The Bible teaches us one of the most important and sublime truths ever revealed to mortals, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, and thus any person who truly believes in God can conquer any sin, whether it be cultivated or genetically predisposed. It makes no difference whatsoever, for sin is naturally intimidated by the presence of Christ, and if we so choose, Jesus will obliterate every evil propensity in us, through the omnipotent power of The Holy Ghost. This solemn truth must always be held as a sacred treasure by all who name the name of Christ.
Never should we buy into the devil’s fatal sophistry that because we are born with powerful propensities to evil, that are passed down from generation to generation via our genes, that we cannot live victoriously through the power of Christ, for if we draw this conclusion, we will literally hand the victory to our arch-enemy, and thus we will always be looking for ways and means to evade the sacred requirements and lofty standards set forth in the scriptures.
When the Bible speaks of being genetically predisposed to evil, it is referring to the fact that we all are born with unnatural tendencies that are inherited, and then almost always cultivated by the children who have the genetic codes for a certain course of action stamped upon us at birth. And although all unnatural actions and decisions must pass through the gate of choice as we grow and gain intelligence, yet the sacred record shows that it is usually the case that children walk in the footsteps of their parents, even though we retain the freedom to choose for ourselves. Let’s read:
1st kings 15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him”….
8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
And the Bible gives us several other graphic examples of the same problem, for it is the same with every living person born under the sun, without exception. Many people wonder at Solomon, who at the onset of his reign, dedicated himself to God, and asked not for riches, but for wisdom to rule, and prayed that the laws and principles that are written in the scriptures, be implemented both on a personal and national level, how could he then fall so low as to take to himself seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.
These actions were not only his free choice, but they were motivated by a much deeper genetic problem he knew not of, and until he himself came to this realization, he would continue to fall a prey to the very unnatural cravings of his carnal heart. The problem did not even originate with David his father, but went much further back into his family tree, where it is found upon investigation, that most of his progenitors suffered with the same problem to a greater or lesser degree.
And for those of us who might be suffering with the similar urge to merge, and who may be wondering why the problem seems to be so deep-seated, we may well look at our own family history, to better understand our own issues. Solomon’s grandfather was Jesse, from whom David descended, and so we must do a little digging to see why Solomon did what he did. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 16:4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
Now folks, we are looking at a pretty “Busy” man, and the probing question that Samuel continued to ask, haunted the mind of Jesse. That question, “Are these all thy children” must have got him thinking, for Samuel had only asked for the sons of Jesse to come to the solemn ceremony, but the daughters of Jesse were never called, not because he did not have daughters too, but because Samuel was sent specifically to anoint a new king for the kingdom of Israel.
And now we turn one more page in Solomon’s family tree to his father David, in order to trace the root of his problem with polygamy, and that seemingly insatiable desire to “merge”. Unless we understand where we came from, we will not know where we are going, or what steps to take to forestall the cascading effects of genetic predisposal to unnatural tendencies. Solomon’s unusually strong sexual desire is not merely the result of his own doing, for there are genetic and hereditary forces at play, forces that must be brought into the equation when evaluating our dire need of Christ. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
2nd Samuel 5:13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
14 And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
What we are looking at again is a pretty “Busy” man, and as we trace from root cause to effect, we see a definite pattern developing genetically, and being passed down from father to son, and from generation to generation as a legacy. Thus the next logical question is what do we do in our predicament, if we are predisposed by inherited, sinful tendencies? Do we then make laws to accommodate our unnatural propensities, or do we take the bull by its horns, and seek after Christ, who alone can put these tendencies to evil into permanent reverse gear?
What we do from this point forward is of very critical importance, for there are forces that have now been set in motion to confirm sinful desires and activities under the pretext that we are naturally predisposed to act a certain way. Thus, instead of seeking for the abundant solutions and remedies afforded in Christ, through the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit to exterminate sin, many are bent on wallowing in the mire of inherited tendencies, and thus the work of God’s salvation is being made of none effect to those who need it most.
