old stench of death/sin to walk in a new life he has called us to. But unfortunately we are stuck with this “meat suit” as one preacher I follow calls it. He says we are not a body with a soul but we are a soul with a body.  Paul explains this battle we all face in Romans chapter 7 where he talks about “Indwelling sin” and the “wretched man” Vs 14 - 25 14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So it is, while we are born again and saved by the blood of Jesus. We will struggle and battle with sin the rest of our natural lives until Jesus calls us home. So what do we do about it? Our job is to be in the fight, “put on the whole armor of God so we can withstand the wilds of the devil” With Gods help we fight! Sometimes we will fail, BUT THE KEY is quickly repenting (asking for forgiveness) so that we stay in good fellowship with God.  The Bible says “ a righteous man falls 7 times but gets back up 7 times.  Sin is like quicksand, you may stumble into it but if you immediately pull back out you are saved from it. If you don’t and you stay and struggle in it it will drag you down and bring death and destruction.  Galatians 5: 19-24 talks about not following our sinful nature but nailing our passions and desires to the cross. “19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. “ It’s a daily battle to surrender to Him.  It’s not about me anymore, but all about Him. I think we read that verse like it’s a once and done thing. But Paul says we work out our salvation “daily” But Paul says we work out our salvation “daily” But Paul says we work out our salvation “daily” “”Yes I meant to say that 3 times 😉”” Stay in the fight! Read your Bible daily. Pray unceasingly. Go to church. As a Godly man lead your family in His ways, teach your children to honor God.  Then just watch how God will bless your life