In dealing with these inherent problems in our nature, there are certain courses of action we should never ever pursue, for if we take any other route that is contrary to the path outlined in the scriptures, we will place ourselves on the wrong side of the fence as it pertains to God’s saving grace, and thus, instead of being liberated from spiritual bondage, we will be permanently incarcerated by evil spirits, who will then take full possession of our minds, if positive decisions for the better aren’t made.
The first thing we must never do is to destroy the God-given diagnostic tools that are to be found in His law, for if the proper diagnosis is not made, then the appropriate remedies cannot be applied. The Ten Commandments are what stipulate what sin is, and if they are interfered with for any reason, or removed from our consciences as being irrelevant, the solutions to be found only in Christ will be of no avail, for God cannot help us in any way, if we determine that nothing is wrong with ourselves. Let’s read:
1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then?”…. “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
In Jackson Memorial hospital there are x-ray machines and magnetic resonance imaging devices which reveal internal defects and problems that are hidden from the view of the naked eye, and were it not for these devices, which probe deep within our bodies, doctors and physicians would be at a loss to properly diagnose and treat, many of the ailments with which we suffer. Now, no one in their right mind will think of destroying an MRI machine, simply because it is used to detect defects and cancers in us. So how is it that we now endeavor to do away with the spiritual MRI that God uses to properly diagnose and treat the many spiritual cancers we are born with?
We would think that the wise and beneficial thing to do would be to protect the spiritual MRI, but instead we are now making laws to remove it from the hospital, so that no cures for our spiritual maladies can be prescribed by Doctor Jesus, and this is the reason why we are rapidly descending into moral anarchy which will take us into “Never land”, where sinful propensities, evil thoughts, and actions are considered normal, and no remedy is ever needed or prescribed.
X-ray machines and similar devices are never used by doctors to condemn their patients, neither does Doctor Jesus use His MRI of Ten Commandments to condemn any of His patients, for it is one of the indispensable diagnostic tools God must use, in order to begin the rehabilitation process, and all who submit to the initial stages of diagnostic work, will live victoriously as the appropriate medicines are applied from day to day. Let’s read:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
In our day we are faced with a philosophy which teaches us to tolerate those evil tendencies we are born with, and for this reason it is stated that gays, lesbians and bisexuals have no choice but to go with their unnatural flow. This form of reasoning or conclusion does not come from God, for at its core it infers that we have no choice but to remain in our sins, and thus it strikes at the very root of God’s purposes to save us from all sin. Jesus Christ was manifested to destroy all the works of satan, and therefore we should never sell His grace short, by saying that we must go with our natural flow.
There are those of us who have a natural tendency to tell lies, and it has become deeply embedded in our nature, to the point where we do not even have to think about it, before it is done. Then there are those of us whose parents and grandparents were heavy smokers and drinkers, and the mere sight of a cold-sweating Budweiser or Johnny walker black sends shivers down our spines. Then again there are those whose inherited and genetic problem might be “girls” or boys, as the case might be. Are we then to go with our unnatural flow, which is diagnosed as sin by the spiritual MRI? God forbid! Let’s read:
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
There is absolutely no sinful tendency, thought, or action that cannot be resolutely overcome through the blood and power of Jesus, for this is the very essence of the work of salvation, and it must never be belittled, short-changed, or underestimated, because it is the power of God working in and through us. Thus all gays and lesbians can become as straight as a pin, and liars can be made to be truthful and sincere, and those who suffer with adulterous thoughts and inordinate sexual desires, can live victoriously each day, and be more than conquerors through Christ. But never are we to throw in the towel and surrender to satan, through his specious sophistries which are presented under the pretext of love and tolerance. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
Let us therefore be very careful not to subscribe to the many fatal deceptions that are scheduled to proliferate in these last days of earth’s history, for we will find more and more that the world at large is becoming more averse to truth and righteousness, and it will require tremendous focus and a deep relationship with The Lord Jesus, to stay the course with Him. We therefore end with several statements of facts from the apostle John, which should be treasured by every true believer, for victorious living is well within our reach, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Let’s read:
1st John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!